Flight of B777 to activate heading select mode to exit holding pattern at egll.

Attributes
ACN	672290
Time
Date	200509
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : egll.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	672290
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed jfk 45 mins late due to waiting for connecting passenger. There is a 2-MAN crew on a trans-atlantic all-nighter. As always; entered holding at bovingdon on the arrival to lhr; held for 1 or 2 turns; then cleared direct bovingdon; then departed on heading 170 degrees. Heading 170 degrees selected on the MCP; returned direct bovingdon via LNAV; with the intent of engaging heading select '170' on reaching the VOR. Note that the hold mode had already been exited by returning direct to the VOR. Flight conditions: high overcast but visual with lhr. Left the VOR on a heading that appeared to correspond with downwind for lhr. Unfortunately; this was heading of the inbound leg from the hold; having forgotten to press the 'heading select' button on VOR overflt. Caught and corrected quickly by ATC; but this mistake was directly attributable to fatigue; long flight; watched the sunrise; descended to a gray; lower light condition; automation working perfectly; everything pre-selected -- lulled to sleep!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT OF B777 TO ACTIVATE HDG SELECT MODE TO EXIT HOLDING PATTERN AT EGLL.

Narrative: DEPARTED JFK 45 MINS LATE DUE TO WAITING FOR CONNECTING PAX. THERE IS A 2-MAN CREW ON A TRANS-ATLANTIC ALL-NIGHTER. AS ALWAYS; ENTERED HOLDING AT BOVINGDON ON THE ARR TO LHR; HELD FOR 1 OR 2 TURNS; THEN CLRED DIRECT BOVINGDON; THEN DEPARTED ON HDG 170 DEGS. HDG 170 DEGS SELECTED ON THE MCP; RETURNED DIRECT BOVINGDON VIA LNAV; WITH THE INTENT OF ENGAGING HDG SELECT '170' ON REACHING THE VOR. NOTE THAT THE HOLD MODE HAD ALREADY BEEN EXITED BY RETURNING DIRECT TO THE VOR. FLT CONDITIONS: HIGH OVCST BUT VISUAL WITH LHR. LEFT THE VOR ON A HDG THAT APPEARED TO CORRESPOND WITH DOWNWIND FOR LHR. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS WAS HDG OF THE INBOUND LEG FROM THE HOLD; HAVING FORGOTTEN TO PRESS THE 'HDG SELECT' BUTTON ON VOR OVERFLT. CAUGHT AND CORRECTED QUICKLY BY ATC; BUT THIS MISTAKE WAS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO FATIGUE; LONG FLT; WATCHED THE SUNRISE; DSNDED TO A GRAY; LOWER LIGHT CONDITION; AUTOMATION WORKING PERFECTLY; EVERYTHING PRE-SELECTED -- LULLED TO SLEEP!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.