After being cleared to enter a hold on a VOR-DME fix, reporter was confused on the fix location and ...

Attributes
ACN	333380
Time
Date	199604
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise 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 : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	333380
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flying from mia to ewr. We had been delayed in mia over 2 hours due to WX in the ny area. We were given instructions to enter our second hold. I, the captain, copied the holding instructions. I was confused about the holding fix, and after ATC made xmissions to several other aircraft I was able to get in to query them. ATC restated the fix as a DME. I do not believe they gave the fix, but I could be mistaken. We were flying the WARRD4 arrival into ewr and assumed it was on that radial. The fix was 30 DME north. After some discussion with the first officer we determined the fix to be the davie intersection. I then asked ATC if that was true and he stated he did not know. We then determined this was incorrect. It was 30 DME from the previous intersection. We then looked at our DME and they showed us a 29 DME. Unfortunately our aircraft does not always use the VOR we would choose. To select a specific VOR we need to move our navigation selector from its normal position to VOR and tune it in. I previously flew the B727. In this aircraft we would have the VOR for the route flown tuned. In the glass cockpit the computer selects the VOR it believes is the best. Shortly after we discovered our error and began a turn ATC questioned our position. I stated we were in the turn. At this time we were 48 DME, 18 DME north of our fix. This problem was caused by our lack of checking the vors for their proper selection. In this aircraft we only tune vors for approachs. We also can program the INS to hold at a specific point. There are several drawbacks to this system. It will not accept a DME fix if it is at the same location as a named fix. If davie was 30 DME from the VOR, you could not enter 30 DME. This was the reason we entered davie instead 30 DME, even though they were not collocated. It will also not accept a point behind you, which at this time, was the case. I have only been flying this aircraft for several months. I try to use the electronics as much as possible. This is a case where it would have been better to revert to the B727 style of flying -- do it all manually.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER BEING CLRED TO ENTER A HOLD ON A VOR-DME FIX, RPTR WAS CONFUSED ON THE FIX LOCATION AND NOT VERY EXPERIENCED IN GLASS ACFT. CONSEQUENTLY, INSTEAD OF MANUALLY SELECTING THE VORS AND FLYING AS IN A CONVENTIONAL, NON GLASS ACFT, THE FLC WAS NOT ONLY NOT SURE WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD, BUT ALSO NOT SURE HOW TO SET IT UP.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM MIA TO EWR. WE HAD BEEN DELAYED IN MIA OVER 2 HRS DUE TO WX IN THE NY AREA. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER OUR SECOND HOLD. I, THE CAPT, COPIED THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THE HOLDING FIX, AND AFTER ATC MADE XMISSIONS TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT I WAS ABLE TO GET IN TO QUERY THEM. ATC RESTATED THE FIX AS A DME. I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY GAVE THE FIX, BUT I COULD BE MISTAKEN. WE WERE FLYING THE WARRD4 ARR INTO EWR AND ASSUMED IT WAS ON THAT RADIAL. THE FIX WAS 30 DME N. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE FO WE DETERMINED THE FIX TO BE THE DAVIE INTXN. I THEN ASKED ATC IF THAT WAS TRUE AND HE STATED HE DID NOT KNOW. WE THEN DETERMINED THIS WAS INCORRECT. IT WAS 30 DME FROM THE PREVIOUS INTXN. WE THEN LOOKED AT OUR DME AND THEY SHOWED US A 29 DME. UNFORTUNATELY OUR ACFT DOES NOT ALWAYS USE THE VOR WE WOULD CHOOSE. TO SELECT A SPECIFIC VOR WE NEED TO MOVE OUR NAV SELECTOR FROM ITS NORMAL POS TO VOR AND TUNE IT IN. I PREVIOUSLY FLEW THE B727. IN THIS ACFT WE WOULD HAVE THE VOR FOR THE RTE FLOWN TUNED. IN THE GLASS COCKPIT THE COMPUTER SELECTS THE VOR IT BELIEVES IS THE BEST. SHORTLY AFTER WE DISCOVERED OUR ERROR AND BEGAN A TURN ATC QUESTIONED OUR POS. I STATED WE WERE IN THE TURN. AT THIS TIME WE WERE 48 DME, 18 DME N OF OUR FIX. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BY OUR LACK OF CHKING THE VORS FOR THEIR PROPER SELECTION. IN THIS ACFT WE ONLY TUNE VORS FOR APCHS. WE ALSO CAN PROGRAM THE INS TO HOLD AT A SPECIFIC POINT. THERE ARE SEVERAL DRAWBACKS TO THIS SYS. IT WILL NOT ACCEPT A DME FIX IF IT IS AT THE SAME LOCATION AS A NAMED FIX. IF DAVIE WAS 30 DME FROM THE VOR, YOU COULD NOT ENTER 30 DME. THIS WAS THE REASON WE ENTERED DAVIE INSTEAD 30 DME, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT COLLOCATED. IT WILL ALSO NOT ACCEPT A POINT BEHIND YOU, WHICH AT THIS TIME, WAS THE CASE. I HAVE ONLY BEEN FLYING THIS ACFT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I TRY TO USE THE ELECTRONICS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS A CASE WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO REVERT TO THE B727 STYLE OF FLYING -- DO IT ALL MANUALLY.

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.