Narrative:

3 mins prior to top of descent, captain had to leave flight deck to attend to physiologic needs. First officer was PF for leg and had civet arrival programmed in FMS prior to captain leaving. He had not selected the runway at that time. When captain returned, aircraft was passing FL280 to make 140a180b at civet, LNAV/VNAV was in use. We were centered on localizer course on 109.9, but first officer had not selected either HSI to 'ILS' mode so as to receive DME and neither VOR was in manual -- total reliance on the 'magic.' captain briefly selected ILS and verified DME/localizer centered and was occupied in completing approach setup in FMS, getting ATIS, planning descent check and briefing the approach for first officer. First officer was behind and not catching up. Sequence in FMS programming was selecting runway 25L, LNAV direct downe, then back to departure/arrival page to reselect runway 25L, civet, arnes transition. This dropped downe as active waypoint, and started jet in turn back to arnes. First officer did not have localizer selected!? Lax approach gave a turn to 220 degree to rejoin runway 25L localizer. That's when captain noted first officer's state of 'behindness,' and talked him through the steps necessary to complete approach 'raw data.' after that, there was barely enough time to complete the checklists, brief the approach, and get the jet on the ground. First officer has erroneously selected approach prior to 10 DME, per NOTAMS when instruction had been select localizer and got low (as a consequence of that) by 200 ft at hunda (1 DOT low). Captain was task saturated as well, trying to support first officer and not take the aircraft or take us out of sequence since many passenger had tight international connections (already 30 mins late). That was the captain's mistake, although we pulled it out this time. But boy, it was not pretty!! Captain and first officer were both under 100 hours and new to jet -- played some part in events described.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757, CIVET STAR LAX, FO, PF, FAILED TO SELECT RWY IN USE. CAPT SELECTED RWY 25L AFTER FO HAD SET UP LNAV DIRECT DOWNE. WHEN CAPT SELECTED RWY 25L FMC, THE ACFT STARTED 180 DEGS TO RETURN TO ARNES. CAPT REALIZED FO WAS BEHIND ACFT AND MANAGED TO REPROGRAM AND COMPLETE CHKLIST FOR A SUCCESSFUL LNDG.

Narrative: 3 MINS PRIOR TO TOP OF DSCNT, CAPT HAD TO LEAVE FLT DECK TO ATTEND TO PHYSIOLOGIC NEEDS. FO WAS PF FOR LEG AND HAD CIVET ARR PROGRAMMED IN FMS PRIOR TO CAPT LEAVING. HE HAD NOT SELECTED THE RWY AT THAT TIME. WHEN CAPT RETURNED, ACFT WAS PASSING FL280 TO MAKE 140A180B AT CIVET, LNAV/VNAV WAS IN USE. WE WERE CTRED ON LOC COURSE ON 109.9, BUT FO HAD NOT SELECTED EITHER HSI TO 'ILS' MODE SO AS TO RECEIVE DME AND NEITHER VOR WAS IN MANUAL -- TOTAL RELIANCE ON THE 'MAGIC.' CAPT BRIEFLY SELECTED ILS AND VERIFIED DME/LOC CTRED AND WAS OCCUPIED IN COMPLETING APCH SETUP IN FMS, GETTING ATIS, PLANNING DSCNT CHK AND BRIEFING THE APCH FOR FO. FO WAS BEHIND AND NOT CATCHING UP. SEQUENCE IN FMS PROGRAMMING WAS SELECTING RWY 25L, LNAV DIRECT DOWNE, THEN BACK TO DEP/ARR PAGE TO RESELECT RWY 25L, CIVET, ARNES TRANSITION. THIS DROPPED DOWNE AS ACTIVE WAYPOINT, AND STARTED JET IN TURN BACK TO ARNES. FO DID NOT HAVE LOC SELECTED!? LAX APCH GAVE A TURN TO 220 DEG TO REJOIN RWY 25L LOC. THAT'S WHEN CAPT NOTED FO'S STATE OF 'BEHINDNESS,' AND TALKED HIM THROUGH THE STEPS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE APCH 'RAW DATA.' AFTER THAT, THERE WAS BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE THE CHKLISTS, BRIEF THE APCH, AND GET THE JET ON THE GND. FO HAS ERRONEOUSLY SELECTED APCH PRIOR TO 10 DME, PER NOTAMS WHEN INSTRUCTION HAD BEEN SELECT LOC AND GOT LOW (AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT) BY 200 FT AT HUNDA (1 DOT LOW). CAPT WAS TASK SATURATED AS WELL, TRYING TO SUPPORT FO AND NOT TAKE THE ACFT OR TAKE US OUT OF SEQUENCE SINCE MANY PAX HAD TIGHT INTL CONNECTIONS (ALREADY 30 MINS LATE). THAT WAS THE CAPT'S MISTAKE, ALTHOUGH WE PULLED IT OUT THIS TIME. BUT BOY, IT WAS NOT PRETTY!! CAPT AND FO WERE BOTH UNDER 100 HRS AND NEW TO JET -- PLAYED SOME PART IN EVENTS DESCRIBED.

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.