Narrative:

We were cleared a civet 1 arrival to lax. The arrival ends at arnes at 10000 ft with the note 'expect ILS approach.' we were switched to approach control around arnes. There was an aircraft coming back to land after takeoff and thus the frequency was congested. We were blocked on several attempts to contact approach control and were unable to check in. We continued our descent meeting the altitude constraints for ILS runway 25L. Somewhere after 'fuelr,' approach control called us and told us to leveloff at 7000 ft and that we were only cleared to 10000 ft. The question is, 'if you are unable to contact approach control, are you in a lost communication situation?' if you leveloff at arnes, you very quickly find yourself too high to land. Do you fly all the way to the airport at 10000 ft or do you fly the ILS approach? Is frequency congestion a legitimate lost communication situation? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter sent 2 captain reports to his company questioning the procedure, but as yet, no answer. He was not sure what was his clearance limit because the civet 1 arrival ends at arnes with a note to 'expect ILS approach.' the reporter thought that perhaps when unable to obtain approach clearance prior to arnes and if it was a clearance limit, then he should enter holding as depicted on the chart. To clarify, the socal approach controller supervisor was contacted and he said that the aircraft was cleared to the airport as part of the original clearance and that the arrival is not a clearance limit. Also, that the aircraft must maintain the last assigned altitude and, if approach controller messes up and doesn't give the approach clearance, then the aircraft is expected to maintain altitude and continue inbound on the localizer course. The supervisor said that the aircraft definitely should not enter holding, but continue inbound at the last assigned altitude.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ CONGESTION. COMMENCED APCH WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED A CIVET 1 ARR TO LAX. THE ARR ENDS AT ARNES AT 10000 FT WITH THE NOTE 'EXPECT ILS APCH.' WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL AROUND ARNES. THERE WAS AN ACFT COMING BACK TO LAND AFTER TKOF AND THUS THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED. WE WERE BLOCKED ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT APCH CTL AND WERE UNABLE TO CHK IN. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT MEETING THE ALT CONSTRAINTS FOR ILS RWY 25L. SOMEWHERE AFTER 'FUELR,' APCH CTL CALLED US AND TOLD US TO LEVELOFF AT 7000 FT AND THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE QUESTION IS, 'IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO CONTACT APCH CTL, ARE YOU IN A LOST COM SIT?' IF YOU LEVELOFF AT ARNES, YOU VERY QUICKLY FIND YOURSELF TOO HIGH TO LAND. DO YOU FLY ALL THE WAY TO THE ARPT AT 10000 FT OR DO YOU FLY THE ILS APCH? IS FREQ CONGESTION A LEGITIMATE LOST COM SIT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SENT 2 CAPT RPTS TO HIS COMPANY QUESTIONING THE PROC, BUT AS YET, NO ANSWER. HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT WAS HIS CLRNC LIMIT BECAUSE THE CIVET 1 ARR ENDS AT ARNES WITH A NOTE TO 'EXPECT ILS APCH.' THE RPTR THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS WHEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN APCH CLRNC PRIOR TO ARNES AND IF IT WAS A CLRNC LIMIT, THEN HE SHOULD ENTER HOLDING AS DEPICTED ON THE CHART. TO CLARIFY, THE SOCAL APCH CTLR SUPVR WAS CONTACTED AND HE SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO THE ARPT AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND THAT THE ARR IS NOT A CLRNC LIMIT. ALSO, THAT THE ACFT MUST MAINTAIN THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT AND, IF APCH CTLR MESSES UP AND DOESN'T GIVE THE APCH CLRNC, THEN THE ACFT IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN ALT AND CONTINUE INBOUND ON THE LOC COURSE. THE SUPVR SAID THAT THE ACFT DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT ENTER HOLDING, BUT CONTINUE INBOUND AT THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT.

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.