Narrative:

I was the first officer on air carrier flight xx in july 1989, flying a widebody transport. I was the pilot at the controls. We were in the approach portion of the flight, among scattered cumulus and thunderstorms, on autoplt, FMS 2-NAV and v-nav engaged, and level at 11,000', indicating 250 KTS, as assigned by approach control. We were sebnd on V-97 airway, about 30 mi northwest of krena intersection. We had been told by a previous center controller to expect no delays, and traffic seemed to be moving well. Approach control then gave the aircraft ahead of us holding instructions for krena intersection. That aircraft asked for right turns at krena vice the published left turns because of a thunderstorm cell. That request was granted. We verified the thunderstorm cell location on our radar and at that moment approach control issued us holding instructions for the krena intersection, as published, 11,000'. The captain requested right turns in the pattern due to the thunderstorm cell. The request was granted. I began slowing to holding speed. As the captain began entering the hold in the FMS, the aircraft ahead of us requested holding at popps intersection due to the cell at krena. That request was granted. We were by now about 20 mi from krena. The controller then assigned us holding at popps. We glanced at our charts, located popps on them, and the captain tried to enter it as a waypoint in the FMS. The FMS rejected it as 'not in data base'. By the time we determined the distance from the northbrook VOR to popps, and I switched to the VOR mode, we were 2-3 mi past popps. I began a right turn. At that point, the controller asked if we knew we were '5 miles' past popps. We told him we were in the turn. He then issued us a heading of 270 degree. We were turning through 180-190 degree. We complied, were soon vectored back toward ord, and continued on to land (without holding) without further problems. The problem arose, I feel from 3 factors: 1) late issuance of holding instructions for popps, 2) popps not programmed in the data base of our FMS, and 3) our dependence on FMS navigation and slow changeover to the navigation-VOR mode. The solutions: 1) we should have refused the late hold at popps and requested hold at krena or vectors, 2) controllers should avoid late/short notice holding, 3) our FMS data base should include most, if not all, potential holding fixes near airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER RECEIVING AIR HOLDING CLRNC REPORTER ACFT INADVERTENTLY OVERFLEW HOLDING FIX WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE SAME ON NAVIGATION CHART.

Narrative: I WAS THE F/O ON ACR FLT XX IN JULY 1989, FLYING A WDB. I WAS THE PLT AT THE CONTROLS. WE WERE IN THE APCH PORTION OF THE FLT, AMONG SCATTERED CUMULUS AND TSTMS, ON AUTOPLT, FMS 2-NAV AND V-NAV ENGAGED, AND LEVEL AT 11,000', INDICATING 250 KTS, AS ASSIGNED BY APCH CTL. WE WERE SEBND ON V-97 AIRWAY, ABOUT 30 MI NW OF KRENA INTXN. WE HAD BEEN TOLD BY A PREVIOUS CENTER CTLR TO EXPECT NO DELAYS, AND TFC SEEMED TO BE MOVING WELL. APCH CTL THEN GAVE THE ACFT AHEAD OF US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR KRENA INTXN. THAT ACFT ASKED FOR RIGHT TURNS AT KRENA VICE THE PUBLISHED LEFT TURNS BECAUSE OF A TSTM CELL. THAT REQUEST WAS GRANTED. WE VERIFIED THE TSTM CELL LOCATION ON OUR RADAR AND AT THAT MOMENT APCH CTL ISSUED US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE KRENA INTXN, AS PUBLISHED, 11,000'. THE CAPT REQUESTED RIGHT TURNS IN THE PATTERN DUE TO THE TSTM CELL. THE REQUEST WAS GRANTED. I BEGAN SLOWING TO HOLDING SPEED. AS THE CAPT BEGAN ENTERING THE HOLD IN THE FMS, THE ACFT AHEAD OF US REQUESTED HOLDING AT POPPS INTXN DUE TO THE CELL AT KRENA. THAT REQUEST WAS GRANTED. WE WERE BY NOW ABOUT 20 MI FROM KRENA. THE CTLR THEN ASSIGNED US HOLDING AT POPPS. WE GLANCED AT OUR CHARTS, LOCATED POPPS ON THEM, AND THE CAPT TRIED TO ENTER IT AS A WAYPOINT IN THE FMS. THE FMS REJECTED IT AS 'NOT IN DATA BASE'. BY THE TIME WE DETERMINED THE DISTANCE FROM THE NORTHBROOK VOR TO POPPS, AND I SWITCHED TO THE VOR MODE, WE WERE 2-3 MI PAST POPPS. I BEGAN A RIGHT TURN. AT THAT POINT, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE KNEW WE WERE '5 MILES' PAST POPPS. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE IN THE TURN. HE THEN ISSUED US A HDG OF 270 DEG. WE WERE TURNING THROUGH 180-190 DEG. WE COMPLIED, WERE SOON VECTORED BACK TOWARD ORD, AND CONTINUED ON TO LAND (WITHOUT HOLDING) WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM AROSE, I FEEL FROM 3 FACTORS: 1) LATE ISSUANCE OF HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR POPPS, 2) POPPS NOT PROGRAMMED IN THE DATA BASE OF OUR FMS, AND 3) OUR DEPENDENCE ON FMS NAVIGATION AND SLOW CHANGEOVER TO THE NAV-VOR MODE. THE SOLUTIONS: 1) WE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE LATE HOLD AT POPPS AND REQUESTED HOLD AT KRENA OR VECTORS, 2) CTLRS SHOULD AVOID LATE/SHORT NOTICE HOLDING, 3) OUR FMS DATA BASE SHOULD INCLUDE MOST, IF NOT ALL, POTENTIAL HOLDING FIXES NEAR ARPTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.