Narrative:

Flight was operating from charlotte, nc to lax, with the final portion of the routing filed as tnp J10 lax. We had previously programmed the FMC with the restrictions of the reedr 2 arrival, since it corresponded with the filed routing. At a point very close to civet intersection (neither of us is absolutely clear as to the exact point), we received a clearance from ATC (ZLA) that we recalled to be, 'descend to 14000' cleared civet 2 profile descent, delete restrictions west of civet.' things got very busy in the cockpit getting out the civet 2 profile descent page, looking at what was set in the FMC and flying the aircraft. At this point we were apparently very confused as to what we were supposed to be doing and did not realize it. The aircraft leveled off at 14000' and continued on the J10 routing. When we looked at the procedure we realized that there was confusion as to what restrictions were to be deleted. As I recall, we asked for verification of the clearance, but even then some confusion existed as to what altitude we were supposed to be at and at what point. The end result was that we ended up at 14000', well beyond civet and close to fuelr intersection. At this point the controller began to query as to what we were doing. He subsequently vectored us off to the south and around to the east for reentry into the traffic flow. It was difficult even after we landed to reconstruct what had happened. We were confused for a time, but did not realize that we were confused. Then when we realized that perhaps we were confused with the clearance, the situation got worse in a hurry. Neither of us was very familiar with the lax area procedures and had not flown that particular arrival before. I am not even clear enough on what caused the situation to even suggest a correction. We were just suddenly very busy flying the aircraft, clearing outside (VFR WX), getting out charts, looking at the FMC and talking to each other, as well as the controller. It just seemed that we received the clearance at the last possible moment before civet, and were not prepared for it. During the subsequent vectoring, the controller questioned us as to what we thought we were supposed to do, but we were still involved in figuring out what had happened and still keeping up with where we were being vectored. The controller worked very well with the situation. Supplemental information from acn 164626: we were cleared the civet 2 profile descent to runway 25, maintain 14000', delete restrictions west of civet and cross fuelr at 8000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION UNDERSHOT ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION ON PROFILE DESCENT TO LAX.

Narrative: FLT WAS OPERATING FROM CHARLOTTE, NC TO LAX, WITH THE FINAL PORTION OF THE RTING FILED AS TNP J10 LAX. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY PROGRAMMED THE FMC WITH THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE REEDR 2 ARR, SINCE IT CORRESPONDED WITH THE FILED RTING. AT A POINT VERY CLOSE TO CIVET INTXN (NEITHER OF US IS ABSOLUTELY CLR AS TO THE EXACT POINT), WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ATC (ZLA) THAT WE RECALLED TO BE, 'DSND TO 14000' CLRED CIVET 2 PROFILE DSNT, DELETE RESTRICTIONS W OF CIVET.' THINGS GOT VERY BUSY IN THE COCKPIT GETTING OUT THE CIVET 2 PROFILE DSNT PAGE, LOOKING AT WHAT WAS SET IN THE FMC AND FLYING THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE APPARENTLY VERY CONFUSED AS TO WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND DID NOT REALIZE IT. THE ACFT LEVELED OFF AT 14000' AND CONTINUED ON THE J10 RTING. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE PROC WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHAT RESTRICTIONS WERE TO BE DELETED. AS I RECALL, WE ASKED FOR VERIFICATION OF THE CLRNC, BUT EVEN THEN SOME CONFUSION EXISTED AS TO WHAT ALT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT AND AT WHAT POINT. THE END RESULT WAS THAT WE ENDED UP AT 14000', WELL BEYOND CIVET AND CLOSE TO FUELR INTXN. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR BEGAN TO QUERY AS TO WHAT WE WERE DOING. HE SUBSEQUENTLY VECTORED US OFF TO THE S AND AROUND TO THE E FOR REENTRY INTO THE TFC FLOW. IT WAS DIFFICULT EVEN AFTER WE LANDED TO RECONSTRUCT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE WERE CONFUSED FOR A TIME, BUT DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WERE CONFUSED. THEN WHEN WE REALIZED THAT PERHAPS WE WERE CONFUSED WITH THE CLRNC, THE SITUATION GOT WORSE IN A HURRY. NEITHER OF US WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LAX AREA PROCS AND HAD NOT FLOWN THAT PARTICULAR ARR BEFORE. I AM NOT EVEN CLR ENOUGH ON WHAT CAUSED THE SITUATION TO EVEN SUGGEST A CORRECTION. WE WERE JUST SUDDENLY VERY BUSY FLYING THE ACFT, CLRING OUTSIDE (VFR WX), GETTING OUT CHARTS, LOOKING AT THE FMC AND TALKING TO EACH OTHER, AS WELL AS THE CTLR. IT JUST SEEMED THAT WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT BEFORE CIVET, AND WERE NOT PREPARED FOR IT. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT VECTORING, THE CTLR QUESTIONED US AS TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT WE WERE STILL INVOLVED IN FIGURING OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND STILL KEEPING UP WITH WHERE WE WERE BEING VECTORED. THE CTLR WORKED VERY WELL WITH THE SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 164626: WE WERE CLRED THE CIVET 2 PROFILE DSNT TO RWY 25, MAINTAIN 14000', DELETE RESTRICTIONS W OF CIVET AND CROSS FUELR AT 8000'.

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