Narrative:

Location: capat intersection. On descent to gru approximately 10 mi east of capat intersection, curitiba center cleared us to after capat direct cpn VOR. 3 mi prior to capat descending through FL200 for FL150 we were issued a hold at capat as published. We were doing 320 KTS and saw no published holding pattern. I asked several times on what radial we were to hold on and were told as published. The international officer who was flying immediately started to slow down and turn back to capat intersection. I knew that there were 2 different arrs over capat intersection depicting hold, but they were not on our clearance, and they were on different radials. Needless to say we were never in the holding pattern of either one. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a B767-300. He was west of the capat intersection when told to hold but only 3 or 4 mi. The indicated air speed was 340 KIAS. Therefore, by the time the speed brakes were extended and the left turn commenced they were already by capat. The controller provided a vector prior to becoming established in any holding pattern. The reporter stated he had a total time of about 13800 hours, 300 hours in the last 90 days and about 2400 hours in the B767 in the last 4 yrs. The reporter stated capat is the known handoff point from center to terminal arrival facility. The reporter could not think of anything he would do next time to avoid the late and ambiguous holding instruction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC WAS GIVEN AN AMBIGUOUS AND LATE HOLDING CLRNC. THE INSTRUCTION WAS TO HOLD CAPAT AS PUBLISHED L TURNS. THERE ARE 2 PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERNS AT CAPAT INTXN EACH ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFERENT ARR. THE RPTR WAS NOT ON EITHER OF THE ARRS. THE RPTR COMMENCED A L TURN AND FORTUNATELY WAS GIVEN VECTORS BEFORE BECOMING ESTABLISHED IN ANY HOLDING PATTERN.

Narrative: LOCATION: CAPAT INTXN. ON DSCNT TO GRU APPROX 10 MI E OF CAPAT INTXN, CURITIBA CTR CLRED US TO AFTER CAPAT DIRECT CPN VOR. 3 MI PRIOR TO CAPAT DSNDING THROUGH FL200 FOR FL150 WE WERE ISSUED A HOLD AT CAPAT AS PUBLISHED. WE WERE DOING 320 KTS AND SAW NO PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN. I ASKED SEVERAL TIMES ON WHAT RADIAL WE WERE TO HOLD ON AND WERE TOLD AS PUBLISHED. THE INTL OFFICER WHO WAS FLYING IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND TURN BACK TO CAPAT INTXN. I KNEW THAT THERE WERE 2 DIFFERENT ARRS OVER CAPAT INTXN DEPICTING HOLD, BUT THEY WERE NOT ON OUR CLRNC, AND THEY WERE ON DIFFERENT RADIALS. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE NEVER IN THE HOLDING PATTERN OF EITHER ONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A B767-300. HE WAS W OF THE CAPAT INTXN WHEN TOLD TO HOLD BUT ONLY 3 OR 4 MI. THE INDICATED AIR SPD WAS 340 KIAS. THEREFORE, BY THE TIME THE SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED AND THE L TURN COMMENCED THEY WERE ALREADY BY CAPAT. THE CTLR PROVIDED A VECTOR PRIOR TO BECOMING ESTABLISHED IN ANY HOLDING PATTERN. THE RPTR STATED HE HAD A TOTAL TIME OF ABOUT 13800 HRS, 300 HRS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND ABOUT 2400 HRS IN THE B767 IN THE LAST 4 YRS. THE RPTR STATED CAPAT IS THE KNOWN HDOF POINT FROM CTR TO TERMINAL ARR FACILITY. THE RPTR COULD NOT THINK OF ANYTHING HE WOULD DO NEXT TIME TO AVOID THE LATE AND AMBIGUOUS HOLDING INSTRUCTION.

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.