Enroute controllers described an unsafe condition resulting from traffic being assigned non publishe...

Attributes
ACN	955493
Time
Date	201106
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.ARTCC
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Person 2
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

I was relieving the radar controller. During the recorded briefing; we noticed that a B747 was making a right turn in a hold instead of a left turn which was expected. The B747 was descending to 170; and a B737 was on a vector to the left of the aircraft holding for a major airport. That vector should have kept the aircraft separated laterally if the B747 pilot had made left turns in the hold. Instead; with the right turn made; the B737 needed a much bigger vector to the left. It was a confusing situation for the pilots and controllers because they had to hold at a random point instead of the published hold at the VOR due to weather. The radar controller had been working by himself and the traffic was more complex and unusual than it normally is with the same amount of planes on a night without weather. [I] recommend; when the weather is moving in at a major airport; start re-routing the arrivals to that airport to the west much earlier. That way; planes wouldn't get stuck holding on the east side of weather that is moving to the east.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Enroute Controllers described an unsafe condition resulting from traffic being assigned non published holding patterns and aircraft making wrong direction turns. The reporters recommended holding locations further out.

Narrative: I was relieving the RADAR Controller. During the recorded briefing; we noticed that a B747 was making a right turn in a hold instead of a left turn which was expected. The B747 was descending to 170; and a B737 was on a vector to the left of the aircraft holding for a major airport. That vector should have kept the aircraft separated laterally if the B747 pilot had made left turns in the hold. Instead; with the right turn made; the B737 needed a much bigger vector to the left. It was a confusing situation for the pilots and controllers because they had to hold at a random point instead of the published hold at the VOR due to weather. The RADAR Controller had been working by himself and the traffic was more complex and unusual than it normally is with the same amount of planes on a night without weather. [I] recommend; when the weather is moving in at a major airport; start re-routing the arrivals to that airport to the west much earlier. That way; planes wouldn't get stuck holding on the east side of weather that is moving to the east.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Enroute controllers described an unsafe condition resulting from traffic being assigned non published holding patterns and aircraft making wrong direction turns. The reporters recommended holding locations further out.