Pilot confused by 3 differnet runway changes headed for the wrong fix.

Attributes
ACN	311534
Time
Date	199507
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	311534
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X on civit arrival to land lax to west. We were first given runway 25L. Then we were given runway 24R, then we were given runway 24L. Confusion on our part arose because controller first cleared us to intercept runway 25L localizer and then cleared us to denay cleared runway 24R ILS. There is a downy intersection on the runway 25L localizer and denay intersection is on the runway 24R localizer. We were shot gunned the runway changes very quickly. I looked for denay and came up with downy -- fortunately the controller caught my error on the readback. The human factors issues of giving RNAV direct to clrncs to intxns with very similar sounding names should be obvious. Many crews arrive tired and english may not be their first language. One of these similar names for intxns needs to be replaced!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CONFUSED BY 3 DIFFERNET RWY CHANGES HEADED FOR THE WRONG FIX.

Narrative: ACR X ON CIVIT ARR TO LAND LAX TO W. WE WERE FIRST GIVEN RWY 25L. THEN WE WERE GIVEN RWY 24R, THEN WE WERE GIVEN RWY 24L. CONFUSION ON OUR PART AROSE BECAUSE CTLR FIRST CLRED US TO INTERCEPT RWY 25L LOC AND THEN CLRED US TO DENAY CLRED RWY 24R ILS. THERE IS A DOWNY INTXN ON THE RWY 25L LOC AND DENAY INTXN IS ON THE RWY 24R LOC. WE WERE SHOT GUNNED THE RWY CHANGES VERY QUICKLY. I LOOKED FOR DENAY AND CAME UP WITH DOWNY -- FORTUNATELY THE CTLR CAUGHT MY ERROR ON THE READBACK. THE HUMAN FACTORS ISSUES OF GIVING RNAV DIRECT TO CLRNCS TO INTXNS WITH VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING NAMES SHOULD BE OBVIOUS. MANY CREWS ARRIVE TIRED AND ENGLISH MAY NOT BE THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. ONE OF THESE SIMILAR NAMES FOR INTXNS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED!

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.