Narrative:

Approaching bucks intersection on the bucks 3 arrival to phl, we were issued a clearance to hold at bucks, as published. Phl had been below minimums all morning due to fog, but had come up. The hold was due to traffic and a runway change. Preferring to hold clean, we requested a holding speed of 230 KTS and ZDC replied, 'whatever you need.' tracking inbound to bucks required about a 7 degree right drift correction. As we entered the hold, I told the first officer that I planned to hold a 'double the angle on the low' drift correction outbound for 70 seconds as a first cut at establishing a 1 min inbound leg. Just prior to starting the turn inbound, center asked, 'are you still in the holding pattern?' (radar service had been terminated as we entered the hold.) we replied affirmative. Center came back with 'radar shows you 3 mi north of the holding pattern.' we replied that we were turning inbound, with no further comment from center. I took a 40 degree cut to the holding radial and wondered aloud, 'what caused that?' the first officer replied, 'oh, you applied the drift correction backwards.' sure enough, I had used a right drift correction inbound and outbound. This resulted in a 21 degree (7 degrees plus 14 degrees) off track heading at 230 KTS. A 3 mi error was understandable. I was upset at myself for such a basic mistake but also concerned that the first officer had not mentioned it. When asked, he replied that he did not think it would matter, since we were on the correct holding side. We talked about the possible consequences of not sharing that kind of information and I encouraged him to call out any discrepancy, no matter how minor or embarrassing it seemed. The rest of the hold was normal, except that after being handed off to phl approach we were queried about our speed and whether it was appropriate for the holding pattern. Apparently, our request for a 230 KT speed had not been passed on by center. The rest of the flight was uneventful. I think fatigue was a factor. In 4 days we had gone from the east coast to hnl (24 hour layover), hnl to the west coast (13 hour layover), then to phl. Though I slept well on arrival in hnl, only about a 2-HR nap was possible prior to departing hnl and about 4 hours on the west coast prior to the phl flight. For me, this trip is very difficult from a circadian disruption standpoint. The rest of the crew seemed tired as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK POS DEV.

Narrative: APCHING BUCKS INTXN ON THE BUCKS 3 ARR TO PHL, WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO HOLD AT BUCKS, AS PUBLISHED. PHL HAD BEEN BELOW MINIMUMS ALL MORNING DUE TO FOG, BUT HAD COME UP. THE HOLD WAS DUE TO TFC AND A RWY CHANGE. PREFERRING TO HOLD CLEAN, WE REQUESTED A HOLDING SPD OF 230 KTS AND ZDC REPLIED, 'WHATEVER YOU NEED.' TRACKING INBOUND TO BUCKS REQUIRED ABOUT A 7 DEG R DRIFT CORRECTION. AS WE ENTERED THE HOLD, I TOLD THE FO THAT I PLANNED TO HOLD A 'DOUBLE THE ANGLE ON THE LOW' DRIFT CORRECTION OUTBOUND FOR 70 SECONDS AS A FIRST CUT AT ESTABLISHING A 1 MIN INBOUND LEG. JUST PRIOR TO STARTING THE TURN INBOUND, CTR ASKED, 'ARE YOU STILL IN THE HOLDING PATTERN?' (RADAR SVC HAD BEEN TERMINATED AS WE ENTERED THE HOLD.) WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. CTR CAME BACK WITH 'RADAR SHOWS YOU 3 MI N OF THE HOLDING PATTERN.' WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE TURNING INBOUND, WITH NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM CTR. I TOOK A 40 DEG CUT TO THE HOLDING RADIAL AND WONDERED ALOUD, 'WHAT CAUSED THAT?' THE FO REPLIED, 'OH, YOU APPLIED THE DRIFT CORRECTION BACKWARDS.' SURE ENOUGH, I HAD USED A R DRIFT CORRECTION INBOUND AND OUTBOUND. THIS RESULTED IN A 21 DEG (7 DEGS PLUS 14 DEGS) OFF TRACK HDG AT 230 KTS. A 3 MI ERROR WAS UNDERSTANDABLE. I WAS UPSET AT MYSELF FOR SUCH A BASIC MISTAKE BUT ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE FO HAD NOT MENTIONED IT. WHEN ASKED, HE REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD MATTER, SINCE WE WERE ON THE CORRECT HOLDING SIDE. WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT SHARING THAT KIND OF INFO AND I ENCOURAGED HIM TO CALL OUT ANY DISCREPANCY, NO MATTER HOW MINOR OR EMBARRASSING IT SEEMED. THE REST OF THE HOLD WAS NORMAL, EXCEPT THAT AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO PHL APCH WE WERE QUERIED ABOUT OUR SPD AND WHETHER IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE HOLDING PATTERN. APPARENTLY, OUR REQUEST FOR A 230 KT SPD HAD NOT BEEN PASSED ON BY CTR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I THINK FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. IN 4 DAYS WE HAD GONE FROM THE EAST COAST TO HNL (24 HR LAYOVER), HNL TO THE WEST COAST (13 HR LAYOVER), THEN TO PHL. THOUGH I SLEPT WELL ON ARR IN HNL, ONLY ABOUT A 2-HR NAP WAS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO DEPARTING HNL AND ABOUT 4 HRS ON THE WEST COAST PRIOR TO THE PHL FLT. FOR ME, THIS TRIP IS VERY DIFFICULT FROM A CIRCADIAN DISRUPTION STANDPOINT. THE REST OF THE CREW SEEMED TIRED AS WELL.

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.