Narrative:

About 17 mi before flat rock (fak) VOR we were told to hold south of the VOR on the airway. We were not on the airway at the time, as we were given headings for spacing into lga. At the same time this started, the flight attendant entered the cockpit with all of our meals. They were very rushed because they have 1 less flight attendant than they are used to. I had to tell her we could not be bothered at this time as we were very busy. I asked the first officer what the inbound course and he told me just to hold on the radial I'm on. I told him, we were told to hold on the airway. Our omega was telling us we had a 94 KT tailwind and a 65 KT right crosswind. I was calculating what I would need to do to compensate for the wind. For some unknown reason I passed over the VOR and turned to the inbound heading instead of turning further to the right and to the outbound heading. The first officer reported entering the hold and began eating. About 10 mi north of the VOR I realized I made a mistake. I immediately made a right turn to reenter the holding airspace. With such a strong tailwind we got as far as 15 mi north of the VOR. Nothing was ever said. We did several patterns and were cleared on to lga. Everything seemed to happen at once. We were sitting there for 2 hours then all of a sudden we were getting meals, the hold with the strong winds, and I was calculating if we had enough fuel to continue, or go to the alternate. With the first officer and flight engineer eating I was doing everything myself. The first officer did not even notice we were north of the VOR until we were abeam it. It was important that we eat as we were 1/2 hour from landing. The food should have been brought up earlier. I should have requested it. I know the flight attendants are under pressure to get their service done, but we must take priority. I asked her to serve the meals earlier on the next flight and they were served immediately. The first officer should have been paying attention more. When you eat you are still a crew member. This first officer gets easily distracted, which gives me little confidence in him. On another flight I gave him the controls (autoplt engaged) while I made a PA. When I gave it to him we were climbing at .80 mach at 2000 FPM. I looked down during my PA and noticed we were descending at 500 FPM at a speed of .86 mach. He was talking to a jumpseat rider. The 727 requires 3 people to fly it. Whether you're eating or not, you still need to be aware of what is happening and if you don't like what you see, speak up. I give this message loud and clear in my briefing. I will give it again on our next flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B-727 ACR INADVERTENTLY PASSED ASSIGNED HOLDING FIX AND HELD IN THE WRONG AIRSPACE DUE TO COCKPIT CREW MEMBER MEAL BREAK DISTR.

Narrative: ABOUT 17 MI BEFORE FLAT ROCK (FAK) VOR WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD S OF THE VOR ON THE AIRWAY. WE WERE NOT ON THE AIRWAY AT THE TIME, AS WE WERE GIVEN HDGS FOR SPACING INTO LGA. AT THE SAME TIME THIS STARTED, THE FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT WITH ALL OF OUR MEALS. THEY WERE VERY RUSHED BECAUSE THEY HAVE 1 LESS FLT ATTENDANT THAN THEY ARE USED TO. I HAD TO TELL HER WE COULD NOT BE BOTHERED AT THIS TIME AS WE WERE VERY BUSY. I ASKED THE FO WHAT THE INBOUND COURSE AND HE TOLD ME JUST TO HOLD ON THE RADIAL I'M ON. I TOLD HIM, WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD ON THE AIRWAY. OUR OMEGA WAS TELLING US WE HAD A 94 KT TAILWIND AND A 65 KT R XWIND. I WAS CALCULATING WHAT I WOULD NEED TO DO TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON I PASSED OVER THE VOR AND TURNED TO THE INBOUND HDG INSTEAD OF TURNING FURTHER TO THE R AND TO THE OUTBOUND HDG. THE FO RPTED ENTERING THE HOLD AND BEGAN EATING. ABOUT 10 MI N OF THE VOR I REALIZED I MADE A MISTAKE. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A R TURN TO REENTER THE HOLDING AIRSPACE. WITH SUCH A STRONG TAILWIND WE GOT AS FAR AS 15 MI N OF THE VOR. NOTHING WAS EVER SAID. WE DID SEVERAL PATTERNS AND WERE CLRED ON TO LGA. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN AT ONCE. WE WERE SITTING THERE FOR 2 HRS THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE GETTING MEALS, THE HOLD WITH THE STRONG WINDS, AND I WAS CALCULATING IF WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO CONTINUE, OR GO TO THE ALTERNATE. WITH THE FO AND FE EATING I WAS DOING EVERYTHING MYSELF. THE FO DID NOT EVEN NOTICE WE WERE N OF THE VOR UNTIL WE WERE ABEAM IT. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE EAT AS WE WERE 1/2 HR FROM LNDG. THE FOOD SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP EARLIER. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED IT. I KNOW THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE UNDER PRESSURE TO GET THEIR SVC DONE, BUT WE MUST TAKE PRIORITY. I ASKED HER TO SERVE THE MEALS EARLIER ON THE NEXT FLT AND THEY WERE SERVED IMMEDIATELY. THE FO SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTN MORE. WHEN YOU EAT YOU ARE STILL A CREW MEMBER. THIS FO GETS EASILY DISTRACTED, WHICH GIVES ME LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN HIM. ON ANOTHER FLT I GAVE HIM THE CTLS (AUTOPLT ENGAGED) WHILE I MADE A PA. WHEN I GAVE IT TO HIM WE WERE CLBING AT .80 MACH AT 2000 FPM. I LOOKED DOWN DURING MY PA AND NOTICED WE WERE DSNDING AT 500 FPM AT A SPD OF .86 MACH. HE WAS TALKING TO A JUMPSEAT RIDER. THE 727 REQUIRES 3 PEOPLE TO FLY IT. WHETHER YOU'RE EATING OR NOT, YOU STILL NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, SPEAK UP. I GIVE THIS MESSAGE LOUD AND CLR IN MY BRIEFING. I WILL GIVE IT AGAIN ON OUR NEXT FLT.

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.