Narrative:

My copilot advised ZFW that we would need to hold for the WX to improve at temple. My copilot also asked center if we could hold at tpl VOR in the missed approach holding pattern depicted on the ILS runway 15 approach chart. Center then issued us a holding clearance, which my copilot read back, and the controller acknowledged. I informed my copilot that the holding clearance we received contained a 15 mi DME fix that I was unsure of and asked for him to reconfirm our holding clearance with center. When my first officer called to reconfirm the clearance he told the controller what he thought the clearance was 'center you want aircraft X to hold at the tpl VOR r-hand turns 158 degrees inbound, 338 degrees outbound?' I think this is where the confusion started. I should have listened harder to the clearance myself, but I was busy trying to load the holding point into the FMS. At this point the controller again stated the clearance. Again my copilot read back the clearance and there was some misinterp between the controller and my copilot as to where the 15 DME fix was located. But again, my copilot read back a holding clearance that the controller acknowledged. The controller did dispute what my copilot said about where the 15 DME fix was. At one point, my copilot stated that the controller wanted us to hold at moody, but the controller said he was unaware of this named intersection being at the 15 DME fix he wanted us to hold at. Again, my copilot read back a clearance he thought was correct to the controller. 'Aircraft X will hold 15 DME from tpl r-hand turns 158 degrees inbound, 338 degrees outbound.' the controller acknowledged. At this time, we thought we had it figured out and entered the hold into our FMS. I then asked the controller if we could proceed direct to the holding point, at which time the controller replied we had already passed it. Well, needless to say, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. The controller said I wanted you to hold on your present inbound course to tpl VOR northeast of the 15 DME fix. Looking back at this situation, I see several causes for the screw up: 1) I should have been more attentive to listening to the holding clearance. 2) my copilot should have just asked for a reconfirmation of the holding clearance. Instead he told the controller what he thought the clearance was, which I think added to the confusion. 3) when my copilot read back the clearance with the inbound course 158 degrees, I think the controller only heard the '58,' which he interpreted to be the 258 degree radial, which was our approximately inbound course to tpl and therefore did not correct our readback. 4) poor night's rest the night before the trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FALCON 2000 FLC FAILED TO ENTER A HOLDING PATTERN AS CLRED NEAR TPL.

Narrative: MY COPLT ADVISED ZFW THAT WE WOULD NEED TO HOLD FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE AT TEMPLE. MY COPLT ALSO ASKED CTR IF WE COULD HOLD AT TPL VOR IN THE MISSED APCH HOLDING PATTERN DEPICTED ON THE ILS RWY 15 APCH CHART. CTR THEN ISSUED US A HOLDING CLRNC, WHICH MY COPLT READ BACK, AND THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. I INFORMED MY COPLT THAT THE HOLDING CLRNC WE RECEIVED CONTAINED A 15 MI DME FIX THAT I WAS UNSURE OF AND ASKED FOR HIM TO RECONFIRM OUR HOLDING CLRNC WITH CTR. WHEN MY FO CALLED TO RECONFIRM THE CLRNC HE TOLD THE CTLR WHAT HE THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS 'CTR YOU WANT ACFT X TO HOLD AT THE TPL VOR R-HAND TURNS 158 DEGS INBOUND, 338 DEGS OUTBOUND?' I THINK THIS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION STARTED. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED HARDER TO THE CLRNC MYSELF, BUT I WAS BUSY TRYING TO LOAD THE HOLDING POINT INTO THE FMS. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR AGAIN STATED THE CLRNC. AGAIN MY COPLT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND THERE WAS SOME MISINTERP BTWN THE CTLR AND MY COPLT AS TO WHERE THE 15 DME FIX WAS LOCATED. BUT AGAIN, MY COPLT READ BACK A HOLDING CLRNC THAT THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CTLR DID DISPUTE WHAT MY COPLT SAID ABOUT WHERE THE 15 DME FIX WAS. AT ONE POINT, MY COPLT STATED THAT THE CTLR WANTED US TO HOLD AT MOODY, BUT THE CTLR SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THIS NAMED INTXN BEING AT THE 15 DME FIX HE WANTED US TO HOLD AT. AGAIN, MY COPLT READ BACK A CLRNC HE THOUGHT WAS CORRECT TO THE CTLR. 'ACFT X WILL HOLD 15 DME FROM TPL R-HAND TURNS 158 DEGS INBOUND, 338 DEGS OUTBOUND.' THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. AT THIS TIME, WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT FIGURED OUT AND ENTERED THE HOLD INTO OUR FMS. I THEN ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD PROCEED DIRECT TO THE HOLDING POINT, AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR REPLIED WE HAD ALREADY PASSED IT. WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAD A SINKING FEELING IN MY STOMACH. THE CTLR SAID I WANTED YOU TO HOLD ON YOUR PRESENT INBOUND COURSE TO TPL VOR NE OF THE 15 DME FIX. LOOKING BACK AT THIS SIT, I SEE SEVERAL CAUSES FOR THE SCREW UP: 1) I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO LISTENING TO THE HOLDING CLRNC. 2) MY COPLT SHOULD HAVE JUST ASKED FOR A RECONFIRMATION OF THE HOLDING CLRNC. INSTEAD HE TOLD THE CTLR WHAT HE THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS, WHICH I THINK ADDED TO THE CONFUSION. 3) WHEN MY COPLT READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH THE INBOUND COURSE 158 DEGS, I THINK THE CTLR ONLY HEARD THE '58,' WHICH HE INTERPED TO BE THE 258 DEG RADIAL, WHICH WAS OUR APPROX INBOUND COURSE TO TPL AND THEREFORE DID NOT CORRECT OUR READBACK. 4) POOR NIGHT'S REST THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TRIP.

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.