Narrative:

Ground control gave us a taxi clearance consisting of 2 txwys (taxiway south and taxiway Z) to runway 22R. As we taxied out, the PF noted that we were already on taxiway south. Glancing at the airport diagram, the PNF said to continue straight ahead to reach taxiway Z, but that a runway had to be crossed to get there. The PF said we had been cleared, and after checking the runway and approach for potential traffic, crossed the runways. Upon crossing the runway, we recognized that taxiway Z had already been passed (and must have been missed) and in fact we were taxiing away from it. Ground control re-sequenced us in the takeoff queue. No evasive action was taken or needed. No near miss occurred. Contributing factors: 1) before takeoff checklist and departure procedures were being reviewed during taxi. This could have contributed to missing taxiway Z and not realizing we were taxiing away from desired position. 2) both pilots unfamiliar with this airport. 3) passenger was late and anxious to depart. This caused both pilots to quicken pace, adding to possibility of a mistake. 4) ground control frequency was heavily congested, discouraging a progressive taxi request and not permitting controller to observe aircraft to insure they are proceeding as instructed. To prevent a recurrence or correct the situation: 1) change before taxi checklist to include review of taxi instructions and directions, requiring both pilots to agree prior to taxi. This would have idented the proper location on the field. 2) avoid studying departure procedure during taxi to provide 2 pairs of eyes looking for taxi turnoffs. This could have prevented bypassing the taxiway Z in the first place. 3) provide additional ground control frequency for use during peak times at large airports. This would allow controllers to observe aircraft and encourage progressive taxi requests from those pilots unfamiliar. 5) improved signage denoting taxi turns to various runways. Supplemental information from acn 626755: the PNF was giving me directions. He thought we started from a different point on the chart. No hold short clearance was given. We should not have crossed the runway if we went the correct way. I should have had better crew coordination. ATC advised us of what we did and no action was taken and there was no conflict with other traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE20 CREW, UNFAMILIAR WITH EWR, CROSSES A RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: GND CTL GAVE US A TAXI CLRNC CONSISTING OF 2 TXWYS (TXWY S AND TXWY Z) TO RWY 22R. AS WE TAXIED OUT, THE PF NOTED THAT WE WERE ALREADY ON TXWY S. GLANCING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM, THE PNF SAID TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD TO REACH TXWY Z, BUT THAT A RWY HAD TO BE CROSSED TO GET THERE. THE PF SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED, AND AFTER CHKING THE RWY AND APCH FOR POTENTIAL TFC, CROSSED THE RWYS. UPON XING THE RWY, WE RECOGNIZED THAT TXWY Z HAD ALREADY BEEN PASSED (AND MUST HAVE BEEN MISSED) AND IN FACT WE WERE TAXIING AWAY FROM IT. GND CTL RE-SEQUENCED US IN THE TKOF QUEUE. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN OR NEEDED. NO NEAR MISS OCCURRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND DEP PROCS WERE BEING REVIEWED DURING TAXI. THIS COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MISSING TXWY Z AND NOT REALIZING WE WERE TAXIING AWAY FROM DESIRED POS. 2) BOTH PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT. 3) PAX WAS LATE AND ANXIOUS TO DEPART. THIS CAUSED BOTH PLTS TO QUICKEN PACE, ADDING TO POSSIBILITY OF A MISTAKE. 4) GND CTL FREQ WAS HEAVILY CONGESTED, DISCOURAGING A PROGRESSIVE TAXI REQUEST AND NOT PERMITTING CTLR TO OBSERVE ACFT TO INSURE THEY ARE PROCEEDING AS INSTRUCTED. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OR CORRECT THE SIT: 1) CHANGE BEFORE TAXI CHKLIST TO INCLUDE REVIEW OF TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND DIRECTIONS, REQUIRING BOTH PLTS TO AGREE PRIOR TO TAXI. THIS WOULD HAVE IDENTED THE PROPER LOCATION ON THE FIELD. 2) AVOID STUDYING DEP PROC DURING TAXI TO PROVIDE 2 PAIRS OF EYES LOOKING FOR TAXI TURNOFFS. THIS COULD HAVE PREVENTED BYPASSING THE TXWY Z IN THE FIRST PLACE. 3) PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GND CTL FREQ FOR USE DURING PEAK TIMES AT LARGE ARPTS. THIS WOULD ALLOW CTLRS TO OBSERVE ACFT AND ENCOURAGE PROGRESSIVE TAXI REQUESTS FROM THOSE PLTS UNFAMILIAR. 5) IMPROVED SIGNAGE DENOTING TAXI TURNS TO VARIOUS RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 626755: THE PNF WAS GIVING ME DIRECTIONS. HE THOUGHT WE STARTED FROM A DIFFERENT POINT ON THE CHART. NO HOLD SHORT CLRNC WAS GIVEN. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED THE RWY IF WE WENT THE CORRECT WAY. I SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER CREW COORD. ATC ADVISED US OF WHAT WE DID AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.