Narrative:

Flying from lax-dtw, we were routed to fly a southern arrival through fort wayne/indianapolis. Center rerouted up through mke and polar arrival up north about kansas city. Line of thunderstorms had developed going through dtw and closed the airport as we reached lake michigan going into muskeegan. Issued holding instructions as published at geiber intersection around muskeegan - 100 KT tailwind from west. Captain was talking to dispatch to work out holding delay and possible diversion along with many other aircraft. Flight engineer talking to dtw, getting ATIS, etc, checking holding speed in manual, aircraft on autoplt, clearance to descend from FL330 and hold. I was talking to center and flying. INS's on waypoint transferred automatic from mkg to geiber intersection on the polar arrival during all the work and transferred past geiber to the 54 DME fix on the arrival. I noticed we had gone by the holding fix about 7/8 mi past with the heavy tailwind amounted to less than a min. At that time center called to ask if we were turning and said to turn to 70 degrees and start the turn now, which we (I) did. I hesitated for a little bit in turning back to approximately 270 degrees on the downwind leg of the holding pattern. I wasn't sure if center wanted me on that heading or to enter the pattern then. I continued the turn around at 25 degree bank on the autoplt and was slowed to about 260 KTS for holding speed. Center called back asking if we knew where we were and that we were 20 mi past geiber. I said yes at which time the captain had completed his discussion with dispatch and returned to the center radios. I also stated that we were headed on a downwind course to intercept of approximately 270 degrees having completed the turn. We reentered the pattern, did another turn in holding and made an uneventful approach/landing to dtw. The 5 min before geiber got very busy. Everyone was doing something. Center could have issued holding instruction much earlier. Captain/flight engineer could have helped the initial entry into holding. The large tailwind kept the gndspd high. Many things were happening at once. The waypoint at geiber went by quickly in the process without us/me noticing it until a few mi past with the wind and confusion with ATC blew us approximately 20 mi past before completing the turn into the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN WDB FAILED TO ENTER HOLDING AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC DUE TO BEING BLOWN PAST FIX BY HIGH WINDS.

Narrative: FLYING FROM LAX-DTW, WE WERE ROUTED TO FLY A SOUTHERN ARR THROUGH FORT WAYNE/INDIANAPOLIS. CTR REROUTED UP THROUGH MKE AND POLAR ARR UP N ABOUT KANSAS CITY. LINE OF TSTMS HAD DEVELOPED GOING THROUGH DTW AND CLOSED THE ARPT AS WE REACHED LAKE MICHIGAN GOING INTO MUSKEEGAN. ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AS PUBLISHED AT GEIBER INTXN AROUND MUSKEEGAN - 100 KT TAILWIND FROM W. CAPT WAS TALKING TO DISPATCH TO WORK OUT HOLDING DELAY AND POSSIBLE DIVERSION ALONG WITH MANY OTHER ACFT. FE TALKING TO DTW, GETTING ATIS, ETC, CHKING HOLDING SPD IN MANUAL, ACFT ON AUTOPLT, CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL330 AND HOLD. I WAS TALKING TO CTR AND FLYING. INS'S ON WAYPOINT TRANSFERRED AUTO FROM MKG TO GEIBER INTXN ON THE POLAR ARR DURING ALL THE WORK AND TRANSFERRED PAST GEIBER TO THE 54 DME FIX ON THE ARR. I NOTICED WE HAD GONE BY THE HOLDING FIX ABOUT 7/8 MI PAST WITH THE HVY TAILWIND AMOUNTED TO LESS THAN A MIN. AT THAT TIME CTR CALLED TO ASK IF WE WERE TURNING AND SAID TO TURN TO 70 DEGS AND START THE TURN NOW, WHICH WE (I) DID. I HESITATED FOR A LITTLE BIT IN TURNING BACK TO APPROX 270 DEGS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE HOLDING PATTERN. I WASN'T SURE IF CTR WANTED ME ON THAT HDG OR TO ENTER THE PATTERN THEN. I CONTINUED THE TURN AROUND AT 25 DEG BANK ON THE AUTOPLT AND WAS SLOWED TO ABOUT 260 KTS FOR HOLDING SPD. CTR CALLED BACK ASKING IF WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE AND THAT WE WERE 20 MI PAST GEIBER. I SAID YES AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT HAD COMPLETED HIS DISCUSSION WITH DISPATCH AND RETURNED TO THE CTR RADIOS. I ALSO STATED THAT WE WERE HEADED ON A DOWNWIND COURSE TO INTERCEPT OF APPROX 270 DEGS HAVING COMPLETED THE TURN. WE REENTERED THE PATTERN, DID ANOTHER TURN IN HOLDING AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH/LNDG TO DTW. THE 5 MIN BEFORE GEIBER GOT VERY BUSY. EVERYONE WAS DOING SOMETHING. CTR COULD HAVE ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTION MUCH EARLIER. CAPT/FE COULD HAVE HELPED THE INITIAL ENTRY INTO HOLDING. THE LARGE TAILWIND KEPT THE GNDSPD HIGH. MANY THINGS WERE HAPPENING AT ONCE. THE WAYPOINT AT GEIBER WENT BY QUICKLY IN THE PROCESS WITHOUT US/ME NOTICING IT UNTIL A FEW MI PAST WITH THE WIND AND CONFUSION WITH ATC BLEW US APPROX 20 MI PAST BEFORE COMPLETING THE TURN INTO THE PATTERN.

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