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This air carrier flight crew on a B737-400 overshot their holding fix due to a mistake in programming their FMS. An alert controller corrected them.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 425445 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ard |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 425445 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 425453 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In a descent with a tailwind, proceeding from one hold to another holding pattern, we were called by ATC as being beyond (passed) our holding fix. As we passed over yardley (our holding fix), I noticed that the aircraft was 80 degrees into a turn in the wrong direction, so I turned the heading bug back to the right 180 degrees. The combination of the tailwind and the limited bank of turn resulted in our apparently proceeding too far north of our holding fix (yardley) for comfort for the air traffic controller. The controller gave us a vector off to the west and said that we had violated our cleared airspace, and that we were going to be vectored back around to continue our route. It is my assumption that this problem was the result of an improperly programmed holding pattern into the FMC by the flight crew (wrong direction of turn), or possibly confusion on my part as to which holding pattern instructions we were following. We were both very busy at this time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THIS ACR FLC ON A B737-400 OVERSHOT THEIR HOLDING FIX DUE TO A MISTAKE IN PROGRAMMING THEIR FMS. AN ALERT CTLR CORRECTED THEM.
Narrative: IN A DSCNT WITH A TAILWIND, PROCEEDING FROM ONE HOLD TO ANOTHER HOLDING PATTERN, WE WERE CALLED BY ATC AS BEING BEYOND (PASSED) OUR HOLDING FIX. AS WE PASSED OVER YARDLEY (OUR HOLDING FIX), I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS 80 DEGS INTO A TURN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, SO I TURNED THE HDG BUG BACK TO THE R 180 DEGS. THE COMBINATION OF THE TAILWIND AND THE LIMITED BANK OF TURN RESULTED IN OUR APPARENTLY PROCEEDING TOO FAR N OF OUR HOLDING FIX (YARDLEY) FOR COMFORT FOR THE AIR TFC CTLR. THE CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR OFF TO THE W AND SAID THAT WE HAD VIOLATED OUR CLRED AIRSPACE, AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE VECTORED BACK AROUND TO CONTINUE OUR RTE. IT IS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THIS PROB WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPROPERLY PROGRAMMED HOLDING PATTERN INTO THE FMC BY THE FLC (WRONG DIRECTION OF TURN), OR POSSIBLY CONFUSION ON MY PART AS TO WHICH HOLDING PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS WE WERE FOLLOWING. WE WERE BOTH VERY BUSY AT THIS 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.