B757-200 ENTERS THE HOLDING PATTERN AT ARNES INTXN WITH A R TURN AS PER THE FMC DATABASE AS SELECTED BY THE FLC. THE 'PUBLISHED' PATTERN CALLS FOR A L TURN ENTRY. APCH CTLR CATCHES THEIR ERROR AND GIVES THEM A NEW HDG FOR THE L PATTERN. RPTRS CITE COMPANY POLICY OF ENTERING STANDARD R-HAND TURNS FOR ARR WAYPOINTS IN THE DATABASE; EVEN IF NOT CORRECT.

Date: 1997-08 · Aircraft: B757-200

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|other-unspecified

Synopsis

B757-200 ENTERS THE HOLDING PATTERN AT ARNES INTXN WITH A R TURN AS PER THE FMC DATABASE AS SELECTED BY THE FLC. THE 'PUBLISHED' PATTERN CALLS FOR A L TURN ENTRY. APCH CTLR CATCHES THEIR ERROR AND GIVES THEM A NEW HDG FOR THE L PATTERN. RPTRS CITE COMPANY POLICY OF ENTERING STANDARD R-HAND TURNS FOR ARR WAYPOINTS IN THE DATABASE; EVEN IF NOT CORRECT.

Narrative

CLRED FOR CIVET 1 ARR AND IN CONTACT WITH SOCAL/LAX APCH FLT WAS 2 MI E OF ARNES AT 12000 FT ASSIGNED BY ATC. CTLR TOLD FLT TO HOLD AT ARNES AS PUBLISHED AS EMER WAS IN PROGRESS AT LAX AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT UNTIL EAC OF AM48Z. FO PROGRAMMED FMC'S FOR ARNES HOLDING BY LINE SELECTING THE ARNES WAYPOINT TO THE SCRATCHPAD AND LNDG IT IN THE HOLD PAGE. THE HOLDING PATTERN DEPICTED ON THE CRT SHOWED A STANDARD HOLDING PATTERN AND BECAUSE OF THE SHORT DISTANCE TO THE FIX; THE ACFT ENTERED THE HOLDING PATTERN WHILE BEING SLOWED TO HOLDING SPD OF 210 KTS. AS THE R- HAND TURN WAS COMMENCED; BOTH PLTS NOTICED AND COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT THE PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN SHOWED L- HAND TURNS AND AS COMS WITH APCH CTL WERE ABOUT TO ADDRESS THE WRONG TURN; THE CTLR TOLD THE FLT THAT THE HOLDING PATTERN WAS L TURNS AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN FOR A VECTOR BACK TO THE HOLDING FIX (ARNES) TO RE-ENTER THE PATTERN WITHOUT COMMENT. SINCE ALL MISSED APCH HOLDING PATTERNS IN THE FMC DATABASE SHOW THE CORRECT PATTERN TURN WHEN THE ARNES WAYPOINT WAS SELECTED ON THE HOLD PAGE; AND DUE TO THE CLOSENESS OF THE FIX WHEN THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED; THE CREW PRESUPPOSED THAT THE DEPICTED PATTERN TURNS WERE CORRECT AND THE FMS EXECUTED SAME UNTIL THE HOLDING PATTERN WAS XCHKED WITH THE PUBLISHED ARR PAGE. APPARENTLY; THE HOLDING PATTERNS FOR ARR WAYPOINTS ARE NOT STORED IN THE DATABASE AS PUBLISHED BUT AS STANDARD PATTERNS; THUS MAKING CONFIRMATION WITH THE COMMERCIAL CHART'S PUBLISHED ARR MANDATORY. THIS IS CONTRARY TO THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH HOLDING PATTERNS DEPICTED IN THE DATABASE WHICH SHOW THE PROPER TURN FOR THE DEPICTED PATTERN. ONE CANNOT ASSUME THAT ALL WAYPOINTS IN THE FMC DATABASE WITH AN ASSOCIATED HOLDING PATTERN WILL SHOW THE CORRECT PATTERN TURNS AND THEREFORE MUST BE VERIFIED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 378491: I WENT TO THE HOLD PAGE AND PROCEEDED TO PAGE 2. I ENTERED OUR HOLD INSTRUCTIONS AND EXECUTED. BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY AT ARNES; I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT THE APCH SHEET IN THE CLIP ON THE WINDOW. BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR HOLDING PROCS ARE DEPICTED CORRECTLY; I ASSUMED THE STANDARD PROC OF R TURNS WAS CORRECT.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.