Narrative:

Crew was en route from jax to iah. When just west of sji (near gulf of mexico shoreline), crew was notified that iah was shut down due to thunderstorms and a microburst over the field and was assigned a holding pattern at lev VOR -- roughly 50 NM south of msy. Aircraft was cleared direct lev and to hold east of lev on the 102 degree radial with 20 NM legs. Approaching lev on a 140 degree heading, PF programmed holding pattern on the hold page of the FMC. The hold page has 2 lines associated with the desired inbound leg/inbound course that are subject to change depending on the pilot's input. PF programmed the 102 degree radial into the computer. When the aircraft arrived over the VOR, it appeared to turn the proper direction. However, about 5 mins later, ATC queried the crew about the aircraft's position and crew replied the clearance was to hold east of the VOR. ATC indicated aircraft was west of the VOR. Crew acknowledged and corrected the situation. Just prior to ATC's query, PF suspected something was wrong when he noticed the aircraft was still facing the sun on what should have been the outbound leg of the hold. He also noticed the other line on the hold page associated with the orientation of the holding course with respect to the holding fix indicated the inbound course was in the west sector of the fix instead of the east sector. No further comment was made by ATC. PF realized the difference between the inbound course radial was mistaken for the inbound heading of the assigned holding radial. In the future, PF will establish holding pattern based on raw data if there is any question on how to program the FMC. PF consulted the aircraft flight manual regarding the FMC and noticed that particular version of the hold page for that model of aircraft was not depicted. This is perhaps due to the fact that the company operates several different models of the B737 and that the FMC software for the aircraft has evolved several times and has therefore been modified in the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 521235: iah shut down due to microburst on field. Given holding instructions (hold east on lev VOR) programmed FMC and started checking fuel to determine alternate plans. Noticed passing lev VOR, aircraft not turning right into hold. Disengaged LNAV through heading select and turned aircraft right. ATC queried as to our position on the fix and I reported we were in a right turn entering the hold. ATC did not communicate any other concerns. Held for 30 mins and diverted to msy for fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW MADE AN IMPROPER ENTRY TO A HOLDING PATTERN AT LEV VOR.

Narrative: CREW WAS ENRTE FROM JAX TO IAH. WHEN JUST W OF SJI (NEAR GULF OF MEXICO SHORELINE), CREW WAS NOTIFIED THAT IAH WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO TSTMS AND A MICROBURST OVER THE FIELD AND WAS ASSIGNED A HOLDING PATTERN AT LEV VOR -- ROUGHLY 50 NM S OF MSY. ACFT WAS CLRED DIRECT LEV AND TO HOLD E OF LEV ON THE 102 DEG RADIAL WITH 20 NM LEGS. APCHING LEV ON A 140 DEG HDG, PF PROGRAMMED HOLDING PATTERN ON THE HOLD PAGE OF THE FMC. THE HOLD PAGE HAS 2 LINES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIRED INBOUND LEG/INBOUND COURSE THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE PLT'S INPUT. PF PROGRAMMED THE 102 DEG RADIAL INTO THE COMPUTER. WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED OVER THE VOR, IT APPEARED TO TURN THE PROPER DIRECTION. HOWEVER, ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, ATC QUERIED THE CREW ABOUT THE ACFT'S POS AND CREW REPLIED THE CLRNC WAS TO HOLD E OF THE VOR. ATC INDICATED ACFT WAS W OF THE VOR. CREW ACKNOWLEDGED AND CORRECTED THE SIT. JUST PRIOR TO ATC'S QUERY, PF SUSPECTED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN HE NOTICED THE ACFT WAS STILL FACING THE SUN ON WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OUTBOUND LEG OF THE HOLD. HE ALSO NOTICED THE OTHER LINE ON THE HOLD PAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIENTATION OF THE HOLDING COURSE WITH RESPECT TO THE HOLDING FIX INDICATED THE INBOUND COURSE WAS IN THE W SECTOR OF THE FIX INSTEAD OF THE E SECTOR. NO FURTHER COMMENT WAS MADE BY ATC. PF REALIZED THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE INBOUND COURSE RADIAL WAS MISTAKEN FOR THE INBOUND HEADING OF THE ASSIGNED HOLDING RADIAL. IN THE FUTURE, PF WILL ESTABLISH HOLDING PATTERN BASED ON RAW DATA IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION ON HOW TO PROGRAM THE FMC. PF CONSULTED THE ACFT FLT MANUAL REGARDING THE FMC AND NOTICED THAT PARTICULAR VERSION OF THE HOLD PAGE FOR THAT MODEL OF ACFT WAS NOT DEPICTED. THIS IS PERHAPS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY OPERATES SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE B737 AND THAT THE FMC SOFTWARE FOR THE ACFT HAS EVOLVED SEVERAL TIMES AND HAS THEREFORE BEEN MODIFIED IN THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 521235: IAH SHUT DOWN DUE TO MICROBURST ON FIELD. GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS (HOLD E ON LEV VOR) PROGRAMMED FMC AND STARTED CHKING FUEL TO DETERMINE ALTERNATE PLANS. NOTICED PASSING LEV VOR, ACFT NOT TURNING R INTO HOLD. DISENGAGED LNAV THROUGH HEADING SELECT AND TURNED ACFT R. ATC QUERIED AS TO OUR POS ON THE FIX AND I RPTED WE WERE IN A R TURN ENTERING THE HOLD. ATC DID NOT COMMUNICATE ANY OTHER CONCERNS. HELD FOR 30 MINS AND DIVERTED TO MSY FOR FUEL.

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.