Narrative:

On milton 9 arrival to lga. Supplemental information from acn 338072: very busy radio with deviation for WX. Received instruction to hold at mip VOR at last moment. Instructions were to hold as published. I programmed FMS very fast and did not notice left hand pattern. I reported entering holding to ZNY and was asked which way we were turning. I said right and was told it was a left pattern. I then asked if they wanted us to turn back to the left. Center told us to make one turn with right pattern and switch to left turn on the inbound leg. At the time this happened first officer was out of the loop getting arrival ATIS and talking with company. The mistake was my fault for not noticing left hand pattern on arrival chart. I have been using FMS system for 10 yrs and feel I might have been too complacent using it. I have often said that I've never seen the FMS screw up -- just the pilot using it. In the future I will pay more attention to holding patterns when setting up the FMS for holding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND FLC RUSHED TO INSERT IT IN FMS. RPTR CAPT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED R TURN PATTERN AND THE DEPICTED PATTERN IS L TURNS. AFTER FIRST TURN ATC QUESTIONED THE DIRECTION OF THEIR TURN AND CORRECTED THE PATTERN.

Narrative: ON MILTON 9 ARR TO LGA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 338072: VERY BUSY RADIO WITH DEV FOR WX. RECEIVED INSTRUCTION TO HOLD AT MIP VOR AT LAST MOMENT. INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED. I PROGRAMMED FMS VERY FAST AND DID NOT NOTICE L HAND PATTERN. I RPTED ENTERING HOLDING TO ZNY AND WAS ASKED WHICH WAY WE WERE TURNING. I SAID R AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A L PATTERN. I THEN ASKED IF THEY WANTED US TO TURN BACK TO THE L. CTR TOLD US TO MAKE ONE TURN WITH R PATTERN AND SWITCH TO L TURN ON THE INBOUND LEG. AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED FO WAS OUT OF THE LOOP GETTING ARR ATIS AND TALKING WITH COMPANY. THE MISTAKE WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT NOTICING L HAND PATTERN ON ARR CHART. I HAVE BEEN USING FMS SYS FOR 10 YRS AND FEEL I MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO COMPLACENT USING IT. I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN THE FMS SCREW UP -- JUST THE PLT USING IT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PAY MORE ATTN TO HOLDING PATTERNS WHEN SETTING UP THE FMS FOR HOLDING.

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.