Narrative:

We were approaching conny at FL330 when ATC issued us holding instructions as published, descend to FL290, expect further clearance (xxoo). The captain and I reviewed the holding fix and he checked off to the lav. He returned moments before we started the turn. ATC issued another descent and I glanced down again at the arrival. I must have looked at the published holding pattern further down track, because I began a left turn at conny. The captain was figuring the fuel, talking to ATC, putting in an expect further clearance, and watching me. Halfway, almost exactly through the left turn, ATC called and asked if we knew it was a right turn pattern. We acknowledged, but decided to continue the left turn figuring that a right reversal turn would compound the problem. ATC called back to ask again about the left turn. We told them we were correcting back to the holding course. ATC then gave us a vector to buj VOR, canceled the hold and told us to continue the STAR. We should have asked for a correction or a proper resolution to our mistake. Supplemental information from acn 335669: there were multiple xmissions, changes in altitude and holding pattern length -- also speed changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC ENTERED A HOLDING PATTERN INCORRECTLY AND HAD TROUBLE REVERSING COURSE TO MATCH THE DIRECTION OF THE PUBLISHED PROC. THE CTLR HAD QUESTIONED THE FLC'S DIRECTION THEN, RECOGNIZING THE FLC'S FAILURE TO BECOME REORIENTED, ISSUED A NEW VECTOR CLRNC BACK ONTO THE ARR.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING CONNY AT FL330 WHEN ATC ISSUED US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AS PUBLISHED, DSND TO FL290, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC (XXOO). THE CAPT AND I REVIEWED THE HOLDING FIX AND HE CHKED OFF TO THE LAV. HE RETURNED MOMENTS BEFORE WE STARTED THE TURN. ATC ISSUED ANOTHER DSCNT AND I GLANCED DOWN AGAIN AT THE ARR. I MUST HAVE LOOKED AT THE PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN FURTHER DOWN TRACK, BECAUSE I BEGAN A L TURN AT CONNY. THE CAPT WAS FIGURING THE FUEL, TALKING TO ATC, PUTTING IN AN EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC, AND WATCHING ME. HALFWAY, ALMOST EXACTLY THROUGH THE L TURN, ATC CALLED AND ASKED IF WE KNEW IT WAS A R TURN PATTERN. WE ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE L TURN FIGURING THAT A R REVERSAL TURN WOULD COMPOUND THE PROB. ATC CALLED BACK TO ASK AGAIN ABOUT THE L TURN. WE TOLD THEM WE WERE CORRECTING BACK TO THE HOLDING COURSE. ATC THEN GAVE US A VECTOR TO BUJ VOR, CANCELED THE HOLD AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE THE STAR. WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A CORRECTION OR A PROPER RESOLUTION TO OUR MISTAKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335669: THERE WERE MULTIPLE XMISSIONS, CHANGES IN ALT AND HOLDING PATTERN LENGTH -- ALSO SPD CHANGES.

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.