Narrative:

We had flown approximately 5 mi past sacri intersection on J75 en route from ewr to clt. ZDC informed us that clt had just stopped taking arrs and that we would hold. He asked if sacri was a fix we could hold at, and we said yes. His holding instructions were to make a right turn back direct to sacri and hold west of J75, right turns. By the time we had started turning around direct sacri, we were on it and my first officer and I were still trying to decipher the holding instructions. I misinterpreted the 'hold west of J75' and started the right turns at sacri from the southwest not the northeast. He queried about my direction of turn and I responded with 'right turn.' we reread the instructions as we understood them. He asked for a hard right turn to stay out of protected airspace. I complied by disconnecting the autoplt and putting in about 45 degrees of bank to the southwest. We asked for a heading until the hold was explained in more detail. I still think there was a lot of room for misinterp, as did the B777 that was given the same instructions after us. They also had to question it 3 or 4 times before it was understood. The controller did not say whether any airspace was violated, so this is just a precaution.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 FLC MISINTERP HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND ASK FOR VECTORS AND CLARIFICATION TO RE-ESTABLISH CORRECT HOLDING.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN APPROX 5 MI PAST SACRI INTXN ON J75 ENRTE FROM EWR TO CLT. ZDC INFORMED US THAT CLT HAD JUST STOPPED TAKING ARRS AND THAT WE WOULD HOLD. HE ASKED IF SACRI WAS A FIX WE COULD HOLD AT, AND WE SAID YES. HIS HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO MAKE A R TURN BACK DIRECT TO SACRI AND HOLD W OF J75, R TURNS. BY THE TIME WE HAD STARTED TURNING AROUND DIRECT SACRI, WE WERE ON IT AND MY FO AND I WERE STILL TRYING TO DECIPHER THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. I MISINTERPRETED THE 'HOLD W OF J75' AND STARTED THE R TURNS AT SACRI FROM THE SW NOT THE NE. HE QUERIED ABOUT MY DIRECTION OF TURN AND I RESPONDED WITH 'R TURN.' WE REREAD THE INSTRUCTIONS AS WE UNDERSTOOD THEM. HE ASKED FOR A HARD R TURN TO STAY OUT OF PROTECTED AIRSPACE. I COMPLIED BY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT AND PUTTING IN ABOUT 45 DEGS OF BANK TO THE SW. WE ASKED FOR A HDG UNTIL THE HOLD WAS EXPLAINED IN MORE DETAIL. I STILL THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF ROOM FOR MISINTERP, AS DID THE B777 THAT WAS GIVEN THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS AFTER US. THEY ALSO HAD TO QUESTION IT 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE IT WAS UNDERSTOOD. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY WHETHER ANY AIRSPACE WAS VIOLATED, SO THIS IS JUST A PRECAUTION.

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.