Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Human Factors
During taxi-in there was some degree of confusion as to what gate we were assigned to. It began with Tower; as they contradicted their own taxi instructions on Taxiway Papa after turning off Runway 4R. After being cleared to cross Runway 4L and contacting Ground; Ground contradicted us as to which gate they showed us parking at. We assured them we had a gate assignment from operations. We took taxi instruction from Ground and contacted Operations. The First Officer spoke to Operations while I taxied the aircraft. The follow minutes were so confusing I cannot pass on a completely accurate description after the fact. The basic gist of it is that we were repeatedly issued contradictory taxi instructions because Operations and Ground could not agree on what gate we were being sent to (We would tell Ground what Operations had said; and they would contradict us). We were essentially taxiing in circles for approximately ten to fifteen minutes up and down the stretch of Taxiways A and B on the east side of the airport just west of Runway 4L. At one point; I did miss a turn to rejoin A and continued on B momentarily; but Ground noticed my mistake and issued an amended taxi clearance without further interest or inquiry. Finally; at one point; Ground told us to stop and contact Ramp to correct the situation and we would be given instructions to taxi afterwards. At this point I keyed up on Comm 2 to speak to Operations and told them we were Aircraft X. They proceeded to ARGUE WITH ME about which flight number and tail number airplane I was operating. I became somewhat annoyed; keyed up; and repeated that we were definitely in Aircraft X; were the continuation of the flight that had diverted to ZZZ the day prior; and they need to figure out where to park Aircraft X immediately; regardless of whoever they thought we were.We then contacted Ground and began taxiing to terminal A; as we believed that was the correct destination. Upon reaching the ramp area once again; Operations began attempting to confuse the issue yet again; so we informed Ground that we needed a minute. We were then instructed to taxi across the ramp from RB to RC and hold short of Taxiway A; and did so. Upon reaching; we finally got in touch with Operations; and they admitted that they had confused us with the flight number that had been assigned to [Aircraft] when it flew from ZZZ1 to ZZZ to initiate the recovery operation. Because at some point local EWR Operations had become confused about which flight and tail we were; contradictory information had been sent to ATC; the [Company] application; and local Operations at EWR; resulting in a series of extremely confusing and contradictory taxi instructions. Once this was all clarified; Operations instructed us to taxi to [gate]. Prior to requesting our new taxi instructions; I keyed the mike and spoke to Ground; and apologized for our Operations department and the resulting confusion they had caused. I then received taxi instructions from Ground to [gate]; taxied to that parking location; and parked and shutdown the aircraft. The flight concluded without further incident.Later the following day; this came up in casual conversation in the EWR crew room with several other pilots and Chief Pilot. Apparently; such gate assignment and resulting taxi confusion is not only not an isolated event but is considered somewhat common among EWR based pilots. I strongly recommend that an audit of whatever operational process governs this is conducted and this situation remedied. In the event of a low visibility; high workload; or other potentially distracting situation; such additional complication could prove potentially disastrous. While all taxiways encountered in my event were west of the active runways; the potential to turn left at the wrong place and have a runway incursion exists; as well as potentially a loss of separation with other aircraft crossing or exiting Runway 4L/22R. Additional training of Ops personnel may be required. I would also note that this sort of event is confusing; tiring; demoralizing; and embarrassing for flight crews as well as potentially for the company as a whole.
ERJ Captain reported that ATC confused them with a different aircraft and caused them to taxi around in circles.