Narrative:

Cleared to hold southwest of pxt VOR 046 degrees, 25 mi, left turns, 15 mi legs at FL350 due severe WX at ewr. Wind was estimated at 270 degrees at 100 KTS and we had only VOR/DME navigation. It was very difficult to maintain the southwest boundaries of the pattern due to extreme drift correction needed. It took 15 degrees inbound to maintain track and 30 degrees outbound from holding fix. At 10 DME, you could be west of the VOR or south of the VOR if you didn't pay close attention to the RMI. Altitude was changed every 1 or 2 turns and winds naturally changed a complaint was made to the controller about the difficulty of maintaining the pattern and his comment was 'other planes aren't having problems.' this pattern was in the cone of confusion for VOR and too close to the station for the situation. An advanced navigation plane could have held easily, but our antiquated system required maximum workload for nearly 1 1/2 hours to hold. Controller also was working lga flts and clearing other planes to our altitudes, increasing stress. He did later reduce pattern size to 10 mi legs but inbound leg was about 30 seconds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING A PROPER HIGH ALT HOLDING PATTERN IN A VERY HIGH XWINDS ALOFT.

Narrative: CLRED TO HOLD SW OF PXT VOR 046 DEGS, 25 MI, L TURNS, 15 MI LEGS AT FL350 DUE SEVERE WX AT EWR. WIND WAS ESTIMATED AT 270 DEGS AT 100 KTS AND WE HAD ONLY VOR/DME NAV. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE SW BOUNDARIES OF THE PATTERN DUE TO EXTREME DRIFT CORRECTION NEEDED. IT TOOK 15 DEGS INBOUND TO MAINTAIN TRACK AND 30 DEGS OUTBOUND FROM HOLDING FIX. AT 10 DME, YOU COULD BE W OF THE VOR OR S OF THE VOR IF YOU DIDN'T PAY CLOSE ATTN TO THE RMI. ALT WAS CHANGED EVERY 1 OR 2 TURNS AND WINDS NATURALLY CHANGED A COMPLAINT WAS MADE TO THE CTLR ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF MAINTAINING THE PATTERN AND HIS COMMENT WAS 'OTHER PLANES AREN'T HAVING PROBS.' THIS PATTERN WAS IN THE CONE OF CONFUSION FOR VOR AND TOO CLOSE TO THE STATION FOR THE SIT. AN ADVANCED NAV PLANE COULD HAVE HELD EASILY, BUT OUR ANTIQUATED SYS REQUIRED MAX WORKLOAD FOR NEARLY 1 1/2 HRS TO HOLD. CTLR ALSO WAS WORKING LGA FLTS AND CLRING OTHER PLANES TO OUR ALTS, INCREASING STRESS. HE DID LATER REDUCE PATTERN SIZE TO 10 MI LEGS BUT INBOUND LEG WAS ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

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.