B737-300
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 224; Flight Crew Type 224
Time Pressure; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
Enroute to BWI during cruise we received instructions to hold at MRB. Workload in the cockpit was high at this moment as the First Officer and I were discussing the non-standard approach being used at BWI (VOR Runway 10) and whether we were authorized to actually utilize this approach along with other arrival considerations (aircraft had gone missed approach due to weather at the station). Holding instructions were received very late; just enough time to program the FMC before commencing the hold. We entered the hold west of MRB on the WESTMINSTER 6 Arrival. ATC intended us to hold east of MRB on the WESTMINSTER 6. ATC saw our initial turn and pointed this out. We continued the turn back to MRB; reprogrammed the FMC; and entered the hold east of MRB without further incident.
B737 Captain reports receiving a holding clearance to hold east of MRB; but a hold west is inadvertently entered into the FMC. ATC detects the error and the pattern is corrected.