<< >> NASA ASRS Report 332830, April 1996

Late clearance to descend and hold. Aircraft unable to descend, slow and stay within parameters of holding pattern with late clearance.

Attributes
ACN	332830
Time
Date	199604
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : egtt airport : lhr
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lhr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 28000 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	332830
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 194 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	332685
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft being vectored by london control. Cleared to ock VOR and instructed to descend to 11000 ft. Several seconds later, london advised to expect approach clearance at XA42. No holding instructions or indications of holding had been communicated to us until this transmission. Aircraft was 9 mi from ock. Descending and slowing at the same time with a tailwind component of approximately 30+ KTS. Holding pattern limits were exceeded by approximately 4 mi (13 mi leg instead of 9 mi leg). Earlier notice of probable hold would have prevented the problem. (It is difficult to slow and descend at the same time.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE CLRNC TO DSND AND HOLD. ACFT UNABLE TO DSND, SLOW AND STAY WITHIN PARAMETERS OF HOLDING PATTERN WITH LATE CLRNC.

Narrative: ACFT BEING VECTORED BY LONDON CTL. CLRED TO OCK VOR AND INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 11000 FT. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, LONDON ADVISED TO EXPECT APCH CLRNC AT XA42. NO HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS OR INDICATIONS OF HOLDING HAD BEEN COMMUNICATED TO US UNTIL THIS XMISSION. ACFT WAS 9 MI FROM OCK. DSNDING AND SLOWING AT THE SAME TIME WITH A TAILWIND COMPONENT OF APPROX 30+ KTS. HOLDING PATTERN LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED BY APPROX 4 MI (13 MI LEG INSTEAD OF 9 MI LEG). EARLIER NOTICE OF PROBABLE HOLD WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB. (IT IS DIFFICULT TO SLOW AND DSND AT THE SAME TIME.)

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.