Narrative:

En route to sea, we heard other aircraft being given holding clearance at battle ground (btg) VOR, and we eventually got clearance to hold south of btg as published, by ZSE, with an expected further clearance (efc) time of about 10 mins from present time. I briefed the first officer that I would hold on the 331 degrees inbound course and make a left turn into holding, direct entry, and hold for about 18 mi, in order to perfectly arrive back at btg at the efc. He appeared to acknowledge positively all my statements, or at least did not question anything. At btg, I indeed made a left turn (we were heading about 340 degrees), called center to announce holding, and acknowledged a descent from FL350 to FL330 myself, since the first officer was on the other radio with operations, and then on the PA with the people about our holding. After rolling out on outbound leg, and in the descent, ZSE called us to tell us we were on the wrong side of the holding pattern. I was absolutely astonished and looked at my arrival chart again. I had flown a perfect, published, left holding pattern entry for olympia VOR, north of btg. Luckily no other aircraft were in the vicinity at our altitude, and center started giving us vectors after I got about on the btg published outbound radial for a parallel re-entry (right turn holding). Xhcking the holding pattern with my en route chart might have clued me in that I was looking at the wrong holding pattern. The first officer apologized that he did not correct my error during my briefing, or in the turn, because he was busy with 'administrative' duties. Perhaps he somehow trusted that the '20000 hour/10000 hour-in-type, highly experienced' captain couldn't possibly mess up an easy holding pattern, although I know anything is possible. I will be more vigilant at 'familiar' areas from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING MD82 AT BTG TURNED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN A HOLDING PATTERN FROM THAT INSTRUCTED BY ATC.

Narrative: ENRTE TO SEA, WE HEARD OTHER ACFT BEING GIVEN HOLDING CLRNC AT BATTLE GROUND (BTG) VOR, AND WE EVENTUALLY GOT CLRNC TO HOLD S OF BTG AS PUBLISHED, BY ZSE, WITH AN EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC (EFC) TIME OF ABOUT 10 MINS FROM PRESENT TIME. I BRIEFED THE FO THAT I WOULD HOLD ON THE 331 DEGS INBOUND COURSE AND MAKE A L TURN INTO HOLDING, DIRECT ENTRY, AND HOLD FOR ABOUT 18 MI, IN ORDER TO PERFECTLY ARRIVE BACK AT BTG AT THE EFC. HE APPEARED TO ACKNOWLEDGE POSITIVELY ALL MY STATEMENTS, OR AT LEAST DID NOT QUESTION ANYTHING. AT BTG, I INDEED MADE A L TURN (WE WERE HEADING ABOUT 340 DEGS), CALLED CTR TO ANNOUNCE HOLDING, AND ACKNOWLEDGED A DSCNT FROM FL350 TO FL330 MYSELF, SINCE THE FO WAS ON THE OTHER RADIO WITH OPS, AND THEN ON THE PA WITH THE PEOPLE ABOUT OUR HOLDING. AFTER ROLLING OUT ON OUTBOUND LEG, AND IN THE DSCNT, ZSE CALLED US TO TELL US WE WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE HOLDING PATTERN. I WAS ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHED AND LOOKED AT MY ARR CHART AGAIN. I HAD FLOWN A PERFECT, PUBLISHED, L HOLDING PATTERN ENTRY FOR OLYMPIA VOR, N OF BTG. LUCKILY NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE VICINITY AT OUR ALT, AND CTR STARTED GIVING US VECTORS AFTER I GOT ABOUT ON THE BTG PUBLISHED OUTBOUND RADIAL FOR A PARALLEL RE-ENTRY (R TURN HOLDING). XHCKING THE HOLDING PATTERN WITH MY ENRTE CHART MIGHT HAVE CLUED ME IN THAT I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG HOLDING PATTERN. THE FO APOLOGIZED THAT HE DID NOT CORRECT MY ERROR DURING MY BRIEFING, OR IN THE TURN, BECAUSE HE WAS BUSY WITH 'ADMINISTRATIVE' DUTIES. PERHAPS HE SOMEHOW TRUSTED THAT THE '20000 HR/10000 HR-IN-TYPE, HIGHLY EXPERIENCED' CAPT COULDN'T POSSIBLY MESS UP AN EASY HOLDING PATTERN, ALTHOUGH I KNOW ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. I WILL BE MORE VIGILANT AT 'FAMILIAR' AREAS FROM NOW ON.

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.