Narrative:

As soon as we contacted phl approach; we were told to cross bunts intersection at 8000 ft and to depart bunts heading 090 degrees for the visual to runway 35 at phl. I was the PF and began to brief and set up for the approach to runway 35. Just prior to bunts intersection; the controller told us to '(call sign) hold at bunts.' being that we were within a few mi of bunts intersection; I immediately began slowing to enter the hold. Since no specific holding instructions were given and we were not able to ask for more specific instructions because of frequency congestion; I immediately entered a standard hold on the inbound course as per aim 5-3-7(C). As soon as the frequency was clear; we reported entering the hold. At that time we were nearly 90 degrees into the turn when the controller said 'left turns' which we immediately complied with. Before even completing our turn to the outbound heading; we were cleared to phl via radar vectors. It was only then that I noticed that there is a published holding pattern depicted on the STAR at bunts intersection. Since we were within a few mi of bunts intersection and we were already given a vector off bunts; I was briefing the approach and not expecting holding instructions when we were practically over bunts intersection. Because we were given instructions to hold so close to the clearance limit; neither I nor my first officer noticed the depicted holding pattern on the STAR. Furthermore; if the approach controller would have just added the phase 'as published;' that would have prompted us to immediately look at our arrival chart and prevented any confusion of what he wanted us to do. Additionally; we should have been giving more notice that we would be holding. We had less than 1 min from the time he gave us the clearance limit of bunts to the time we entered the hold. Contributing factors: 1) the approach controller gave us holding instructions less than 1 min to bunts. 2) failure of the controller to use standard phraseology (e.g.; hold west of bunts as published). 3) frequency congestion prevented us from being able to clarify the controller's instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 INBOUND TO PHL WAS GIVEN LATE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS BY ATC.

Narrative: AS SOON AS WE CONTACTED PHL APCH; WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS BUNTS INTXN AT 8000 FT AND TO DEPART BUNTS HDG 090 DEGS FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 35 AT PHL. I WAS THE PF AND BEGAN TO BRIEF AND SET UP FOR THE APCH TO RWY 35. JUST PRIOR TO BUNTS INTXN; THE CTLR TOLD US TO '(CALL SIGN) HOLD AT BUNTS.' BEING THAT WE WERE WITHIN A FEW MI OF BUNTS INTXN; I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SLOWING TO ENTER THE HOLD. SINCE NO SPECIFIC HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ASK FOR MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION; I IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A STANDARD HOLD ON THE INBOUND COURSE AS PER AIM 5-3-7(C). AS SOON AS THE FREQ WAS CLR; WE RPTED ENTERING THE HOLD. AT THAT TIME WE WERE NEARLY 90 DEGS INTO THE TURN WHEN THE CTLR SAID 'L TURNS' WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH. BEFORE EVEN COMPLETING OUR TURN TO THE OUTBOUND HDG; WE WERE CLRED TO PHL VIA RADAR VECTORS. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN DEPICTED ON THE STAR AT BUNTS INTXN. SINCE WE WERE WITHIN A FEW MI OF BUNTS INTXN AND WE WERE ALREADY GIVEN A VECTOR OFF BUNTS; I WAS BRIEFING THE APCH AND NOT EXPECTING HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN WE WERE PRACTICALLY OVER BUNTS INTXN. BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SO CLOSE TO THE CLRNC LIMIT; NEITHER I NOR MY FO NOTICED THE DEPICTED HOLDING PATTERN ON THE STAR. FURTHERMORE; IF THE APCH CTLR WOULD HAVE JUST ADDED THE PHASE 'AS PUBLISHED;' THAT WOULD HAVE PROMPTED US TO IMMEDIATELY LOOK AT OUR ARR CHART AND PREVENTED ANY CONFUSION OF WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. ADDITIONALLY; WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVING MORE NOTICE THAT WE WOULD BE HOLDING. WE HAD LESS THAN 1 MIN FROM THE TIME HE GAVE US THE CLRNC LIMIT OF BUNTS TO THE TIME WE ENTERED THE HOLD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE APCH CTLR GAVE US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS LESS THAN 1 MIN TO BUNTS. 2) FAILURE OF THE CTLR TO USE STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY (E.G.; HOLD W OF BUNTS AS PUBLISHED). 3) FREQ CONGESTION PREVENTED US FROM BEING ABLE TO CLARIFY THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.