B757 crew misunderstands holding instructions at canny intersection.

Attributes
ACN	708061
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : canny
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : holding
Route In Use	arrival star : dpnt 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	708061
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 150
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : returned to original clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight scheduled for XA12Z departure delayed for ground stop into phl for 2 hours due to heavy thunderstorms at phl. Flight uneventful prior to arrival segment; controllers advising no delays into phl. Just as we arrived at ott on the dupont 4 arrival; controllers caught off guard by a sudden stoppage again into phl. There were many airplanes previously delayed as we were all culminating on the arrival and the controllers were scrambling to assign holding instructions. Each subsequent controller had new holding instructions at non published radial/DME holding fixes. There was a good deal of confusion from most cockpits. Holding instruction assigning us a hold based on the eno 226 degree radial that we understood to originate at eno and read back that understanding. The holding fix was loaded into the FMC at which time we questioned the instruction and attempted to query the controller but due to congestion on the frequency were unable to get clarification until we were past the intended holding fix (canny). An immediate right turn placed us back into holding with no apparent or advertised problem. This misunderstanding occurred in my opinion due to the controller's lack of a specific holding fix. This was occurring at night in acute thunderstorm activity and continuing changing instructions. The controllers were saturated and the frequencys were saturated. A quicker realization of the problem on our part may have alleviated the situation but we were nearly on top of the fix when holding instructions were received and at that time communication with the controller was inhibited due to congestion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW MISUNDERSTANDS HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT CANNY INTXN.

Narrative: FLT SCHEDULED FOR XA12Z DEP DELAYED FOR GND STOP INTO PHL FOR 2 HRS DUE TO HVY TSTMS AT PHL. FLT UNEVENTFUL PRIOR TO ARR SEGMENT; CTLRS ADVISING NO DELAYS INTO PHL. JUST AS WE ARRIVED AT OTT ON THE DUPONT 4 ARR; CTLRS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY A SUDDEN STOPPAGE AGAIN INTO PHL. THERE WERE MANY AIRPLANES PREVIOUSLY DELAYED AS WE WERE ALL CULMINATING ON THE ARR AND THE CTLRS WERE SCRAMBLING TO ASSIGN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. EACH SUBSEQUENT CTLR HAD NEW HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT NON PUBLISHED RADIAL/DME HOLDING FIXES. THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF CONFUSION FROM MOST COCKPITS. HOLDING INSTRUCTION ASSIGNING US A HOLD BASED ON THE ENO 226 DEG RADIAL THAT WE UNDERSTOOD TO ORIGINATE AT ENO AND READ BACK THAT UNDERSTANDING. THE HOLDING FIX WAS LOADED INTO THE FMC AT WHICH TIME WE QUESTIONED THE INSTRUCTION AND ATTEMPTED TO QUERY THE CTLR BUT DUE TO CONGESTION ON THE FREQ WERE UNABLE TO GET CLARIFICATION UNTIL WE WERE PAST THE INTENDED HOLDING FIX (CANNY). AN IMMEDIATE R TURN PLACED US BACK INTO HOLDING WITH NO APPARENT OR ADVERTISED PROB. THIS MISUNDERSTANDING OCCURRED IN MY OPINION DUE TO THE CTLR'S LACK OF A SPECIFIC HOLDING FIX. THIS WAS OCCURRING AT NIGHT IN ACUTE TSTM ACTIVITY AND CONTINUING CHANGING INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLRS WERE SATURATED AND THE FREQS WERE SATURATED. A QUICKER REALIZATION OF THE PROB ON OUR PART MAY HAVE ALLEVIATED THE SITUATION BUT WE WERE NEARLY ON TOP OF THE FIX WHEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED AND AT THAT TIME COM WITH THE CTLR WAS INHIBITED DUE TO CONGESTION.

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.