Narrative:

En route to phl, our flight was cleared to hold at cedar lake (vcn) but we entered holding at sea isle (sei) instead. Contributing factors: the biggest factor was that this flight was the second week in a row of flying the back side of the clock. The first week was spent flying lft-jan-sdf-bfi one night and bfi-sdf-jan-lft the next night. The holding error en route to phl occurred on the second night of the second week. I have to fly again tonight and just like last night (the night of the error) my body feels out of sorts. En route to phl I heard holding was being given to the aircraft in front of us, so I entered the hold into the FMS. The holding fix I used was sie instead of vcn. Before I could doublechk what I entered, ATC gave us a descent and crossing restr. Because I needed to get into the FMC to enter the crossing restr, I executed the holding, then entered the crossing restr. The crossing restr given by ATC was not a good one. We started down immediately but still had to put full speed brakes out and increase the speed, our descent rate was 6000 FPM or greater. Towards the end of the descent the autoplt started turning the airplane right for no reason. The autoplt was disconnected to keep the plane from turning. After the plane was back to a more normal flight, the autoplt was re-engaged. This is the point that we got the holding instructions and used the holding already programmed into the FMS. Because it was already programmed in the FMS, and the earlier distraction by the demanding crossing restr, I did not doublechk the holding. When we entered holding at sie we reported to ATC entering holding. Even though we were not near vcn (the assigned holding fix), ATC did not catch the error. On the turn outbound, ATC questioned our turn and we realized our mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FO RPTED THAT HE AND THE CAPT HELD AT THE WRONG FIX IN PHL'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ENRTE TO PHL, OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO HOLD AT CEDAR LAKE (VCN) BUT WE ENTERED HOLDING AT SEA ISLE (SEI) INSTEAD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE BIGGEST FACTOR WAS THAT THIS FLT WAS THE SECOND WK IN A ROW OF FLYING THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK. THE FIRST WK WAS SPENT FLYING LFT-JAN-SDF-BFI ONE NIGHT AND BFI-SDF-JAN-LFT THE NEXT NIGHT. THE HOLDING ERROR ENRTE TO PHL OCCURRED ON THE SECOND NIGHT OF THE SECOND WK. I HAVE TO FLY AGAIN TONIGHT AND JUST LIKE LAST NIGHT (THE NIGHT OF THE ERROR) MY BODY FEELS OUT OF SORTS. ENRTE TO PHL I HEARD HOLDING WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US, SO I ENTERED THE HOLD INTO THE FMS. THE HOLDING FIX I USED WAS SIE INSTEAD OF VCN. BEFORE I COULD DOUBLECHK WHAT I ENTERED, ATC GAVE US A DSCNT AND XING RESTR. BECAUSE I NEEDED TO GET INTO THE FMC TO ENTER THE XING RESTR, I EXECUTED THE HOLDING, THEN ENTERED THE XING RESTR. THE XING RESTR GIVEN BY ATC WAS NOT A GOOD ONE. WE STARTED DOWN IMMEDIATELY BUT STILL HAD TO PUT FULL SPD BRAKES OUT AND INCREASE THE SPD, OUR DSCNT RATE WAS 6000 FPM OR GREATER. TOWARDS THE END OF THE DSCNT THE AUTOPLT STARTED TURNING THE AIRPLANE R FOR NO REASON. THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED TO KEEP THE PLANE FROM TURNING. AFTER THE PLANE WAS BACK TO A MORE NORMAL FLT, THE AUTOPLT WAS RE-ENGAGED. THIS IS THE POINT THAT WE GOT THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND USED THE HOLDING ALREADY PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS. BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY PROGRAMMED IN THE FMS, AND THE EARLIER DISTR BY THE DEMANDING XING RESTR, I DID NOT DOUBLECHK THE HOLDING. WHEN WE ENTERED HOLDING AT SIE WE RPTED TO ATC ENTERING HOLDING. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT NEAR VCN (THE ASSIGNED HOLDING FIX), ATC DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR. ON THE TURN OUTBOUND, ATC QUESTIONED OUR TURN AND WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE.

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.