Narrative:

I was the first officer/PF on a part 121 air carrier flight from las to lax. While on the civet one arrival we were told we were cleared for the ILS runway 25L approach into lax after passing arnes intersection. Arriving at arnes on profile, I did not have my approach plate out, thus I asked my captain, 'what altitude are we good to go down to?' he advised, '301 ft.' I asked, 'no, what is our step-down altitude?' he said, 'I don't know what you want. We're cleared for the approach, the GS and localizer are centered, you're good to 301 ft.' he set 300 ft in the altitude selector window. I descended, following the GS. At approximately 7400 ft, ATC queried us on our altitude. We were chastised for crossing fuelr intersection too low. According to the approach plate, we were supposed to cross the intersection at 8000 ft. I feel that it is dangerous to clear an aircraft for an ILS 33 mi out, with the GS centered, without maybe giving a hint to clarify the procedure. After landing, the captain called approach control on the telephone. The controller advised him that a report on the incident would be forwarded to the local FSDO, along with dozens of others which have occurred within the last couple of days! I've talked to other pilots at my company who have been given the same clearance and took the same action, (following the GS at arnes), with no comment from controllers. The controller my captain talked to said that the terminology for giving the clearance has been wrong, and the procedure is scheduled to change tonight. If so many well- educated and trained airline pilots are getting turned into the FSDO, at random, this appears to be a procedure that needed to be changed last night, before the 'trap' had a chance to catch me!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR JET ON CIVET ARR CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25L APCH. FO FLYING INTERCEPTED THE GS AND DSNDED PER THE GS INDICATIONS. FO DIDN'T HAVE APCH PLATE OUT AND ASKED CAPT ABOUT ALTS AND WAS TOLD JUST FOLLOW THE GS. APCH CTLR CHASTISED THE FLC FOR XING FUELR 500 FT LOW. CAPT, LATER TOLD HE WOULD BE TURNED INTO FSDO FOR THE ALT BUST.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO/PF ON A PART 121 ACR FLT FROM LAS TO LAX. WHILE ON THE CIVET ONE ARR WE WERE TOLD WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25L APCH INTO LAX AFTER PASSING ARNES INTXN. ARRIVING AT ARNES ON PROFILE, I DID NOT HAVE MY APCH PLATE OUT, THUS I ASKED MY CAPT, 'WHAT ALT ARE WE GOOD TO GO DOWN TO?' HE ADVISED, '301 FT.' I ASKED, 'NO, WHAT IS OUR STEP-DOWN ALT?' HE SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. WE'RE CLRED FOR THE APCH, THE GS AND LOC ARE CTRED, YOU'RE GOOD TO 301 FT.' HE SET 300 FT IN THE ALT SELECTOR WINDOW. I DSNDED, FOLLOWING THE GS. AT APPROX 7400 FT, ATC QUERIED US ON OUR ALT. WE WERE CHASTISED FOR XING FUELR INTXN TOO LOW. ACCORDING TO THE APCH PLATE, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CROSS THE INTXN AT 8000 FT. I FEEL THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO CLR AN ACFT FOR AN ILS 33 MI OUT, WITH THE GS CTRED, WITHOUT MAYBE GIVING A HINT TO CLARIFY THE PROC. AFTER LNDG, THE CAPT CALLED APCH CTL ON THE TELEPHONE. THE CTLR ADVISED HIM THAT A RPT ON THE INCIDENT WOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE LCL FSDO, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF OTHERS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS! I'VE TALKED TO OTHER PLTS AT MY COMPANY WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SAME CLRNC AND TOOK THE SAME ACTION, (FOLLOWING THE GS AT ARNES), WITH NO COMMENT FROM CTLRS. THE CTLR MY CAPT TALKED TO SAID THAT THE TERMINOLOGY FOR GIVING THE CLRNC HAS BEEN WRONG, AND THE PROC IS SCHEDULED TO CHANGE TONIGHT. IF SO MANY WELL- EDUCATED AND TRAINED AIRLINE PLTS ARE GETTING TURNED INTO THE FSDO, AT RANDOM, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROC THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED LAST NIGHT, BEFORE THE 'TRAP' HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH ME!

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.