Narrative:

We were flying from sfo-phl. There were thunderstorms in the phl area. Approximately 100 mi west of phl we were assigned a rerte. A short time after that, we were given a radar vector. This was followed by a new clearance to proceed directly to spuds intersection. We were in an early 757 and it wasn't in the database (spuds). I pulled my chart out and found spuds. I read the VOR 3 letter idents and radials of east texas and pottstown vors to the first officer to insert into the FMC. As soon as it was activated, it showed us approximately 9 mi from spuds, we already had the speed brakes deployed and were trying to slow to holding speed. The fix was rapidly approaching, we were inserting the fix into the holding page of the FMC as fast as we could. I told the first officer that it was the 313 degree radial off of spuds, right turns. It was entered and we arrived at spuds. As we were 3/4 of the way around the holding pattern, we realized we were on the wrong side of the fix. On the holding page we should have entered 133 degree into the fix. As we passed the fix we corrected it, and entered the hold on the correct side of spuds. The problem arose when we were given a hold at an unknown fix. We were doing 300 KTS and were approximately 2 mins from it. We had to find it, insert it, build a holding pattern, and try and slow to holding speed. It takes more than 2 mins to do this. A couple of extra mins would have prevented this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that, upon reflection, the first officer and he decided that they should have flown the holding pattern manually at least initially. He would like for the controllers to use holding points along their published rtes, if possible, and that would help avoid the last min rush to locate the intersection, determine how to get there and then set up the pattern. The controller, in this case, acknowledged their admission that they had overshot, but did not seem too upset by it. The B757-200 that the crew was flying was a non-ETOPS aircraft that has a rather limited memory for its FMC. Some of these non-ETOPS have more capability, but the flight crew must select the 40 or 20 NM range on the FMC to see if the particular navigation point is displayed. It would not have been on this event's aircraft since it would not accept the typed-in name. The ETOPS B757-200 have greatly expanded memories that contain world-wide navigation points and are much easier to use. There is no plan to upgrade the non-ETOPS aircraft to the greater capability according to the reporter. Supplemental information from acn 308855: we were flying the bucks arrival into phl when ATC began holding aircraft due to a traffic stop into phl. We were either the first or second aircraft to receive a holding clearance, which caught us off guard as the aircraft in front of us had been cleared over to approach control. We were to hold at spuds intersection as published. Since spuds was not depicted on the bucks arrival, we referred to a low chart and I typed in spuds in the FMS. Unfortunately, spuds was not in our database.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOLDING PROC HOLDING PATTERN LOCATION -- AN ACR ON A STAR ARR OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED HOLDING POINT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM SFO-PHL. THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE PHL AREA. APPROX 100 MI W OF PHL WE WERE ASSIGNED A RERTE. A SHORT TIME AFTER THAT, WE WERE GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A NEW CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO SPUDS INTXN. WE WERE IN AN EARLY 757 AND IT WASN'T IN THE DATABASE (SPUDS). I PULLED MY CHART OUT AND FOUND SPUDS. I READ THE VOR 3 LETTER IDENTS AND RADIALS OF E TEXAS AND POTTSTOWN VORS TO THE FO TO INSERT INTO THE FMC. AS SOON AS IT WAS ACTIVATED, IT SHOWED US APPROX 9 MI FROM SPUDS, WE ALREADY HAD THE SPD BRAKES DEPLOYED AND WERE TRYING TO SLOW TO HOLDING SPD. THE FIX WAS RAPIDLY APCHING, WE WERE INSERTING THE FIX INTO THE HOLDING PAGE OF THE FMC AS FAST AS WE COULD. I TOLD THE FO THAT IT WAS THE 313 DEG RADIAL OFF OF SPUDS, R TURNS. IT WAS ENTERED AND WE ARRIVED AT SPUDS. AS WE WERE 3/4 OF THE WAY AROUND THE HOLDING PATTERN, WE REALIZED WE WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FIX. ON THE HOLDING PAGE WE SHOULD HAVE ENTERED 133 DEG INTO THE FIX. AS WE PASSED THE FIX WE CORRECTED IT, AND ENTERED THE HOLD ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF SPUDS. THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT AN UNKNOWN FIX. WE WERE DOING 300 KTS AND WERE APPROX 2 MINS FROM IT. WE HAD TO FIND IT, INSERT IT, BUILD A HOLDING PATTERN, AND TRY AND SLOW TO HOLDING SPD. IT TAKES MORE THAN 2 MINS TO DO THIS. A COUPLE OF EXTRA MINS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT, UPON REFLECTION, THE FO AND HE DECIDED THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE HOLDING PATTERN MANUALLY AT LEAST INITIALLY. HE WOULD LIKE FOR THE CTLRS TO USE HOLDING POINTS ALONG THEIR PUBLISHED RTES, IF POSSIBLE, AND THAT WOULD HELP AVOID THE LAST MIN RUSH TO LOCATE THE INTXN, DETERMINE HOW TO GET THERE AND THEN SET UP THE PATTERN. THE CTLR, IN THIS CASE, ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR ADMISSION THAT THEY HAD OVERSHOT, BUT DID NOT SEEM TOO UPSET BY IT. THE B757-200 THAT THE CREW WAS FLYING WAS A NON-ETOPS ACFT THAT HAS A RATHER LIMITED MEMORY FOR ITS FMC. SOME OF THESE NON-ETOPS HAVE MORE CAPABILITY, BUT THE FLC MUST SELECT THE 40 OR 20 NM RANGE ON THE FMC TO SEE IF THE PARTICULAR NAV POINT IS DISPLAYED. IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THIS EVENT'S ACFT SINCE IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE TYPED-IN NAME. THE ETOPS B757-200 HAVE GREATLY EXPANDED MEMORIES THAT CONTAIN WORLD-WIDE NAV POINTS AND ARE MUCH EASIER TO USE. THERE IS NO PLAN TO UPGRADE THE NON-ETOPS ACFT TO THE GREATER CAPABILITY ACCORDING TO THE RPTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 308855: WE WERE FLYING THE BUCKS ARR INTO PHL WHEN ATC BEGAN HOLDING ACFT DUE TO A TFC STOP INTO PHL. WE WERE EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND ACFT TO RECEIVE A HOLDING CLRNC, WHICH CAUGHT US OFF GUARD AS THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US HAD BEEN CLRED OVER TO APCH CTL. WE WERE TO HOLD AT SPUDS INTXN AS PUBLISHED. SINCE SPUDS WAS NOT DEPICTED ON THE BUCKS ARR, WE REFERRED TO A LOW CHART AND I TYPED IN SPUDS IN THE FMS. UNFORTUNATELY, SPUDS WAS NOT IN OUR DATABASE.

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.