Narrative:

We were flying a slant alpha aircraft at FL290, going direct to the palmdale VOR from the northwest, with a landing destination of ont. The expected WX was above 2000 ft and 3 mi. About 30 mi from pmd, the controller stated that ont RVR visibility was 6000 ft and was only accepting CAT III aircraft. I told him we were CAT ii and would probably request holding. I immediately asked my so to contact our company operations, as our alternate was las vegas which would leave us very little holding fuel. ATC came back with holding instructions: 'hold northwest of pmd VOR on J-65.' the first officer was flying the aircraft and we determined that J-65 was the 295 degree radial, it would be a direct entry and we needed to slow down to holding speed. About 6 mi out, our flight operations was up on the #2 radio interrupting our discussion and I gave the #1 radio to the first officer while I talked to our operations. My attention was on the flight release, changing the alternate and copying the current WX for los angeles when I heard ATC giving us a heading of 240 degrees for vectors to avoid a restr area and for the turn back into holding. At that point, I saw the first officer made an initial left turn into holding instead of a right turn, as he should have made. We then discussed the nature of the mistake and that the right hand versus left hand holding pattern should have been verbalized, as direct entry was obviously different for each one of us [each one's perspective]. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Ont cleared to CAT ii WX and we flew the approach and landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-10 CREW ENTERED THE HOLDING PATTERN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION IN ZLA CLASS A.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A SLANT ALPHA ACFT AT FL290, GOING DIRECT TO THE PALMDALE VOR FROM THE NW, WITH A LNDG DEST OF ONT. THE EXPECTED WX WAS ABOVE 2000 FT AND 3 MI. ABOUT 30 MI FROM PMD, THE CTLR STATED THAT ONT RVR VISIBILITY WAS 6000 FT AND WAS ONLY ACCEPTING CAT III ACFT. I TOLD HIM WE WERE CAT II AND WOULD PROBABLY REQUEST HOLDING. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED MY SO TO CONTACT OUR COMPANY OPS, AS OUR ALTERNATE WAS LAS VEGAS WHICH WOULD LEAVE US VERY LITTLE HOLDING FUEL. ATC CAME BACK WITH HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS: 'HOLD NW OF PMD VOR ON J-65.' THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WE DETERMINED THAT J-65 WAS THE 295 DEG RADIAL, IT WOULD BE A DIRECT ENTRY AND WE NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN TO HOLDING SPD. ABOUT 6 MI OUT, OUR FLT OPS WAS UP ON THE #2 RADIO INTERRUPTING OUR DISCUSSION AND I GAVE THE #1 RADIO TO THE FO WHILE I TALKED TO OUR OPS. MY ATTN WAS ON THE FLT RELEASE, CHANGING THE ALTERNATE AND COPYING THE CURRENT WX FOR LOS ANGELES WHEN I HEARD ATC GIVING US A HDG OF 240 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO AVOID A RESTR AREA AND FOR THE TURN BACK INTO HOLDING. AT THAT POINT, I SAW THE FO MADE AN INITIAL L TURN INTO HOLDING INSTEAD OF A R TURN, AS HE SHOULD HAVE MADE. WE THEN DISCUSSED THE NATURE OF THE MISTAKE AND THAT THE R HAND VERSUS L HAND HOLDING PATTERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERBALIZED, AS DIRECT ENTRY WAS OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE OF US [EACH ONE'S PERSPECTIVE]. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ONT CLRED TO CAT II WX AND WE FLEW THE APCH AND LANDED.

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.