Narrative:

North of pxt 35000 ft on arrival to ewr, navigation on FMS, center gave clearance to descend to 22000 ft (FL220) and hold at 20 DME north of pxt on the arrival (with 10 mi legs). Began descent by program into FMS. FMS slow to respond, went to flight control panel and commanded 1000 FPM down on control wheel. Attempted to program FMS with fix, but it would not accept it as PXT1 plus 20 since we were past pxt. Attempted to program by pxt/radial/distance, would not accept it. We went to the rose mode (standard VOR) programmed frequency to VOR and noted we were 5-7 mi past the fix assigned to hold. We began turn (left as hold was assigned left turns) to enter the holding pattern. ATC amended our altitude to 26000 ft (FL260). Later ATC gave us instruction to stop descent then in a few seconds to make an immediate right turn. We accepted and complied immediately. We noted traffic on TCASII at 500 ft below and about 5-10 mi. Then got TCASII alert for traffic (no warning except 'traffic' notification). Factors: crew was slow to respond to initial hold clearance and stayed with the FMS too long prior to going to the rose manual VOR navigation method. Crew was slow to begin initial descent using FMS and did not go to flight mode (normal autoplt) soon enough. These actions were factors, but ATC did not give adequate notification time prior to holding fix. We must have been within 3 mi of the fix at 300 KTS when it was issued. ATC did not inform of possible traffic until conflict was near. Notification sooner would have caused us to increase our rate of descent up to 3000-4000 FPM. Other factors were notification to center by approach to stop traffic into ewr and heavy load on controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE HOLDING CLRNC FROM ATC, FLC SLOW IN INSERTING FMS AND HAD DIFFICULTY INSERTING THE HOLDING PATTERN, THEN OVERSHOT THE HOLDING FIX TURN POINT. CTLR HAD TO TURN THEM AND STOP THE DSCNT TO KEEP SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: N OF PXT 35000 FT ON ARR TO EWR, NAV ON FMS, CTR GAVE CLRNC TO DSND TO 22000 FT (FL220) AND HOLD AT 20 DME N OF PXT ON THE ARR (WITH 10 MI LEGS). BEGAN DSCNT BY PROGRAM INTO FMS. FMS SLOW TO RESPOND, WENT TO FLT CTL PANEL AND COMMANDED 1000 FPM DOWN ON CTL WHEEL. ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM FMS WITH FIX, BUT IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT AS PXT1 PLUS 20 SINCE WE WERE PAST PXT. ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM BY PXT/RADIAL/DISTANCE, WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT. WE WENT TO THE ROSE MODE (STANDARD VOR) PROGRAMMED FREQ TO VOR AND NOTED WE WERE 5-7 MI PAST THE FIX ASSIGNED TO HOLD. WE BEGAN TURN (LEFT AS HOLD WAS ASSIGNED L TURNS) TO ENTER THE HOLDING PATTERN. ATC AMENDED OUR ALT TO 26000 FT (FL260). LATER ATC GAVE US INSTRUCTION TO STOP DSCNT THEN IN A FEW SECONDS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN. WE ACCEPTED AND COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY. WE NOTED TFC ON TCASII AT 500 FT BELOW AND ABOUT 5-10 MI. THEN GOT TCASII ALERT FOR TFC (NO WARNING EXCEPT 'TFC' NOTIFICATION). FACTORS: CREW WAS SLOW TO RESPOND TO INITIAL HOLD CLRNC AND STAYED WITH THE FMS TOO LONG PRIOR TO GOING TO THE ROSE MANUAL VOR NAV METHOD. CREW WAS SLOW TO BEGIN INITIAL DSCNT USING FMS AND DID NOT GO TO FLT MODE (NORMAL AUTOPLT) SOON ENOUGH. THESE ACTIONS WERE FACTORS, BUT ATC DID NOT GIVE ADEQUATE NOTIFICATION TIME PRIOR TO HOLDING FIX. WE MUST HAVE BEEN WITHIN 3 MI OF THE FIX AT 300 KTS WHEN IT WAS ISSUED. ATC DID NOT INFORM OF POSSIBLE TFC UNTIL CONFLICT WAS NEAR. NOTIFICATION SOONER WOULD HAVE CAUSED US TO INCREASE OUR RATE OF DSCNT UP TO 3000-4000 FPM. OTHER FACTORS WERE NOTIFICATION TO CTR BY APCH TO STOP TFC INTO EWR AND HVY LOAD ON CTLR.

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.