Narrative:

Location, 15 mi to approximately 100 mi east of lax, civet 1 approach. The civet 1 approach into lax previously was a profile descent. Now it is not clear as to what the bottom altitude is that the aircraft is cleared to descend to. The phraseology used by ATC is not the expected standardized phraseology as incorporated by dfw, ord, and the like. We are expecting a bottom altitude to maintain when being issued a STAR. I had some confusion with this STAR clearance without an altitude restr. I personally called lax on the telephone to express my confusion. He said that ZLA actually issues the arrival in coordination with lax approach control. This procedure should be changed back to a profile descent or have a hard bottom altitude(south). There was no ATC irregularity or violation in regard to this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC COMPLAINS THAT THE LAX CIVET 1 STAR IS NOT CLR AS TO THE BOTTOM ALT FOR DSCNT. ALSO, THE PHRASEOLOGY USED BY THE CTLRS IS NOT STANDARD.

Narrative: LOCATION, 15 MI TO APPROX 100 MI E OF LAX, CIVET 1 APCH. THE CIVET 1 APCH INTO LAX PREVIOUSLY WAS A PROFILE DSCNT. NOW IT IS NOT CLR AS TO WHAT THE BOTTOM ALT IS THAT THE ACFT IS CLRED TO DSND TO. THE PHRASEOLOGY USED BY ATC IS NOT THE EXPECTED STANDARDIZED PHRASEOLOGY AS INCORPORATED BY DFW, ORD, AND THE LIKE. WE ARE EXPECTING A BOTTOM ALT TO MAINTAIN WHEN BEING ISSUED A STAR. I HAD SOME CONFUSION WITH THIS STAR CLRNC WITHOUT AN ALT RESTR. I PERSONALLY CALLED LAX ON THE TELEPHONE TO EXPRESS MY CONFUSION. HE SAID THAT ZLA ACTUALLY ISSUES THE ARR IN COORD WITH LAX APCH CTL. THIS PROC SHOULD BE CHANGED BACK TO A PROFILE DSCNT OR HAVE A HARD BOTTOM ALT(S). THERE WAS NO ATC IRREGULARITY OR VIOLATION IN REGARD TO THIS MATTER.

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.