Narrative:

Cleared to hold on J208 on liberty RO55/30, 20 mi legs, right turns with a 30 min efc. Wind was out of the northwest at 60 KTS. After hitting the holding fix and making the initial entry, the captain put in about 10 degrees drift correction. He also had me tune the #2 radio to rdu to monitor the holding fix crossing radial off rdu. On the inbound leg the DME started to decrease at a very slow rate after about 15 DME. Evidently we were being carried off desired track by the drift more than anticipated because we ended up past the VOR and recognized the error about the same time center called and advised us of the deviation. The problem was a combination of factors, including a poor selection of the holding fix by ATC, wind from the direction and velocity to compound the problem, holding on the side that wind could affect the error the most before being noticed by the crew. If we had held with left turns we would have been more aware of the drift problem. Since it was our initial turn in the pattern, we assumed there was no traffic conflict. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter counseled reference the aim suggestion to double the drift on the inbound ldg. He pointed out they were on the initial turn in the pattern and had not established the drift. Have to agree with his point reference they should have been holding on the upwind side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO REMAIN IN CONFINES OF HOLDING ACCOUNT 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND AND HOLDING DOWNWIND.

Narrative: CLRED TO HOLD ON J208 ON LIBERTY RO55/30, 20 MI LEGS, RIGHT TURNS WITH A 30 MIN EFC. WIND WAS OUT OF THE NW AT 60 KTS. AFTER HITTING THE HOLDING FIX AND MAKING THE INITIAL ENTRY, THE CAPT PUT IN ABOUT 10 DEGS DRIFT CORRECTION. HE ALSO HAD ME TUNE THE #2 RADIO TO RDU TO MONITOR THE HOLDING FIX XING RADIAL OFF RDU. ON THE INBND LEG THE DME STARTED TO DECREASE AT A VERY SLOW RATE AFTER ABOUT 15 DME. EVIDENTLY WE WERE BEING CARRIED OFF DESIRED TRACK BY THE DRIFT MORE THAN ANTICIPATED BECAUSE WE ENDED UP PAST THE VOR AND RECOGNIZED THE ERROR ABOUT THE SAME TIME CENTER CALLED AND ADVISED US OF THE DEVIATION. THE PROB WAS A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, INCLUDING A POOR SELECTION OF THE HOLDING FIX BY ATC, WIND FROM THE DIRECTION AND VELOCITY TO COMPOUND THE PROB, HOLDING ON THE SIDE THAT WIND COULD AFFECT THE ERROR THE MOST BEFORE BEING NOTICED BY THE CREW. IF WE HAD HELD WITH LEFT TURNS WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE DRIFT PROB. SINCE IT WAS OUR INITIAL TURN IN THE PATTERN, WE ASSUMED THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR COUNSELED REF THE AIM SUGGESTION TO DOUBLE THE DRIFT ON THE INBND LDG. HE POINTED OUT THEY WERE ON THE INITIAL TURN IN THE PATTERN AND HAD NOT ESTABLISHED THE DRIFT. HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIS POINT REF THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOLDING ON THE UPWIND SIDE.

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