Narrative:

We were told to fly direct slt and cleared williamsport 1 arrival (fqm.fq2m1) to ewr. There were a lot first officer storms in the new york city area so there was a lot of holding instructions being given. I pulled out the new york city high area chart out to use from slt to ewr. Then we were given a clearance to hold at slt as published. I looked at the area chart at slt and due to the dim lighting in the cockpit, I did not see the small piece of the published hold over slt. The next published hold was at fqm with standard right holding. I entered slt on a standard right hold since I did not see the published left hold procedure over slt on the new york area chart. On my outbound heading, ZNY asked if I was I a r-hand holding pattern (when I was supposed to be in l-hand turns). I said es, and he told me it was a l-hand hold and to change to a l-hand hold over slt. We did that and the controller gave me the impression it was ok. Corrective action: on the new york area high chart, make the holding pattern more visible and obvious as to which way to hold at slt VOR. It is only a small piece of a holding pattern and can easily be missed. Also, I had put the high en route chart down since I was using the area chart. From now on, I will reference the en route chart which shows the entire holding pattern at slt VOR. Also, my copilot did have the en route hart out, but failed to tell me the published hold direction. I also should have asked ATC which way to hood when I did not see the published hold pattern instead of just using standard hold which I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 FLT AT FL270 IS TURNED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WHEN ADVISED TO HOLD AT SLT, PA.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO FLY DIRECT SLT AND CLRED WILLIAMSPORT 1 ARR (FQM.FQ2M1) TO EWR. THERE WERE A LOT FO STORMS IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA SO THERE WAS A LOT OF HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS BEING GIVEN. I PULLED OUT THE NEW YORK CITY HIGH AREA CHART OUT TO USE FROM SLT TO EWR. THEN WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO HOLD AT SLT AS PUBLISHED. I LOOKED AT THE AREA CHART AT SLT AND DUE TO THE DIM LIGHTING IN THE COCKPIT, I DID NOT SEE THE SMALL PIECE OF THE PUBLISHED HOLD OVER SLT. THE NEXT PUBLISHED HOLD WAS AT FQM WITH STANDARD R HOLDING. I ENTERED SLT ON A STANDARD R HOLD SINCE I DID NOT SEE THE PUBLISHED L HOLD PROC OVER SLT ON THE NEW YORK AREA CHART. ON MY OUTBOUND HDG, ZNY ASKED IF I WAS I A R-HAND HOLDING PATTERN (WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN L-HAND TURNS). I SAID ES, AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS A L-HAND HOLD AND TO CHANGE TO A L-HAND HOLD OVER SLT. WE DID THAT AND THE CTLR GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION IT WAS OK. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ON THE NEW YORK AREA HIGH CHART, MAKE THE HOLDING PATTERN MORE VISIBLE AND OBVIOUS AS TO WHICH WAY TO HOLD AT SLT VOR. IT IS ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF A HOLDING PATTERN AND CAN EASILY BE MISSED. ALSO, I HAD PUT THE HIGH ENRTE CHART DOWN SINCE I WAS USING THE AREA CHART. FROM NOW ON, I WILL REF THE ENRTE CHART WHICH SHOWS THE ENTIRE HOLDING PATTERN AT SLT VOR. ALSO, MY COPLT DID HAVE THE ENRTE HART OUT, BUT FAILED TO TELL ME THE PUBLISHED HOLD DIRECTION. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATC WHICH WAY TO HOOD WHEN I DID NOT SEE THE PUBLISHED HOLD PATTERN INSTEAD OF JUST USING STANDARD HOLD WHICH I DID.

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.