A LR55 first officer selected the FMS 'hold' button putting the aircraft into holding 20 NM from the...

Attributes
ACN	796411
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 55
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	796411
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were #2 for the GPS approach. The controller gave us a hold at the IAF. I was flying toward the fix and slowed down to minimize the hold. I was about 23 mi FMS distance from the fix. The first officer started entering the hold at the GPS fix. All of a sudden the airplane started turning to the right. I thought at the time that it was turning into the hold. I questioned the first officer as to why the airplane was turning as I disconnected the autoplt and kept the airplane flying straight. We argued as to where the aircraft was. He said it was over the IAF. I said we were still 20 mi away. He said the FMS said the aircraft was over the fix. I looked down and the FMS showed from the IAF and to the next fix on the approach. I thought that I must have been misreading the earlier FMS distance into the hold. The controller then asked us what we were doing. We told him we were holding but he said we were still 20 mi from the fix. He then gave us vectors. I reset the FMS and we verified multiple times up to the approach with the controller the bearing and distance from the IAF and then shot the approach with no further incident. I was not sure what happened because it didn't make sense until I questioned the first officer as to what he did and later looked in the FMS manual. I also could not verify the fix because it was a GPS fix with no other ways to identify. Anyways after investigation; I found out that the first officer did not enter a hold but reset the position of the FMS. I found out you can do this by using the hold button without selecting a specific fix. The next time I get a situation where there is a discrepancy as to our location with no means of verifying it by other navigation; I am going to verify with the radar controller. I also recommended to the company that they do more training in the use of the FMS and more specifically how to enter a hold because for this model of FMS it can cause you real problems if you do not know how.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LR55 FO SELECTED THE FMS 'HOLD' BUTTON PUTTING THE ACFT INTO HOLDING 20 NM FROM THE ASSIGNED HOLD. THE CONFUSED CREW DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE BUTTON'S FUNCTION.

Narrative: WE WERE #2 FOR THE GPS APCH. THE CTLR GAVE US A HOLD AT THE IAF. I WAS FLYING TOWARD THE FIX AND SLOWED DOWN TO MINIMIZE THE HOLD. I WAS ABOUT 23 MI FMS DISTANCE FROM THE FIX. THE FO STARTED ENTERING THE HOLD AT THE GPS FIX. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIRPLANE STARTED TURNING TO THE R. I THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS TURNING INTO THE HOLD. I QUESTIONED THE FO AS TO WHY THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNING AS I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND KEPT THE AIRPLANE FLYING STRAIGHT. WE ARGUED AS TO WHERE THE ACFT WAS. HE SAID IT WAS OVER THE IAF. I SAID WE WERE STILL 20 MI AWAY. HE SAID THE FMS SAID THE ACFT WAS OVER THE FIX. I LOOKED DOWN AND THE FMS SHOWED FROM THE IAF AND TO THE NEXT FIX ON THE APCH. I THOUGHT THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN MISREADING THE EARLIER FMS DISTANCE INTO THE HOLD. THE CTLR THEN ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE HOLDING BUT HE SAID WE WERE STILL 20 MI FROM THE FIX. HE THEN GAVE US VECTORS. I RESET THE FMS AND WE VERIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES UP TO THE APCH WITH THE CTLR THE BEARING AND DISTANCE FROM THE IAF AND THEN SHOT THE APCH WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE UNTIL I QUESTIONED THE FO AS TO WHAT HE DID AND LATER LOOKED IN THE FMS MANUAL. I ALSO COULD NOT VERIFY THE FIX BECAUSE IT WAS A GPS FIX WITH NO OTHER WAYS TO IDENT. ANYWAYS AFTER INVESTIGATION; I FOUND OUT THAT THE FO DID NOT ENTER A HOLD BUT RESET THE POS OF THE FMS. I FOUND OUT YOU CAN DO THIS BY USING THE HOLD BUTTON WITHOUT SELECTING A SPECIFIC FIX. THE NEXT TIME I GET A SITUATION WHERE THERE IS A DISCREPANCY AS TO OUR LOCATION WITH NO MEANS OF VERIFYING IT BY OTHER NAV; I AM GOING TO VERIFY WITH THE RADAR CTLR. I ALSO RECOMMENDED TO THE COMPANY THAT THEY DO MORE TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE FMS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY HOW TO ENTER A HOLD BECAUSE FOR THIS MODEL OF FMS IT CAN CAUSE YOU REAL PROBS IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW.

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.

A LR55 first officer selected the FMS 'hold' button putting the aircraft into holding 20 NM from the assigned hold. The confused crew did not understand the button's function.