Narrative:

While acting as second officer on a widebody transport on a flight to newark, nj, I was assisting the captain in finding a frequency to contact the company dispatch on while the first officer was flying the airplane. ATC issued a right 220 turn which the first officer set up north the flight director. ATC then issued a clearance to hold at a new fix which the first officer was unfamiliar with. Although the first officer had initiated a right turn when he put the autoplt on while he looked in his manual for the new fix, the airplane took the shortest distance to the heading which was a left turn. ATC caught the mistake immediately and cleared us for a left turn. ATC made no further comment about the mistake. While the WX was very bad, rain thunderstorms, and mod turbulence, I feel the main contributing factors were inexperience pilots and the captain's inattn to the flying. That day was the captain's first day of flying the widebody transport on the line and therefore he required high minimums. This is why we were holding in the first place, we were waiting for newark to come up to 5000 RVR. I feel the captain was too concerned with talking to dispatch, a duty I could have handled alone. My inexperience also played a part in the incident. I am a new hire F/east and this was my 3RD trip and my first truly bad WX. Captain would not have felt it necessary to divert so much of his attention away from flying the airplane and toward helping me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF WDB WITH LOW LEVEL FLT EXPERIENCE IN THAT ACFT ALLOWED AUTOPLT TO TURN ACFT OPPOSITE OF CLRNC. APCH CTLR CAUGHT THE ERROR AND REISSUED CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE ACTING AS S/O ON A WDB ON A FLT TO NEWARK, NJ, I WAS ASSISTING THE CAPT IN FINDING A FREQ TO CONTACT THE COMPANY DISPATCH ON WHILE THE F/O WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. ATC ISSUED A RIGHT 220 TURN WHICH THE F/O SET UP N THE FLT DIRECTOR. ATC THEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO HOLD AT A NEW FIX WHICH THE F/O WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH. ALTHOUGH THE F/O HAD INITIATED A RIGHT TURN WHEN HE PUT THE AUTOPLT ON WHILE HE LOOKED IN HIS MANUAL FOR THE NEW FIX, THE AIRPLANE TOOK THE SHORTEST DISTANCE TO THE HDG WHICH WAS A LEFT TURN. ATC CAUGHT THE MISTAKE IMMEDIATELY AND CLRED US FOR A LEFT TURN. ATC MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT ABOUT THE MISTAKE. WHILE THE WX WAS VERY BAD, RAIN TSTMS, AND MOD TURBULENCE, I FEEL THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE INEXPERIENCE PLTS AND THE CAPT'S INATTN TO THE FLYING. THAT DAY WAS THE CAPT'S FIRST DAY OF FLYING THE WDB ON THE LINE AND THEREFORE HE REQUIRED HIGH MINIMUMS. THIS IS WHY WE WERE HOLDING IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE WERE WAITING FOR NEWARK TO COME UP TO 5000 RVR. I FEEL THE CAPT WAS TOO CONCERNED WITH TALKING TO DISPATCH, A DUTY I COULD HAVE HANDLED ALONE. MY INEXPERIENCE ALSO PLAYED A PART IN THE INCIDENT. I AM A NEW HIRE F/E AND THIS WAS MY 3RD TRIP AND MY FIRST TRULY BAD WX. CAPT WOULD NOT HAVE FELT IT NECESSARY TO DIVERT SO MUCH OF HIS ATTN AWAY FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND TOWARD HELPING ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.