Narrative:

While on the arrival segment into the eddf airport; we were given a hold at rolis intersection to hold as published on the rolis 1 west arrival. There was nothing unusual about the holding instructions; however; the aircraft that we were flying has a 'slow to respond' autoplt installed due to a 'modification' of the gyro platform in our fleet. This resulted in poor holding entry and subsequent holding. While on a 160 degree heading; we were set up for a direct entry into the hold. The winds were approximately 300 degrees at 60 KTS. We arrived at rolis intersection and began our left turn to the outbound track of 340 degrees. The wind; along with the 'sluggish' autoplt had us well east of the holding area. After 90 seconds; we began to turn back inbound to rolis intersection. Being already east of the holding pattern; our turn to rolis intersection almost required an immediate turn to our outbound track of 340 degrees as we were almost abeam rolis intersection after completing out inbound turn. This was also confirmed by ATC communications; as we were advised we had 'passed rolis intersection 4 mi ago.' while 'in' the holding pattern; we were given a clearance to descend to 16000 ft. When the autoplt is in a turn; the 'leveloff' feature can have a variation of +/-200 in its capture. This was also noted to us by ATC. Given the non-FMS and non-EFIS equipment that we are flying; a hold at rolis intersection can be extremely difficult simply based off an intersection hold. While the en route chart shows rolis off the col VOR at 23 DME; the rolis 1 west STAR does not show any other navaids to define this intersection other than latitude/longitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter advised the aircraft in question is; in fact; equipped with a very basic GPS navigation system with limited RNAV capabilities. According to the reporter; the basic RNAV capability is the basis on which the aircraft is allowed to utilize the procedure. The reporter elaborated on the issue of the slow response autoplt; stating the company had installed new gyros whose effect was to dramatically slow the response of the roll mode via either heading bug or turn wheel inputs. Reporter further stated the difficulty in flying a precise holding pattern was a combination of that slow response and the lack of an easily utilized crab reference to assist in determining an appropriate heading on the outbound leg of the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 FLT CREW HAS DIFFICULTY FLYING HOLDING PATTERN AT ROLIS INTXN ON ARR TO EDDF.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE ARR SEGMENT INTO THE EDDF ARPT; WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT ROLIS INTXN TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED ON THE ROLIS 1 W ARR. THERE WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS; HOWEVER; THE ACFT THAT WE WERE FLYING HAS A 'SLOW TO RESPOND' AUTOPLT INSTALLED DUE TO A 'MODIFICATION' OF THE GYRO PLATFORM IN OUR FLEET. THIS RESULTED IN POOR HOLDING ENTRY AND SUBSEQUENT HOLDING. WHILE ON A 160 DEG HDG; WE WERE SET UP FOR A DIRECT ENTRY INTO THE HOLD. THE WINDS WERE APPROX 300 DEGS AT 60 KTS. WE ARRIVED AT ROLIS INTXN AND BEGAN OUR L TURN TO THE OUTBOUND TRACK OF 340 DEGS. THE WIND; ALONG WITH THE 'SLUGGISH' AUTOPLT HAD US WELL E OF THE HOLDING AREA. AFTER 90 SECONDS; WE BEGAN TO TURN BACK INBOUND TO ROLIS INTXN. BEING ALREADY E OF THE HOLDING PATTERN; OUR TURN TO ROLIS INTXN ALMOST REQUIRED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO OUR OUTBOUND TRACK OF 340 DEGS AS WE WERE ALMOST ABEAM ROLIS INTXN AFTER COMPLETING OUT INBOUND TURN. THIS WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY ATC COMS; AS WE WERE ADVISED WE HAD 'PASSED ROLIS INTXN 4 MI AGO.' WHILE 'IN' THE HOLDING PATTERN; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND TO 16000 FT. WHEN THE AUTOPLT IS IN A TURN; THE 'LEVELOFF' FEATURE CAN HAVE A VARIATION OF +/-200 IN ITS CAPTURE. THIS WAS ALSO NOTED TO US BY ATC. GIVEN THE NON-FMS AND NON-EFIS EQUIP THAT WE ARE FLYING; A HOLD AT ROLIS INTXN CAN BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SIMPLY BASED OFF AN INTXN HOLD. WHILE THE ENRTE CHART SHOWS ROLIS OFF THE COL VOR AT 23 DME; THE ROLIS 1 W STAR DOES NOT SHOW ANY OTHER NAVAIDS TO DEFINE THIS INTXN OTHER THAN LATITUDE/LONGITUDE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THE ACFT IN QUESTION IS; IN FACT; EQUIPPED WITH A VERY BASIC GPS NAV SYS WITH LIMITED RNAV CAPABILITIES. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR; THE BASIC RNAV CAPABILITY IS THE BASIS ON WHICH THE ACFT IS ALLOWED TO UTILIZE THE PROC. THE RPTR ELABORATED ON THE ISSUE OF THE SLOW RESPONSE AUTOPLT; STATING THE COMPANY HAD INSTALLED NEW GYROS WHOSE EFFECT WAS TO DRAMATICALLY SLOW THE RESPONSE OF THE ROLL MODE VIA EITHER HDG BUG OR TURN WHEEL INPUTS. RPTR FURTHER STATED THE DIFFICULTY IN FLYING A PRECISE HOLDING PATTERN WAS A COMBINATION OF THAT SLOW RESPONSE AND THE LACK OF AN EASILY UTILIZED CRAB REF TO ASSIST IN DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE HDG ON THE OUTBOUND LEG OF THE PATTERN.

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.