Narrative:

On nanci 2 arrival approximately 5 NM southwest dupont VOR at FL260. ATC gave hold 55 NM southwest dupont, 15 mi legs, expect further clearance at 0010. We were at 250 KTS and wanted to confirm our hold point 50 mi behind us. Center was very busy with holding instructions for all traffic into ZNY. Controller was rattled and losing patience with a air carrier who had trouble receiving the center. Controller was told his xmissions were breaking up. He said he was on his third set of radios and for us to write FAA, NTSB and congress to get some radios that weren't 20 yrs old. We heard controller's xmissions ok, but weren't able to confirm clearance. I made a left turn back to 55 mi fix to enter holding and ATC cleared us to descend to FL250. First officer read back altitude change and dialed in new altitude on autoplt MCP. We started down at about 100 FPM. When we had turned 180 degrees, controller asked if we were at FL250, and first officer said no, that we were descending. Controller asked first officer if first officer had read back altitude change, and first officer said that he thought so. Controller told us we were at same altitude as an aircraft 6 mi from us, and to turn right to approximately 350 degrees, while he told other aircraft to turn to the southeast. We had only descended about 300' when this happened. Before our right turn was completed, we were told to turn left. About this time, a new controller took over as noted by change in voice. New controller told us to make a right turn out of holding pattern--that we were in by now, to join nanci 2 arrival. He then cancelled that and told us to turn left and hold, whereupon he cancelled the hold and told us to just join the nanci arrival. The first officer did have a chance to confirm our original holding instructions with first controller, and asked him if he realized the fix was behind us. Controller said he knew it. The large transport is run by a computer that has to be reprogrammed when ATC changes the route already in the computer when a fix has been passed, especially a holding fix. The workload in the cockpit for the PNF, the first officer in this case, to reprogram the computer doubles and makes it difficult to monitor radios, the airplane, read back clrncs, etc. Suggest ATC plan ahead better for holding large #'south of aircraft before they get to holding fix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOLDING CLRNC ISSUED TO A POINT BEHIND ACFT CURRENT POSITION. CONFLICT AIRBORNE LESS SEVERE DUE TO CONFUSION OVER DESCENT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON NANCI 2 ARR APPROX 5 NM SW DUPONT VOR AT FL260. ATC GAVE HOLD 55 NM SW DUPONT, 15 MI LEGS, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AT 0010. WE WERE AT 250 KTS AND WANTED TO CONFIRM OUR HOLD POINT 50 MI BEHIND US. CENTER WAS VERY BUSY WITH HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL TFC INTO ZNY. CTLR WAS RATTLED AND LOSING PATIENCE WITH A ACR WHO HAD TROUBLE RECEIVING THE CENTER. CTLR WAS TOLD HIS XMISSIONS WERE BREAKING UP. HE SAID HE WAS ON HIS THIRD SET OF RADIOS AND FOR US TO WRITE FAA, NTSB AND CONGRESS TO GET SOME RADIOS THAT WEREN'T 20 YRS OLD. WE HEARD CTLR'S XMISSIONS OK, BUT WEREN'T ABLE TO CONFIRM CLRNC. I MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TO 55 MI FIX TO ENTER HOLDING AND ATC CLRED US TO DSND TO FL250. F/O READ BACK ALT CHANGE AND DIALED IN NEW ALT ON AUTOPLT MCP. WE STARTED DOWN AT ABOUT 100 FPM. WHEN WE HAD TURNED 180 DEGS, CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE AT FL250, AND F/O SAID NO, THAT WE WERE DSNDING. CTLR ASKED F/O IF F/O HAD READ BACK ALT CHANGE, AND F/O SAID THAT HE THOUGHT SO. CTLR TOLD US WE WERE AT SAME ALT AS AN ACFT 6 MI FROM US, AND TO TURN RIGHT TO APPROX 350 DEGS, WHILE HE TOLD OTHER ACFT TO TURN TO THE SE. WE HAD ONLY DSNDED ABOUT 300' WHEN THIS HAPPENED. BEFORE OUR RIGHT TURN WAS COMPLETED, WE WERE TOLD TO TURN LEFT. ABOUT THIS TIME, A NEW CTLR TOOK OVER AS NOTED BY CHANGE IN VOICE. NEW CTLR TOLD US TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OUT OF HOLDING PATTERN--THAT WE WERE IN BY NOW, TO JOIN NANCI 2 ARR. HE THEN CANCELLED THAT AND TOLD US TO TURN LEFT AND HOLD, WHEREUPON HE CANCELLED THE HOLD AND TOLD US TO JUST JOIN THE NANCI ARR. THE F/O DID HAVE A CHANCE TO CONFIRM OUR ORIGINAL HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH FIRST CTLR, AND ASKED HIM IF HE REALIZED THE FIX WAS BEHIND US. CTLR SAID HE KNEW IT. THE LGT IS RUN BY A COMPUTER THAT HAS TO BE REPROGRAMMED WHEN ATC CHANGES THE ROUTE ALREADY IN THE COMPUTER WHEN A FIX HAS BEEN PASSED, ESPECIALLY A HOLDING FIX. THE WORKLOAD IN THE COCKPIT FOR THE PNF, THE F/O IN THIS CASE, TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER DOUBLES AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MONITOR RADIOS, THE AIRPLANE, READ BACK CLRNCS, ETC. SUGGEST ATC PLAN AHEAD BETTER FOR HOLDING LARGE #'S OF ACFT BEFORE THEY GET TO HOLDING FIX.

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.