Narrative:

While descending to 10000 ft from rab VOR in IMC on the ILS DME arc runway 1 at gua; we decided to enter the depicted holding pattern at the aur 067/7 (the IAF) because the WX was reported at 200 broken; 50 ft below minimums. The captain (PF) attempted to insert the holding pattern into the FMC. The missed approach holding pattern is already in the box (raymo) so he hit next hold (runway 6L) and inserted the point from the legs page (D067G). After pressing enter; the holding pattern did not show up on the map (as if nothing was ever input); so I decided to help out and let the captain fly. I proceeded to enter the holding pattern exactly as the captain did; again confirming direction and radial; etc. When I hit the enter key; both navigation displays lost all points on the map. The FMC's were completely void of information as if sitting at the gate. This happened about 2 mi from the holding fix. Only because I heard captain tell the story of how the exact same thing happened to him; did I know that the FMC's had just dumped everything. The captain did an excellent job entering the holding pattern with the VOR radial tuned in manually and timing for distance. Meanwhile; I went straight to the route page where the origination and destination boxes were blank. Meanwhile; we are trying to get an update on the WX; which had improved enough to shoot the approach. We shot the approach and landed uneventfully. I could have reloaded the zero fuel weight but I did not realize that all of the weight and balance data was also missing. I ended up putting in vref manually on final; when the captain asked for it. Bottom line here is there is a software glitch on this approach and it needs to be taken care of. This is not the first time it has happened. Being IMC in mountainous terrain at night is no fun on a good day. Luckily; I was flying with a great captain; but it could have been different. Flying with no points on your map presentation while executing a holding pattern with heading select; trying to reload an FMC and hearing '2500' on the radar altimeter will get your attention. Let's not make anyone else endure this again. Especially if they are unaware. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has returned to mggt since the incident described and has attempted to enter a hold at this point with the same results. He believes that the B737 ng with the smiths FMC and the current data base will lock up every time a hold is entered using D067G as the holding point. Using place/bearing/distance namely aur/067/7 will allow the hold to be entered at the desired fix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 NG FLT CREW REPORTS FMC DUMP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HOLDING PATTERN IN TO THE FMC ARRIVING MGGT.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TO 10000 FT FROM RAB VOR IN IMC ON THE ILS DME ARC RWY 1 AT GUA; WE DECIDED TO ENTER THE DEPICTED HOLDING PATTERN AT THE AUR 067/7 (THE IAF) BECAUSE THE WX WAS RPTED AT 200 BROKEN; 50 FT BELOW MINIMUMS. THE CAPT (PF) ATTEMPTED TO INSERT THE HOLDING PATTERN INTO THE FMC. THE MISSED APCH HOLDING PATTERN IS ALREADY IN THE BOX (RAYMO) SO HE HIT NEXT HOLD (RWY 6L) AND INSERTED THE POINT FROM THE LEGS PAGE (D067G). AFTER PRESSING ENTER; THE HOLDING PATTERN DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE MAP (AS IF NOTHING WAS EVER INPUT); SO I DECIDED TO HELP OUT AND LET THE CAPT FLY. I PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE HOLDING PATTERN EXACTLY AS THE CAPT DID; AGAIN CONFIRMING DIRECTION AND RADIAL; ETC. WHEN I HIT THE ENTER KEY; BOTH NAV DISPLAYS LOST ALL POINTS ON THE MAP. THE FMC'S WERE COMPLETELY VOID OF INFO AS IF SITTING AT THE GATE. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE HOLDING FIX. ONLY BECAUSE I HEARD CAPT TELL THE STORY OF HOW THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM; DID I KNOW THAT THE FMC'S HAD JUST DUMPED EVERYTHING. THE CAPT DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ENTERING THE HOLDING PATTERN WITH THE VOR RADIAL TUNED IN MANUALLY AND TIMING FOR DISTANCE. MEANWHILE; I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE RTE PAGE WHERE THE ORIGINATION AND DEST BOXES WERE BLANK. MEANWHILE; WE ARE TRYING TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE WX; WHICH HAD IMPROVED ENOUGH TO SHOOT THE APCH. WE SHOT THE APCH AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I COULD HAVE RELOADED THE ZERO FUEL WT BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THAT ALL OF THE WT AND BAL DATA WAS ALSO MISSING. I ENDED UP PUTTING IN VREF MANUALLY ON FINAL; WHEN THE CAPT ASKED FOR IT. BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THERE IS A SOFTWARE GLITCH ON THIS APCH AND IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. BEING IMC IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT NIGHT IS NO FUN ON A GOOD DAY. LUCKILY; I WAS FLYING WITH A GREAT CAPT; BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. FLYING WITH NO POINTS ON YOUR MAP PRESENTATION WHILE EXECUTING A HOLDING PATTERN WITH HDG SELECT; TRYING TO RELOAD AN FMC AND HEARING '2500' ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER WILL GET YOUR ATTN. LET'S NOT MAKE ANYONE ELSE ENDURE THIS AGAIN. ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE UNAWARE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER HAS RETURNED TO MGGT SINCE THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED AND HAS ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A HOLD AT THIS POINT WITH THE SAME RESULTS. HE BELIEVES THAT THE B737 NG WITH THE SMITHS FMC AND THE CURRENT DATA BASE WILL LOCK UP EVERY TIME A HOLD IS ENTERED USING D067G AS THE HOLDING POINT. USING PLACE/BEARING/DISTANCE NAMELY AUR/067/7 WILL ALLOW THE HOLD TO BE ENTERED AT THE DESIRED FIX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.