Widebody transport assigned holding turns wrong direction penetrates prohibited area.

Attributes
ACN	263419
Time
Date	199402
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cdo airport : sdq
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mdsd tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1150
ASRS Report	263419
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

FMC's are wonderful -- 99 percent of the time. In this case we were sent to cdo VOR to 'hold at VOR' prior to our VOR approach into santo domingo, dr, airport. Non radar environment with the usual foreign language communication difficulties increased the workload. After discussing inbound heading and finding an appropriate holding pattern from the approach plate, we expected the pattern to appear correctly on our map displays. On the hold page of the FMC, the inbound course was not what we expected, and not the same as the plate. We thought it would be in the database but apparently it was not. I entered the correct inbound course and entered the pattern onto the navigation display. Unfortunately, I/we did not notice the page had right turns (standard) and our pattern should have been left to avoid the prohibited airspace over the air force base nearby. We clipped the airspace and were turning inbound when we realized what we had done. In a world of ILS approachs with vectors to final, this is the first non database hold I have done since initial training 3 yrs ago in the simulator. I used to teach holding in primitive navy jets, but I ignored the basics in favor of mindless typing, which usually is all that's required. We probably got away with just a scolding from the dominican controller, but as the saying goes, 'garbage in, garbage out.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ASSIGNED HOLDING TURNS WRONG DIRECTION PENETRATES PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: FMC'S ARE WONDERFUL -- 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME. IN THIS CASE WE WERE SENT TO CDO VOR TO 'HOLD AT VOR' PRIOR TO OUR VOR APCH INTO SANTO DOMINGO, DR, ARPT. NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT WITH THE USUAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COM DIFFICULTIES INCREASED THE WORKLOAD. AFTER DISCUSSING INBOUND HDG AND FINDING AN APPROPRIATE HOLDING PATTERN FROM THE APCH PLATE, WE EXPECTED THE PATTERN TO APPEAR CORRECTLY ON OUR MAP DISPLAYS. ON THE HOLD PAGE OF THE FMC, THE INBOUND COURSE WAS NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED, AND NOT THE SAME AS THE PLATE. WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IN THE DATABASE BUT APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT. I ENTERED THE CORRECT INBOUND COURSE AND ENTERED THE PATTERN ONTO THE NAV DISPLAY. UNFORTUNATELY, I/WE DID NOT NOTICE THE PAGE HAD R TURNS (STANDARD) AND OUR PATTERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT TO AVOID THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE OVER THE AIR FORCE BASE NEARBY. WE CLIPPED THE AIRSPACE AND WERE TURNING INBOUND WHEN WE REALIZED WHAT WE HAD DONE. IN A WORLD OF ILS APCHS WITH VECTORS TO FINAL, THIS IS THE FIRST NON DATABASE HOLD I HAVE DONE SINCE INITIAL TRAINING 3 YRS AGO IN THE SIMULATOR. I USED TO TEACH HOLDING IN PRIMITIVE NAVY JETS, BUT I IGNORED THE BASICS IN FAVOR OF MINDLESS TYPING, WHICH USUALLY IS ALL THAT'S REQUIRED. WE PROBABLY GOT AWAY WITH JUST A SCOLDING FROM THE DOMINICAN CTLR, BUT AS THE SAYING GOES, 'GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.'

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.