Narrative:

Center instructed us to hold at spica intersection as published and 10 mi legs were approved. The airways and arrs are new at detroit but not totally unfamiliar. The intersection is a common crossing restriction to detroit arrs and his no cumulative DME mileage on the charts so you must add 3 mileages together in order to arrive at the total distance. I had previously that month written down on the chart that mileage but didn't distinguish from where. Consequently I held from the wrong VORTAC and started the hold about 20 miles early. Contributing to this was the fact on the overnight at newark I didn't sleep much and was very poorly rested and alert. This by the way was manifested by a few major problems with the merger on the property which is the most screwed up of 3 mergers I've been through. Needless to say the delays at newark along with the ex challenged even the alertness of anyone not well rested. I informed the captain to report established in the holding pattern and just about wings level outbnd the controller informed us we were some 20 mi east of spica intersection. I elected to just complete the turn back to the centerline and continue to spica since I was at this point needing a 180 degree change to return on course. The controller acknowledged this and we continued to spica and held as previously instructed. There was no conflict with other traffic and none noted by the center controller. This could have been avoided by many things such as being better rested and better charting of spica intersection since it is an arrival fix at a major airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG HELD AT WRONG INTERSECTION.

Narrative: CENTER INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD AT SPICA INTXN AS PUBLISHED AND 10 MI LEGS WERE APPROVED. THE AIRWAYS AND ARRS ARE NEW AT DETROIT BUT NOT TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR. THE INTXN IS A COMMON XING RESTRICTION TO DETROIT ARRS AND HIS NO CUMULATIVE DME MILEAGE ON THE CHARTS SO YOU MUST ADD 3 MILEAGES TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE TOTAL DISTANCE. I HAD PREVIOUSLY THAT MONTH WRITTEN DOWN ON THE CHART THAT MILEAGE BUT DIDN'T DISTINGUISH FROM WHERE. CONSEQUENTLY I HELD FROM THE WRONG VORTAC AND STARTED THE HOLD ABOUT 20 MILES EARLY. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WAS THE FACT ON THE OVERNIGHT AT NEWARK I DIDN'T SLEEP MUCH AND WAS VERY POORLY RESTED AND ALERT. THIS BY THE WAY WAS MANIFESTED BY A FEW MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE MERGER ON THE PROPERTY WHICH IS THE MOST SCREWED UP OF 3 MERGERS I'VE BEEN THROUGH. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE DELAYS AT NEWARK ALONG WITH THE EX CHALLENGED EVEN THE ALERTNESS OF ANYONE NOT WELL RESTED. I INFORMED THE CAPT TO REPORT ESTABLISHED IN THE HOLDING PATTERN AND JUST ABOUT WINGS LEVEL OUTBND THE CTLR INFORMED US WE WERE SOME 20 MI E OF SPICA INTXN. I ELECTED TO JUST COMPLETE THE TURN BACK TO THE CENTERLINE AND CONTINUE TO SPICA SINCE I WAS AT THIS POINT NEEDING A 180 DEG CHANGE TO RETURN ON COURSE. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND WE CONTINUED TO SPICA AND HELD AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC AND NONE NOTED BY THE CENTER CTLR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY MANY THINGS SUCH AS BEING BETTER RESTED AND BETTER CHARTING OF SPICA INTXN SINCE IT IS AN ARR FIX AT A MAJOR ARPT.

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.