Narrative:

En route from gso to ewr, routing was gso J14 pxt ward 5 ewr. Nearing ric, we received a clearance to fly heading 130 degrees, vectors for sequencing for traffic into ewr. About 4 NM from hpw, we were given holding instructions: fly direct to hpw, hold southwest at FL290, left turns, 20 NM legs, expect further clearance at XX00Z. Hopewell was not on our flight plan and so we had to look up the identify, etc, and enter into the FMC. First officer was flying the aircraft and requested the holding radial. (ATC neglected to give us this.) we queried ATC and they replied, the 220 degree radial. By the time the first officer got the information entered into the FMC, we had already passed hpw. We were about 6 mi east of the VOR when the first officer began his turn back to the holding pattern. ATC called to advise us of our location and we notified them we were turning back. Basically, we overshot the holding pattern, for several reasons: 1) we were caught off guard with a hold at a fix we did not have data readily available for. 2) I should have backed up the first officer with raw data, so we wouldn't be waiting for FMC. 3) first officer should have been more aware of his position, and used raw data if the entry could not be completed in the FMC in time. 4) ATC could aid all of us by giving us more information as it comes to them, concerning delays etc, so we can be ready.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC GIVEN HOLDING CLRNC VERY CLOSE TO HOLDING FIX. THE FIX WAS NOT ON FLT PLAN, FLC HAD TO LOOK IT UP TO FIND HOLDING PATTERN AND INSERT IT INTO THE FMC. BECAUSE THEY WERE SO CLOSE AND OVERLOADED, THEY FLEW PAST THE HOLDING AIRSPACE. CTLR INTERVENED AND THEY OBTAINED THE DETAILED INFO ABOUT THE HOLDING PATTERN.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM GSO TO EWR, ROUTING WAS GSO J14 PXT WARD 5 EWR. NEARING RIC, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO FLY HDG 130 DEGS, VECTORS FOR SEQUENCING FOR TFC INTO EWR. ABOUT 4 NM FROM HPW, WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS: FLY DIRECT TO HPW, HOLD SW AT FL290, L TURNS, 20 NM LEGS, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AT XX00Z. HOPEWELL WAS NOT ON OUR FLT PLAN AND SO WE HAD TO LOOK UP THE IDENT, ETC, AND ENTER INTO THE FMC. FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND REQUESTED THE HOLDING RADIAL. (ATC NEGLECTED TO GIVE US THIS.) WE QUERIED ATC AND THEY REPLIED, THE 220 DEG RADIAL. BY THE TIME THE FO GOT THE INFO ENTERED INTO THE FMC, WE HAD ALREADY PASSED HPW. WE WERE ABOUT 6 MI E OF THE VOR WHEN THE FO BEGAN HIS TURN BACK TO THE HOLDING PATTERN. ATC CALLED TO ADVISE US OF OUR LOCATION AND WE NOTIFIED THEM WE WERE TURNING BACK. BASICALLY, WE OVERSHOT THE HOLDING PATTERN, FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1) WE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH A HOLD AT A FIX WE DID NOT HAVE DATA READILY AVAILABLE FOR. 2) I SHOULD HAVE BACKED UP THE FO WITH RAW DATA, SO WE WOULDN'T BE WAITING FOR FMC. 3) FO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF HIS POS, AND USED RAW DATA IF THE ENTRY COULD NOT BE COMPLETED IN THE FMC IN TIME. 4) ATC COULD AID ALL OF US BY GIVING US MORE INFO AS IT COMES TO THEM, CONCERNING DELAYS ETC, SO WE CAN BE READY.

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.