Narrative:

Inbound to iad on the esl arrival we got to 11000 ft and were turned to a 360 degree heading because 'dulles was backed up and couldn't take us.' the captain was flying (new captain on the widebody transport first trip off of IOE). Then the controller gave us the following clearance. 'Hold 15 DME west of martinsburg. Hold west left turns, maintain 11000, expect further clearance, XA30.' as martinsburg was not on our arrival, I pulled out my chart to find the identifier for martinsburg. As we tried to get oriented to 'mrb' the captain called and asked for the radial they wanted us on. I then typed in to the FMC hold block mrb 280/015. The FMC responded 'hold at mrb 280/15.' as I expected the 'hold page' to come up, I was momentarily baffled that I didn't get the hold page on the FMC. But, I resorted to what I knew would work. I tuned in mrb, looked at the tail of the needle and the DME. I quickly recognized that we were already east of the fix and 'directed' the captain to turn right to intercept the 280 degree radial outbound to the DME fix. About that time, dulles approach asked the infamous 'where are you guys going!' by that time we were 6 mi east of the fix. I also figured out about then that you can't get the hold page unless you've got an 'active waypoint' or at least something that the FMC is already aware of. When I write these reports, I usually take 'full blame' for the foul-up. This time, I'll give some to ATC for 1) not clearing us to the fix at which they wanted us to hold, 2) giving us an illegal clearance by not identing the fix by radial and DME and not clearing us to go there. I'll give some more to ATC by giving us a hold at a point in space about 5 mi from where we were, not on our route and not idented by the arrival plate we were flying. I'll give some to ol' captain for not reverting to the old needle DME while I messed with the FMC. Ok, I'll take some too, for not first going direct the fix in the FMC then pulling up the hold page! The big lesson learned: go with what you know. The old needle/DME tells you where you are and where you need to go, immediately. After flying the glass cockpit for 15 months, I'm not really sure it's better than the old 'analog' stuff. The analog instruments served to keep your brain engaged to the navigation solution!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLC ASSIGNED HOLD AT NAVAID NOT SHOWN ON ARR. DIG OUT CHART, TRY TO PROGRAM FMC. CAN'T GET INFO TO COME UP ON COMPUTER. FLY PAST FIX.

Narrative: INBOUND TO IAD ON THE ESL ARR WE GOT TO 11000 FT AND WERE TURNED TO A 360 DEG HDG BECAUSE 'DULLES WAS BACKED UP AND COULDN'T TAKE US.' THE CAPT WAS FLYING (NEW CAPT ON THE WDB FIRST TRIP OFF OF IOE). THEN THE CTLR GAVE US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC. 'HOLD 15 DME W OF MARTINSBURG. HOLD W L TURNS, MAINTAIN 11000, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC, XA30.' AS MARTINSBURG WAS NOT ON OUR ARR, I PULLED OUT MY CHART TO FIND THE IDENTIFIER FOR MARTINSBURG. AS WE TRIED TO GET ORIENTED TO 'MRB' THE CAPT CALLED AND ASKED FOR THE RADIAL THEY WANTED US ON. I THEN TYPED IN TO THE FMC HOLD BLOCK MRB 280/015. THE FMC RESPONDED 'HOLD AT MRB 280/15.' AS I EXPECTED THE 'HOLD PAGE' TO COME UP, I WAS MOMENTARILY BAFFLED THAT I DIDN'T GET THE HOLD PAGE ON THE FMC. BUT, I RESORTED TO WHAT I KNEW WOULD WORK. I TUNED IN MRB, LOOKED AT THE TAIL OF THE NEEDLE AND THE DME. I QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THAT WE WERE ALREADY E OF THE FIX AND 'DIRECTED' THE CAPT TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE 280 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND TO THE DME FIX. ABOUT THAT TIME, DULLES APCH ASKED THE INFAMOUS 'WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GOING!' BY THAT TIME WE WERE 6 MI E OF THE FIX. I ALSO FIGURED OUT ABOUT THEN THAT YOU CAN'T GET THE HOLD PAGE UNLESS YOU'VE GOT AN 'ACTIVE WAYPOINT' OR AT LEAST SOMETHING THAT THE FMC IS ALREADY AWARE OF. WHEN I WRITE THESE RPTS, I USUALLY TAKE 'FULL BLAME' FOR THE FOUL-UP. THIS TIME, I'LL GIVE SOME TO ATC FOR 1) NOT CLRING US TO THE FIX AT WHICH THEY WANTED US TO HOLD, 2) GIVING US AN ILLEGAL CLRNC BY NOT IDENTING THE FIX BY RADIAL AND DME AND NOT CLRING US TO GO THERE. I'LL GIVE SOME MORE TO ATC BY GIVING US A HOLD AT A POINT IN SPACE ABOUT 5 MI FROM WHERE WE WERE, NOT ON OUR RTE AND NOT IDENTED BY THE ARR PLATE WE WERE FLYING. I'LL GIVE SOME TO OL' CAPT FOR NOT REVERTING TO THE OLD NEEDLE DME WHILE I MESSED WITH THE FMC. OK, I'LL TAKE SOME TOO, FOR NOT FIRST GOING DIRECT THE FIX IN THE FMC THEN PULLING UP THE HOLD PAGE! THE BIG LESSON LEARNED: GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW. THE OLD NEEDLE/DME TELLS YOU WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU NEED TO GO, IMMEDIATELY. AFTER FLYING THE GLASS COCKPIT FOR 15 MONTHS, I'M NOT REALLY SURE IT'S BETTER THAN THE OLD 'ANALOG' STUFF. THE ANALOG INSTS SERVED TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN ENGAGED TO THE NAV SOLUTION!

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.