Narrative:

Clearance was issued by ZDC to hold 95 NM southwest of ric VOR on J14 left turns. Our location was about 115 NM southwest at the time of issue. I tuned ric VOR and selected the FMC to set up holding. Because the holding fix issued is not a waypoint on the airway it was difficult for me to figure out where the holding fix was in relation to the published holding fix. Because of a very strong tailwind of 125 KTS, our ground speed was about 575 KTS giving us only 2-3 mins from time of clearance to fix. Center called and we turned downwind about 10 NM late. Then things got worse. We flew outbound to 115 NM (20 NM legs). I gave up on the FMC and turned inbound to intercept the VOR course, but grossly overshot and while correcting for that again flew past the holding fix. By now center gave up on us and gave us a vector. But even with that I overshot the course after being cleared out of holding and back on course toward nyc. The errors occurred because of 2 things. Automation and crew coordination. The clearance was so simple, tune in ric VOR, fly to the 95 NM fix and turn left. But, to do that, you must revert your thinking back to a nonautomated, VOR to VOR only airplane. I did not to my peril. Secondly, someone should always be flying the airplane, there were periods when neither of us was. Contributing factors: it was our first leg flown together as a crew. We were planning for arrival in new york where the WX was bad. We were expecting to hold, the time between the clearance and the fix was short, and the location to the fix. A suggestion on this last point. The fix issued by ATC is a fix suitable for an industry that is still flying VOR to VOR, a nonautomated industry. There are many published fixes on airways, one of which is at 85 NM southwest of ric on J14. These waypoints are displayed on FMC and holding patterns can be set up at these points in seconds. Automated holding patterns automatically correct for wind drift etc, and would have prevented overshoot etc, caused by high winds. Consideration should be given to using only published waypoints for holding clearance as the industry becomes more automated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was at fault. He should have tuned in the ric VOR and heading selected the airplane into the left turn and not attempted to utilize the FMC. The route did not go all the way into ric but turned at a fix just short of ric and direct to nottingham. Therefore, ric was not the FMC route from which to draw a DME. The crew suggests the controller use established fixes with FMC equipped aircraft. Also, more warning to establish the hold is helpful. With all the established rtes on the high altitude chart it is a shame the controller cannot find it efficient to use them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC FAILED TO HOLD AT THE ASSIGNED POINT.

Narrative: CLRNC WAS ISSUED BY ZDC TO HOLD 95 NM SW OF RIC VOR ON J14 L TURNS. OUR LOCATION WAS ABOUT 115 NM SW AT THE TIME OF ISSUE. I TUNED RIC VOR AND SELECTED THE FMC TO SET UP HOLDING. BECAUSE THE HOLDING FIX ISSUED IS NOT A WAYPOINT ON THE AIRWAY IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE HOLDING FIX WAS IN RELATION TO THE PUBLISHED HOLDING FIX. BECAUSE OF A VERY STRONG TAILWIND OF 125 KTS, OUR GND SPD WAS ABOUT 575 KTS GIVING US ONLY 2-3 MINS FROM TIME OF CLRNC TO FIX. CTR CALLED AND WE TURNED DOWNWIND ABOUT 10 NM LATE. THEN THINGS GOT WORSE. WE FLEW OUTBOUND TO 115 NM (20 NM LEGS). I GAVE UP ON THE FMC AND TURNED INBOUND TO INTERCEPT THE VOR COURSE, BUT GROSSLY OVERSHOT AND WHILE CORRECTING FOR THAT AGAIN FLEW PAST THE HOLDING FIX. BY NOW CTR GAVE UP ON US AND GAVE US A VECTOR. BUT EVEN WITH THAT I OVERSHOT THE COURSE AFTER BEING CLRED OUT OF HOLDING AND BACK ON COURSE TOWARD NYC. THE ERRORS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF 2 THINGS. AUTOMATION AND CREW COORD. THE CLRNC WAS SO SIMPLE, TUNE IN RIC VOR, FLY TO THE 95 NM FIX AND TURN L. BUT, TO DO THAT, YOU MUST REVERT YOUR THINKING BACK TO A NONAUTOMATED, VOR TO VOR ONLY AIRPLANE. I DID NOT TO MY PERIL. SECONDLY, SOMEONE SHOULD ALWAYS BE FLYING THE AIRPLANE, THERE WERE PERIODS WHEN NEITHER OF US WAS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IT WAS OUR FIRST LEG FLOWN TOGETHER AS A CREW. WE WERE PLANNING FOR ARR IN NEW YORK WHERE THE WX WAS BAD. WE WERE EXPECTING TO HOLD, THE TIME BTWN THE CLRNC AND THE FIX WAS SHORT, AND THE LOCATION TO THE FIX. A SUGGESTION ON THIS LAST POINT. THE FIX ISSUED BY ATC IS A FIX SUITABLE FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT IS STILL FLYING VOR TO VOR, A NONAUTOMATED INDUSTRY. THERE ARE MANY PUBLISHED FIXES ON AIRWAYS, ONE OF WHICH IS AT 85 NM SW OF RIC ON J14. THESE WAYPOINTS ARE DISPLAYED ON FMC AND HOLDING PATTERNS CAN BE SET UP AT THESE POINTS IN SECONDS. AUTOMATED HOLDING PATTERNS AUTOMATICALLY CORRECT FOR WIND DRIFT ETC, AND WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OVERSHOOT ETC, CAUSED BY HIGH WINDS. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO USING ONLY PUBLISHED WAYPOINTS FOR HOLDING CLRNC AS THE INDUSTRY BECOMES MORE AUTOMATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS AT FAULT. HE SHOULD HAVE TUNED IN THE RIC VOR AND HEADING SELECTED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE L TURN AND NOT ATTEMPTED TO UTILIZE THE FMC. THE RTE DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY INTO RIC BUT TURNED AT A FIX JUST SHORT OF RIC AND DIRECT TO NOTTINGHAM. THEREFORE, RIC WAS NOT THE FMC RTE FROM WHICH TO DRAW A DME. THE CREW SUGGESTS THE CTLR USE ESTABLISHED FIXES WITH FMC EQUIPPED ACFT. ALSO, MORE WARNING TO ESTABLISH THE HOLD IS HELPFUL. WITH ALL THE ESTABLISHED RTES ON THE HIGH ALT CHART IT IS A SHAME THE CTLR CANNOT FIND IT EFFICIENT TO USE THEM.

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.