Holding clearance given not clear when told to hold as published over yardley, PA.

Attributes
ACN	458665
Time
Date	199912
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl.tracon
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : missed approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 63 flight time total : 1335 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	458665
Person 2
Affiliation	company other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

My student and I had requested and received and completed an ILS runway 24 approach into pne followed by published missed approach procedure and published hold at ard VOR. We had just completed second ILS runway 24, climbed to 800 ft MSL, and were making climbing right turn to 3000 ft MSL en route to ard VOR for published hold. Phl approach told us to hold southwest of fix as published and efc at XA30Z. We executed the hold as published and I acknowledged. After completing 2 laps in the published hold, we canceled IFR, squawked 1200 and flew to hazie intersection to practice intersection holds. When my student and I reviewed the flight in debrief, we noticed that the hold at ard VOR is northeast of VOR, not southwest as indicated by the controller. In retrospect we should have checked the plate before executing. We should have asked the controller to clarify what he meant by hold southwest 'as published' since it was in contradiction with published holding pattern which is actually northeast of VOR. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that he in fact held as published and was not questioned by ATC. It was only after self analysis of the flight that he realized there was an inconsistency in the clearance given.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOLDING CLRNC GIVEN NOT CLR WHEN TOLD TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED OVER YARDLEY, PA.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AND COMPLETED AN ILS RWY 24 APCH INTO PNE FOLLOWED BY PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC AND PUBLISHED HOLD AT ARD VOR. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED SECOND ILS RWY 24, CLBED TO 800 FT MSL, AND WERE MAKING CLBING R TURN TO 3000 FT MSL ENRTE TO ARD VOR FOR PUBLISHED HOLD. PHL APCH TOLD US TO HOLD SW OF FIX AS PUBLISHED AND EFC AT XA30Z. WE EXECUTED THE HOLD AS PUBLISHED AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER COMPLETING 2 LAPS IN THE PUBLISHED HOLD, WE CANCELED IFR, SQUAWKED 1200 AND FLEW TO HAZIE INTXN TO PRACTICE INTXN HOLDS. WHEN MY STUDENT AND I REVIEWED THE FLT IN DEBRIEF, WE NOTICED THAT THE HOLD AT ARD VOR IS NE OF VOR, NOT SW AS INDICATED BY THE CTLR. IN RETROSPECT WE SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE PLATE BEFORE EXECUTING. WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR TO CLARIFY WHAT HE MEANT BY HOLD SW 'AS PUBLISHED' SINCE IT WAS IN CONTRADICTION WITH PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN WHICH IS ACTUALLY NE OF VOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE IN FACT HELD AS PUBLISHED AND WAS NOT QUESTIONED BY ATC. IT WAS ONLY AFTER SELF ANALYSIS OF THE FLT THAT HE REALIZED THERE WAS AN INCONSISTENCY IN THE CLRNC GIVEN.

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.