Narrative:

Scheduled flight from btv to bos. No ground hold in btv. Told by mht approach that we had a crossing time of 45 mins past at khris intersection to reduce speed as much as feasible before reaching khris intersection. The captain had tuned in the wrong VOR to navigation off of. When we reached the hold the captain turned the wrong way when entering the hold (ie, hold is published r-hand turns, we turned left) about 70 degrees through the outbound turn the controller said it should be r- hand turns. The captain then spun the heading needle to the right (the long way around) to turn back. I had been on #2 communication informing the company that we were holding and of a maintenance problem with the aircraft. I did not check how the hold was published, I did know the proper way of identing the fix. We did come close to departing his airspace into boston approach's airspace. My 3 mistakes were as follows: 1) always check the other pilot's navigation, I assumed a 10000 plus hour pilot could enter a hold, never again. 2) I did not request an immediate clarification to turn left or right after making the mistake. 3) I should not have been talking to the company at a time when the workload was high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PF TUNED IN THE WRONG VOR TO NAV. THEN HE TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION TO ENTER THE HOLD. THE TFC CTLR TOLD THE PLT HE WAS HOLDING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THE PLT TURNED BACK AND FLEW THE HOLDING PATTERN AS HE WAS SUPPOSED TO.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT FROM BTV TO BOS. NO GND HOLD IN BTV. TOLD BY MHT APCH THAT WE HAD A XING TIME OF 45 MINS PAST AT KHRIS INTXN TO REDUCE SPD AS MUCH AS FEASIBLE BEFORE REACHING KHRIS INTXN. THE CAPT HAD TUNED IN THE WRONG VOR TO NAV OFF OF. WHEN WE REACHED THE HOLD THE CAPT TURNED THE WRONG WAY WHEN ENTERING THE HOLD (IE, HOLD IS PUBLISHED R-HAND TURNS, WE TURNED L) ABOUT 70 DEGS THROUGH THE OUTBOUND TURN THE CTLR SAID IT SHOULD BE R- HAND TURNS. THE CAPT THEN SPUN THE HDG NEEDLE TO THE R (THE LONG WAY AROUND) TO TURN BACK. I HAD BEEN ON #2 COM INFORMING THE COMPANY THAT WE WERE HOLDING AND OF A MAINT PROB WITH THE ACFT. I DID NOT CHK HOW THE HOLD WAS PUBLISHED, I DID KNOW THE PROPER WAY OF IDENTING THE FIX. WE DID COME CLOSE TO DEPARTING HIS AIRSPACE INTO BOSTON APCH'S AIRSPACE. MY 3 MISTAKES WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) ALWAYS CHK THE OTHER PLT'S NAV, I ASSUMED A 10000 PLUS HR PLT COULD ENTER A HOLD, NEVER AGAIN. 2) I DID NOT REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE CLARIFICATION TO TURN L OR R AFTER MAKING THE MISTAKE. 3) I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE COMPANY AT A TIME WHEN THE WORKLOAD WAS HIGH.

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.