Narrative:

On radar vectors for approach to phl, military aircraft came on frequency. All normal traffic was vectored out of area. The controller said the flight showed up earlier than expected. We were vectored north of the airport and then cleared direct to mazie intersection. Not having that capability we told the controller we were unable to go direct. We were then given a holding clearance at mazie intersection. We asked if we could go direct to ard VOR then out the 304 degree radial to mazie so we could enter the hold. The controller said unable and continued to radar vector us. The controller issued the holding instructions but never explained how we were expected to get to the mazie intersection. We were on a westerly heading south of mazie. I thought that we would be turned north and east to join the ard 304 degrees to mazie. The controller then turned us north then northeast. I still wasn't sure how we were supposed to establish ourselves for the hold. It was becoming evident that we were being vectored right over mazie not to the radial mazie was on. The hold was right turns northwest of mazie. I had planned to join the radial proceed inbound to mazie make a direct entry right turn into hold. When it became apparent that we were going to intercept right at mazie I started the right turn to enter the hold. I later realized that on that heading I should have turned left for a parallel entry, as I continued the turn to the right. On the outbound leg the controller said we were south of the hold and issued radar vectors instead of the hold. We were vectored for several mins until we got an approach clearance. I made the wrong entry into the hold. But the problem really was caused by the fact that we were never given a routing to get to mazie nor were we told to expect vectors to the hold. It becomes very difficult to figure out just where you are going to be in relation to the holding fix under these conditions. The controller became very busy in a very short time. I should have reassessed my entry into the hold before I turned when I realized that I wouldn't join the radial prior to mazie.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL ACFT ARRIVES EARLY AT PHILADELPHIA AND CAUSES PROBS FOR AIR TFC CTL AND OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA.

Narrative: ON RADAR VECTORS FOR APCH TO PHL, MIL ACFT CAME ON FREQ. ALL NORMAL TFC WAS VECTORED OUT OF AREA. THE CTLR SAID THE FLT SHOWED UP EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. WE WERE VECTORED N OF THE ARPT AND THEN CLRED DIRECT TO MAZIE INTXN. NOT HAVING THAT CAPABILITY WE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE UNABLE TO GO DIRECT. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HOLDING CLRNC AT MAZIE INTXN. WE ASKED IF WE COULD GO DIRECT TO ARD VOR THEN OUT THE 304 DEG RADIAL TO MAZIE SO WE COULD ENTER THE HOLD. THE CTLR SAID UNABLE AND CONTINUED TO RADAR VECTOR US. THE CTLR ISSUED THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS BUT NEVER EXPLAINED HOW WE WERE EXPECTED TO GET TO THE MAZIE INTXN. WE WERE ON A WESTERLY HEADING S OF MAZIE. I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE TURNED N AND E TO JOIN THE ARD 304 DEGS TO MAZIE. THE CTLR THEN TURNED US N THEN NE. I STILL WASN'T SURE HOW WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ESTABLISH OURSELVES FOR THE HOLD. IT WAS BECOMING EVIDENT THAT WE WERE BEING VECTORED RIGHT OVER MAZIE NOT TO THE RADIAL MAZIE WAS ON. THE HOLD WAS R TURNS NW OF MAZIE. I HAD PLANNED TO JOIN THE RADIAL PROCEED INBOUND TO MAZIE MAKE A DIRECT ENTRY R TURN INTO HOLD. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO INTERCEPT R AT MAZIE I STARTED THE R TURN TO ENTER THE HOLD. I LATER REALIZED THAT ON THAT HEADING I SHOULD HAVE TURNED L FOR A PARALLEL ENTRY, AS I CONTINUED THE TURN TO THE R. ON THE OUTBOUND LEG THE CTLR SAID WE WERE S OF THE HOLD AND ISSUED RADAR VECTORS INSTEAD OF THE HOLD. WE WERE VECTORED FOR SEVERAL MINS UNTIL WE GOT AN APCH CLRNC. I MADE THE WRONG ENTRY INTO THE HOLD. BUT THE PROB REALLY WAS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A ROUTING TO GET TO MAZIE NOR WERE WE TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS TO THE HOLD. IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT JUST WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN RELATION TO THE HOLDING FIX UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THE CTLR BECAME VERY BUSY IN A VERY SHORT TIME. I SHOULD HAVE REASSESSED MY ENTRY INTO THE HOLD BEFORE I TURNED WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WOULDN'T JOIN THE RADIAL PRIOR TO MAZIE.

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.