Narrative:

We had departed oxnard airport en route to lax and were leveling off at 5000 ft when we received a clearance from pt magu approach to proceed direct to and join the vtu 170 degree right, track it and hold at 5000 ft, right turns, 10 NM legs. This clearance did not include a fix, direction relative to fix or efc time and came on short notice as we were within 3 NM of the vtu VOR expecting a handoff to socal approach. It was also a busy time in the cockpit so I engaged the autoplt, slowed and headed to join the 170 degree radial. Meanwhile, we discussed the holding pattern and came up with the following: as we were roughly eastbound when given the clearance, I selected a teardrop entry maneuver which raised confusion about the controller wanting us to track outbound on the 170 degree radial. We questioned him as to the inbound radial/ direction of hold just to clarify this confusion but we received no reply and so continued on the teardrop entry, heading 140 degree. Just prior to us turning back inbound, the controller asked us where we were heading and why. He then told us we were drifting into los angeles's airspace and proceeded to vector us in a box pattern southwest of ventura. From this it became apparent that he had originally wanted us to hold in that direction and we asked to see if we had misheard him and he had requested left turns in the hold (we had heard and written down right). Again to this there was no reply. Later, when we were handed off to socal approach, the controller's instructions were overridden by another controller from which we concluded that there was training going on. I believe the confusion about the desired holding pattern resulted from several factors. I was hand flying at the time we received the clearance and we were completing the after takeoff checklist while almost being on top of the VOR when an incomplete clearance was issued. There was also a lack of communication between us and the controller. The best thing to have done would have been to request an initial vector from the controller to ensure us remaining in his airspace while clarifying the holding instructions with him within a timely manner.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 FLT CREW ENTERS HOLDING INCORRECTLY ENRTE TO LAX.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED OXNARD AIRPORT ENRTE TO LAX AND WERE LEVELING OFF AT 5000 FT WHEN WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM PT MAGU APCH TO PROCEED DIRECT TO AND JOIN THE VTU 170 DEG R, TRACK IT AND HOLD AT 5000 FT, R TURNS, 10 NM LEGS. THIS CLRNC DID NOT INCLUDE A FIX, DIRECTION RELATIVE TO FIX OR EFC TIME AND CAME ON SHORT NOTICE AS WE WERE WITHIN 3 NM OF THE VTU VOR EXPECTING A HANDOFF TO SOCAL APCH. IT WAS ALSO A BUSY TIME IN THE COCKPIT SO I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, SLOWED AND HEADED TO JOIN THE 170 DEG RADIAL. MEANWHILE, WE DISCUSSED THE HOLDING PATTERN AND CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING: AS WE WERE ROUGHLY EBOUND WHEN GIVEN THE CLRNC, I SELECTED A TEARDROP ENTRY MANEUVER WHICH RAISED CONFUSION ABOUT THE CTLR WANTING US TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE 170 DEG RADIAL. WE QUESTIONED HIM AS TO THE INBOUND RADIAL/ DIRECTION OF HOLD JUST TO CLARIFY THIS CONFUSION BUT WE RECEIVED NO REPLY AND SO CONTINUED ON THE TEARDROP ENTRY, HEADING 140 DEG. JUST PRIOR TO US TURNING BACK INBOUND, THE CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE HEADING AND WHY. HE THEN TOLD US WE WERE DRIFTING INTO LOS ANGELES'S AIRSPACE AND PROCEEDED TO VECTOR US IN A BOX PATTERN SW OF VENTURA. FROM THIS IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED US TO HOLD IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE ASKED TO SEE IF WE HAD MISHEARD HIM AND HE HAD REQUESTED L TURNS IN THE HOLD (WE HAD HEARD AND WRITTEN DOWN R). AGAIN TO THIS THERE WAS NO REPLY. LATER, WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SOCAL APCH, THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE OVERRIDDEN BY ANOTHER CTLR FROM WHICH WE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS TRAINING GOING ON. I BELIEVE THE CONFUSION ABOUT THE DESIRED HOLDING PATTERN RESULTED FROM SEVERAL FACTORS. I WAS HAND FLYING AT THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC AND WE WERE COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WHILE ALMOST BEING ON TOP OF THE VOR WHEN AN INCOMPLETE CLRNC WAS ISSUED. THERE WAS ALSO A LACK OF COM BTWN US AND THE CTLR. THE BEST THING TO HAVE DONE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO REQUEST AN INITIAL VECTOR FROM THE CTLR TO ENSURE US REMAINING IN HIS AIRSPACE WHILE CLARIFYING THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH HIM WITHIN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.