Narrative:

Flight from iah to ewr. Assigned holding at rbv at 8000 ft. First officer flying aircraft. I brought the offset inbound radius to the first officer's attention, but did not mention the r-hand pattern. First officer set up FMC with l-hand turns -- I did not catch his error. ATC had said hold as depicted. Upon reaching rbv, we turned left into holding instead of turning right as depicted. ATC called us after about 90 degrees of turn and instructed us to continue left turn and return to rbv and enter r-hand pattern, which we did. There were no conflicts with other aircraft. After holding, flight continued to ewr. Remainder of flight was uneventful. Factors which contributed to this mistake include fatigue and cockpit distrs. The error occurred at the end of a 12 hour duty day which included departure delays, holding (2 hours 30 mins) due to WX at ewr, and a divert to iad for fuel. My monitoring of the first officer flying was interrupted at low altitude by calls to the company, PA's and copying ATIS that would normally have been done earlier, but due to the short flight, were being done as we entered hold. I did not properly monitor and back up the first officer. What I did on this flight I have done many times before without a problem, but in the future I will not be distraction during critical phases of flight like entering holding. It may have been helpful had the ATC controller stated r-hand pattern rather than 'as depicted,' although he is not required to do so. Supplemental information from acn 500360: also we held with left turns earlier (all other holds on the arrival are left turns except rbv).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A B737-500 ENTERED ARR HOLDING PATTERN WITH WRONG DIRECTION TURNS. ARTCC CTLR NOTICED THE MISTAKE AND ALERTED FLC.

Narrative: FLT FROM IAH TO EWR. ASSIGNED HOLDING AT RBV AT 8000 FT. FO FLYING ACFT. I BROUGHT THE OFFSET INBOUND RADIUS TO THE FO'S ATTN, BUT DID NOT MENTION THE R-HAND PATTERN. FO SET UP FMC WITH L-HAND TURNS -- I DID NOT CATCH HIS ERROR. ATC HAD SAID HOLD AS DEPICTED. UPON REACHING RBV, WE TURNED L INTO HOLDING INSTEAD OF TURNING R AS DEPICTED. ATC CALLED US AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGS OF TURN AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE L TURN AND RETURN TO RBV AND ENTER R-HAND PATTERN, WHICH WE DID. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT. AFTER HOLDING, FLT CONTINUED TO EWR. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MISTAKE INCLUDE FATIGUE AND COCKPIT DISTRS. THE ERROR OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY WHICH INCLUDED DEP DELAYS, HOLDING (2 HRS 30 MINS) DUE TO WX AT EWR, AND A DIVERT TO IAD FOR FUEL. MY MONITORING OF THE FO FLYING WAS INTERRUPTED AT LOW ALT BY CALLS TO THE COMPANY, PA'S AND COPYING ATIS THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN DONE EARLIER, BUT DUE TO THE SHORT FLT, WERE BEING DONE AS WE ENTERED HOLD. I DID NOT PROPERLY MONITOR AND BACK UP THE FO. WHAT I DID ON THIS FLT I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE WITHOUT A PROB, BUT IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT BE DISTR DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT LIKE ENTERING HOLDING. IT MAY HAVE BEEN HELPFUL HAD THE ATC CTLR STATED R-HAND PATTERN RATHER THAN 'AS DEPICTED,' ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500360: ALSO WE HELD WITH L TURNS EARLIER (ALL OTHER HOLDS ON THE ARR ARE L TURNS EXCEPT RBV).

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.