Narrative:

During arrival to dfw on the blue ridge 7 arrival, we were cleared to 'connie, hold as published, 15 mi legs approved.' holding was entered at exactly efc and a l-hand turn was initiated. 1/2 way through the turn, ZFW advised us to stop our descent, we had turned the wrong way. There were 4 contributing factors to turning the wrong direction: 1) on a previous leg today into ord, we were cleared 'hold as published, l-hand turns.' this had stuck in both crewmembers' minds. 2) both crewmembers looked at the approach plate and locked in to the depicted l-hand holding pattern chest (blue ridge 059 degree radial, 29 DME), which is located next to connie on the arrival plate. 3) this was the end of a scheduled 12+30 hours duty day, the last day of a 4 day rotation. 4) both crewmembers had difficulty getting to sleep the night before due to noise in the layover hotel, and thus were not as alert as normal. Supplemental information from acn 334447: prevention would have been more likely had the clearance been issued as the first one of the day, 'hold as published, right/left turns.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ENTERS HOLDING PATTERN BUT TURNS WRONG DIRECTION, ATC INTERVENES AND GETS ACFT BACK IN CORRECT HOLDING PATTERN.

Narrative: DURING ARR TO DFW ON THE BLUE RIDGE 7 ARR, WE WERE CLRED TO 'CONNIE, HOLD AS PUBLISHED, 15 MI LEGS APPROVED.' HOLDING WAS ENTERED AT EXACTLY EFC AND A L-HAND TURN WAS INITIATED. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN, ZFW ADVISED US TO STOP OUR DSCNT, WE HAD TURNED THE WRONG WAY. THERE WERE 4 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO TURNING THE WRONG DIRECTION: 1) ON A PREVIOUS LEG TODAY INTO ORD, WE WERE CLRED 'HOLD AS PUBLISHED, L-HAND TURNS.' THIS HAD STUCK IN BOTH CREWMEMBERS' MINDS. 2) BOTH CREWMEMBERS LOOKED AT THE APCH PLATE AND LOCKED IN TO THE DEPICTED L-HAND HOLDING PATTERN CHEST (BLUE RIDGE 059 DEG RADIAL, 29 DME), WHICH IS LOCATED NEXT TO CONNIE ON THE ARR PLATE. 3) THIS WAS THE END OF A SCHEDULED 12+30 HRS DUTY DAY, THE LAST DAY OF A 4 DAY ROTATION. 4) BOTH CREWMEMBERS HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING TO SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE DUE TO NOISE IN THE LAYOVER HOTEL, AND THUS WERE NOT AS ALERT AS NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334447: PREVENTION WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LIKELY HAD THE CLRNC BEEN ISSUED AS THE FIRST ONE OF THE DAY, 'HOLD AS PUBLISHED, R/L TURNS.'

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.