INBOUND TO MSP; FLT CREW OF CL65 PROGRAMMED HOLDING PATTERN FOR R TURNS VICE L AS CLRED AND PUBLISHED.
Synopsis
INBOUND TO MSP; FLT CREW OF CL65 PROGRAMMED HOLDING PATTERN FOR R TURNS VICE L AS CLRED AND PUBLISHED.
Narrative
ON A FLT FROM THE EAST COAST TO MSP; WX WAS CLR (NO ALTERNATE). MSP APCH WAS HOLDING OVER EAU FOR TFC SATURATION AND WE WERE GIVEN AN EFC OF APPROX 35 MINS OF HOLDING OVER EAU. I; THE CAPT; WAS FLYING WHILE MY FO COPIED DOWN THE HOLDING CLRNC FROM APCH CTL. BECAUSE I WAS MENTALLY CALCULATING FUEL BURNS AND FLYING THE ACFT; I DID NOT HEAR OR COPY THE CLRNC MYSELF. MY FO PROGRAMMED THE HOLD CLRNC INTO THE FMS HOLD PAGE AS COPIED DOWN FROM APCH. PRIOR TO EXECUTING THE HOLD; MY FO WENT OVER THE HOLD WITH ME AND WE CONFIRMED THE INBOUND COURSE; R TURNS AND THE PROPER LEG LENGTH AND EFC. THIS IS WHERE THE ERROR WAS MADE; SOMEHOW WE MISSED THAT THE HOLD OVER EAU WAS ACTUALLY L TURNS. MY FO ASSUMED THAT WHEN A HOLD WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE FMS THAT IT AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED THE PROPER TURN. APCH ASKED US IF WE WERE IN A R TURN. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE; AND WERE INFORMED THAT THE HOLD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE L TURNS. APCH THEN CONTINUED US IN A R TURN AND GAVE US A HDG TO HOLD AS AN OUTBOUND LEG. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ERROR HAPPENING WAS SOME COMPLACENCY ON THE PART OF MY FO; THINKING THE FMS ENTERED HOLD DIRECTIONS AUTOMATICALLY. ALSO; ON MY PART FOR TRUSTING THE HOLD WAS ENTERED CORRECTLY AND FOR NOT LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT THE HOLD ENTERED; AS WELL AS BOTH MYSELF AND FO COPYING DOWN THE HOLD CLRNC TOGETHER IN ORDER TO CATCH ANY DISCREPANCY THAT THERE MIGHT BE. SOME ADDITIONAL FACTORS AFFECTING OUR FLT WAS THE FACT THAT FUEL WAS A BIG CONCERN AS WE DID NOT HAVE AN ALTERNATE AND IMMEDIATE PLANNING HAD TO BE MADE TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE COULD ACCEPT A HOLD BASED ON OUR FUEL TO LAND WITH ADEQUATE RESERVES OR IF A DIVERSION WOULD BE NECESSARY. CONTRIBUTING WERE HIGHER THAN FORECAST HEADWINDS WHILE FLYING FROM THE E TO THE W. THIS; IN PART; CONFLICTED WITH PROPERLY COPYING AND ENTERING THE HOLD INTO THE FMS PAGE AND VERIFYING THE HOLD CORRECTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 626345: SINCE THE CLRNC WAS 'HOLD AS PUBLISHED; I ASSUMED THAT THE FMS DATABASE WOULD HAVE IN IT ALREADY THE CORRECT ENTRY AND DIRECTION OF TURNS PROGRAMMED 'AS PUBLISHED.' SINCE THE INCIDENT; I HAVE POINTED OUT THE FMS HOLDING PAGE TO A COUPLE OF CO-WORKERS; AND NOT VERY SURPRISINGLY THEY ASSUMED THE SAME THING AS I DID BEFORE MY INCIDENT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.