Medium large transport enters hold turning wrong direction.

Attributes
ACN	308750
Time
Date	199506
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ape
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	308750
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Due to ATC delays into dtw due to WX, our flight was given clearance to hold south on the 180 degree radial of appleton VOR. Direction of turns in holding not specified. Captain made nonstandard left turn entering hold. As I realized captain was turning left, ATC asked which way we were turning. I told captain twice to turn right. He said tell them (ATC) I'm turning left, I'm already in left turn. I told ATC we were turning left. ATC told us to turn right. Then immediately changed his mind. Said to continue left. Different controller advised us to resume holding turning right. ATC did not mention conflicts or make an issue of the event. I was taken by surprise by the left turn at the holding fix. The captain did not discuss entry procedure prior to holding. As I told the captain to turn right, I'm not sure what else I could have done given the circumstances. If the captain was unsure of which way to turn. He should have discussed it with me or ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ENTERS HOLD TURNING WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: DUE TO ATC DELAYS INTO DTW DUE TO WX, OUR FLT WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO HOLD S ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL OF APPLETON VOR. DIRECTION OF TURNS IN HOLDING NOT SPECIFIED. CAPT MADE NONSTANDARD L TURN ENTERING HOLD. AS I REALIZED CAPT WAS TURNING L, ATC ASKED WHICH WAY WE WERE TURNING. I TOLD CAPT TWICE TO TURN R. HE SAID TELL THEM (ATC) I'M TURNING L, I'M ALREADY IN L TURN. I TOLD ATC WE WERE TURNING L. ATC TOLD US TO TURN R. THEN IMMEDIATELY CHANGED HIS MIND. SAID TO CONTINUE L. DIFFERENT CTLR ADVISED US TO RESUME HOLDING TURNING R. ATC DID NOT MENTION CONFLICTS OR MAKE AN ISSUE OF THE EVENT. I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THE L TURN AT THE HOLDING FIX. THE CAPT DID NOT DISCUSS ENTRY PROC PRIOR TO HOLDING. AS I TOLD THE CAPT TO TURN R, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF THE CAPT WAS UNSURE OF WHICH WAY TO TURN. HE SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED IT WITH ME OR ATC.

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.