Narrative:

On approach to lax early am. WX, overcast layer, tops at 2000 ft, VFR above. On sadde 6 arrival to lax at filmore told to expect ILS runway 24R. Crew briefed approach. 5 mins later told to expect ILS runway 25L. Crew briefed approach. 2 mins later told to expect ILS runway 24R. Again, crew briefed approach. Soon thereafter told to expect ILS runway 25L again. Crew briefed approach. Assigned vector to intercept ILS runway 25L at 2500 ft. Intercepted and descended at GS intercept. At approximately 1800-2000 ft approach control instructed immediate turn to 360 degrees climb to 2000 ft, followed moments later by a right turn to 130 degree vector. Crew read back all altitude and heading assignments and complied. While passing 360 degrees crew began to question 130 degree heading as that would be a vector back into approach traffic. Crew slowed rate of turn and tried to contact approach. Due to heavy frequency congestion contact was not made until heading 100 degrees. Approach now assigned left to 030 degrees and climb to 2200 ft. Crew received vectors to ILS runway 24R approach to land. Aircraft was VFR and had all approaching traffic in sight during vectors. To this day it is unknown whether crew was switched to runway 24R for the 5TH time and missed it, or approach thought they had switched us and actually had not or crew left in wrong frequency (for runway 25L when cleared to runway 24R). Also confusion with 030 degrees and 130 degree heading between crew and ATC and the delay for verification complicated matters. This situation may have been avoided with separate approach frequencys for north and south complexes at lax to decrease frequency saturation and/or better planning on approach sequencing so that excessive runway approach shifting does not occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO'S RPT ON MULTIPLE RWY CHANGES WHILE RADAR VECTORED INTO LAX. A CTLR INSTIGATED MISSED APCH WAS MADE AND A CLRNC INTERP PROB AROSE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE HEADING TRACK DEV.

Narrative: ON APCH TO LAX EARLY AM. WX, OVERCAST LAYER, TOPS AT 2000 FT, VFR ABOVE. ON SADDE 6 ARR TO LAX AT FILMORE TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 24R. CREW BRIEFED APCH. 5 MINS LATER TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 25L. CREW BRIEFED APCH. 2 MINS LATER TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 24R. AGAIN, CREW BRIEFED APCH. SOON THEREAFTER TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 25L AGAIN. CREW BRIEFED APCH. ASSIGNED VECTOR TO INTERCEPT ILS RWY 25L AT 2500 FT. INTERCEPTED AND DSNDED AT GS INTERCEPT. AT APPROX 1800-2000 FT APCH CTL INSTRUCTED IMMEDIATE TURN TO 360 DEGS CLB TO 2000 FT, FOLLOWED MOMENTS LATER BY A R TURN TO 130 DEG VECTOR. CREW READ BACK ALL ALT AND HEADING ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPLIED. WHILE PASSING 360 DEGS CREW BEGAN TO QUESTION 130 DEG HDG AS THAT WOULD BE A VECTOR BACK INTO APCH TFC. CREW SLOWED RATE OF TURN AND TRIED TO CONTACT APCH. DUE TO HVY FREQ CONGESTION CONTACT WAS NOT MADE UNTIL HDG 100 DEGS. APCH NOW ASSIGNED L TO 030 DEGS AND CLB TO 2200 FT. CREW RECEIVED VECTORS TO ILS RWY 24R APCH TO LAND. ACFT WAS VFR AND HAD ALL APCHING TFC IN SIGHT DURING VECTORS. TO THIS DAY IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER CREW WAS SWITCHED TO RWY 24R FOR THE 5TH TIME AND MISSED IT, OR APCH THOUGHT THEY HAD SWITCHED US AND ACTUALLY HAD NOT OR CREW LEFT IN WRONG FREQ (FOR RWY 25L WHEN CLRED TO RWY 24R). ALSO CONFUSION WITH 030 DEGS AND 130 DEG HDG BTWN CREW AND ATC AND THE DELAY FOR VERIFICATION COMPLICATED MATTERS. THIS SIT MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH SEPARATE APCH FREQS FOR N AND S COMPLEXES AT LAX TO DECREASE FREQ SATURATION AND/OR BETTER PLANNING ON APCH SEQUENCING SO THAT EXCESSIVE RWY APCH SHIFTING DOES NOT OCCUR.

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.