Narrative:

We were told to hold at jupiter intersection southeast at 10000'. The autoplt was engaged and controling the aircraft. Upon arrival at jupiter (we were flying northbound on A1 toward jupiter) I rotated the autoplt heading command bug to the left to a heading of 156 degrees for direct entry to the left-hand published holding pattern at jupiter intersection. Since we were heading 17 degrees on A1 toward jupiter and I rotated the heading bug to 156 degrees, the autoplt turned the aircraft to the right instead of to the left as desired. I should have moved it in small increments to the left. While this was happening I was descending and slowing and failed to notice the aircraft was turning right instead of left. The captain discovered my mistake after we had turned about 90 degrees to the right. We immediately started a left turn back to 156 degrees. By the time we got turned around we were 22 DME from narita VOR instead of the 32 DME we were supposed to be. Although I believe the cause of this incident to be pilot error, I believe there were some contributing factors. There was a stuck microphone on the frequency we were working and this caused a lot of confusion and a delay in receiving holding instructions. I think there is a flaw in the design of the widebody transport autoplt. If you turn the bug to the left, the aircraft should turn to the left.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TURN 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT BEFORE THE FLT CREW NOTICED THAT THE TURN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TO THE LEFT.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AT JUPITER INTXN SE AT 10000'. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND CTLING THE ACFT. UPON ARR AT JUPITER (WE WERE FLYING NBOUND ON A1 TOWARD JUPITER) I ROTATED THE AUTOPLT HDG COMMAND BUG TO THE LEFT TO A HDG OF 156 DEGS FOR DIRECT ENTRY TO THE LEFT-HAND PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN AT JUPITER INTXN. SINCE WE WERE HDG 17 DEGS ON A1 TOWARD JUPITER AND I ROTATED THE HDG BUG TO 156 DEGS, THE AUTOPLT TURNED THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT INSTEAD OF TO THE LEFT AS DESIRED. I SHOULD HAVE MOVED IT IN SMALL INCREMENTS TO THE LEFT. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING I WAS DSNDING AND SLOWING AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE ACFT WAS TURNING RIGHT INSTEAD OF LEFT. THE CAPT DISCOVERED MY MISTAKE AFTER WE HAD TURNED ABOUT 90 DEGS TO THE RIGHT. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED A LEFT TURN BACK TO 156 DEGS. BY THE TIME WE GOT TURNED AROUND WE WERE 22 DME FROM NARITA VOR INSTEAD OF THE 32 DME WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT TO BE PLT ERROR, I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THERE WAS A STUCK MIC ON THE FREQ WE WERE WORKING AND THIS CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION AND A DELAY IN RECEIVING HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. I THINK THERE IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE WDB AUTOPLT. IF YOU TURN THE BUG TO THE LEFT, THE ACFT SHOULD TURN TO THE LEFT.

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.