Narrative:

Our radar on aircraft (B-727) showed a line of heavy thunderstorms approaching chicago O'hare airport. We had extra fuel and elected to hold at FL210 east of O'hare, until storms bypassed the airport and its approachs. ATC cleared us to 'keeler' VOR to hold south on the 10 degree radial and use 10 mi legs. As we approached keeler VOR from the west on a 070 degree heading, my copilot who was flying the aircraft expressed indecision about how to enter holding. He wanted to turn left at the VOR and make a 270 degree left turn and go south of the VOR that way. I had been busy with the engineer who was calling our dispatch and had been checking with flight service about the storms at O'hare as well as our alternate airports of milwaukee, louisville, and indianapolis (in that order). I should have been more aware of what our planning to enter hold was to be. Just before arriving at the VOR, I quickly judged our position as requiring a right turn to a heading of south to enter the hold. The copilot who just upgraded from a pilot flight engineer status with the company and had his instrument license only 7 months) followed my instructions and turned right but never quite got established outbound. The winds at FL210 were quite strong from the southwest and at our altitude and the 10 mi legs of holding and flying in the cone of the silence over the VOR. After 2 turns, we discovered we were north of the VOR holding in a circular pattern and never getting into our hold pattern as directed. We advised ATC of our mistake and he stated he was not concerned. As a crew, I hope to avoid any confusion in the future and make sure my crew is in agreement and we will ask for 20 mi legs or 10 mi legs away from the VOR some distance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ENTERING HOLDING NEVER, QUITE ESTABLISHES THE PROPER HOLD PATTERN.

Narrative: OUR RADAR ON ACFT (B-727) SHOWED A LINE OF HVY TSTMS APCHING CHICAGO O'HARE ARPT. WE HAD EXTRA FUEL AND ELECTED TO HOLD AT FL210 E OF O'HARE, UNTIL STORMS BYPASSED THE ARPT AND ITS APCHS. ATC CLRED US TO 'KEELER' VOR TO HOLD S ON THE 10 DEG RADIAL AND USE 10 MI LEGS. AS WE APCHED KEELER VOR FROM THE W ON A 070 DEG HDG, MY COPLT WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT EXPRESSED INDECISION ABOUT HOW TO ENTER HOLDING. HE WANTED TO TURN L AT THE VOR AND MAKE A 270 DEG L TURN AND GO S OF THE VOR THAT WAY. I HAD BEEN BUSY WITH THE ENGINEER WHO WAS CALLING OUR DISPATCH AND HAD BEEN CHKING WITH FLT SVC ABOUT THE STORMS AT O'HARE AS WELL AS OUR ALTERNATE ARPTS OF MILWAUKEE, LOUISVILLE, AND INDIANAPOLIS (IN THAT ORDER). I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF WHAT OUR PLANNING TO ENTER HOLD WAS TO BE. JUST BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE VOR, I QUICKLY JUDGED OUR POS AS REQUIRING A R TURN TO A HDG OF S TO ENTER THE HOLD. THE COPLT WHO JUST UPGRADED FROM A PLT FE STATUS WITH THE COMPANY AND HAD HIS INST LICENSE ONLY 7 MONTHS) FOLLOWED MY INSTRUCTIONS AND TURNED R BUT NEVER QUITE GOT ESTABLISHED OUTBOUND. THE WINDS AT FL210 WERE QUITE STRONG FROM THE SW AND AT OUR ALT AND THE 10 MI LEGS OF HOLDING AND FLYING IN THE CONE OF THE SILENCE OVER THE VOR. AFTER 2 TURNS, WE DISCOVERED WE WERE N OF THE VOR HOLDING IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN AND NEVER GETTING INTO OUR HOLD PATTERN AS DIRECTED. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR MISTAKE AND HE STATED HE WAS NOT CONCERNED. AS A CREW, I HOPE TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE AND MAKE SURE MY CREW IS IN AGREEMENT AND WE WILL ASK FOR 20 MI LEGS OR 10 MI LEGS AWAY FROM THE VOR SOME DISTANCE.

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.