Narrative:

En route from ase to lax, at approximately 15 mins east of civet intersection, we were cleared for the civet 1 arrival to lax. I pulled the civet 1 arrival chart and laid it on my lap as I continued to pull the expected approach charts for the ILS for runways 25. For some reason I kept the daybook (book with charts for current leg) on my lap after pulling the charts (covering the civet 1 arrival chart). The daybook fell open to the downe 4 arrival to lax. In the middle of that chart is the fix 'civet.' when started programming the FMS, I looked down, saw civet, and programmed the civet and progressive fixes relating to the downe 4 arrival! When it was time to start down for baset, a downe 4 crossing fix, I requested lower and the controller stated that I had already been cleared for the civet 1 arrival. This threw out a red flag in my mind and I then realized that I was using the downe 4 chart. I found the civet 1 chart on my lap and scrambled to correct the FMS. I asked the PF to start down at his 'best rate' while I loaded the correct fixes and crossing restrs. It became apparent to me that we could not meet the civet crossing restr and I notified ATC of same. (We were approximately 5 NM east of civet intersection.) the controller asked if I could meet the next fix crossing restrs. After a few moments, I informed him that I didn't think we could the 'bremr' crossing restr (mainly because we were given a speed constraint of 250 KTS). The controller then cleared us down to 10000 ft and to call socal approach at arnes. Before he left, he asked out of curiosity why we were late in our descent. I 'fessed up' to loading information from the wrong chart after pulling the correct one. We were cleared for the ILS runway 25L at lax, even struggled in attempt to meet the stepdown fixes for the approach. (Although we had made it down to the GS, there are several fixes to cross that have crossing restrs which are below the GS.) with the need to slow down and configure the aircraft for landing, and complete the 'before landing' checklist, we may have been slightly above an approach crossing restr. The aircraft was stabilized for the approach and landing (as was the flight crew) by the OM (limma) and continued to a normal landing. Possibly having civet appear on the downe 4 arrival can cause confusion. I must admit, however, that my concentration had been interrupted all day by worrying about an issue concerning my 18 yr old daughter away at college. After landing at lgb (last leg of the day) I called the lax TRACON supervisor. He said that it had been a smooth afternoon with no reports of any problems. He felt that my late start down didn't create any 'sits' or he would have been notified already. He also indicated that I wasn't the first pilot to do what I had done that afternoon. I might suggest that controllers question a pilot about his intentions when his aircraft goes beyond a point of normal letdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR JET CLRED FOR CIVET 1 STAR LAX. CAPT COVERED CIVET PROC WITH HIS CHARTS MANUAL AND INADVERTENTLY SET FMS UP FOR THE DOWNE 4 ARR. REQUESTED CLRNC TO START DSCNT AND ADVISED ALREADY CLRED FOR THE CIVET 1 STAR. REALIZED ERROR AND ADVISED CTR COULD NOT MAKE THE RESTR. UNABLE ON NEXT XING RESTR AND CLRED TO DSND TO 10000 FT. ERROR ADMITTED TO THE CTLR AND ON LNDG LAX DISCUSSED INCIDENT WITH SUPVR. NO CONFLICT OR PROB RESULTED.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM ASE TO LAX, AT APPROX 15 MINS E OF CIVET INTXN, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE CIVET 1 ARR TO LAX. I PULLED THE CIVET 1 ARR CHART AND LAID IT ON MY LAP AS I CONTINUED TO PULL THE EXPECTED APCH CHARTS FOR THE ILS FOR RWYS 25. FOR SOME REASON I KEPT THE DAYBOOK (BOOK WITH CHARTS FOR CURRENT LEG) ON MY LAP AFTER PULLING THE CHARTS (COVERING THE CIVET 1 ARR CHART). THE DAYBOOK FELL OPEN TO THE DOWNE 4 ARR TO LAX. IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT CHART IS THE FIX 'CIVET.' WHEN STARTED PROGRAMMING THE FMS, I LOOKED DOWN, SAW CIVET, AND PROGRAMMED THE CIVET AND PROGRESSIVE FIXES RELATING TO THE DOWNE 4 ARR! WHEN IT WAS TIME TO START DOWN FOR BASET, A DOWNE 4 XING FIX, I REQUESTED LOWER AND THE CTLR STATED THAT I HAD ALREADY BEEN CLRED FOR THE CIVET 1 ARR. THIS THREW OUT A RED FLAG IN MY MIND AND I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS USING THE DOWNE 4 CHART. I FOUND THE CIVET 1 CHART ON MY LAP AND SCRAMBLED TO CORRECT THE FMS. I ASKED THE PF TO START DOWN AT HIS 'BEST RATE' WHILE I LOADED THE CORRECT FIXES AND XING RESTRS. IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT WE COULD NOT MEET THE CIVET XING RESTR AND I NOTIFIED ATC OF SAME. (WE WERE APPROX 5 NM E OF CIVET INTXN.) THE CTLR ASKED IF I COULD MEET THE NEXT FIX XING RESTRS. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, I INFORMED HIM THAT I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD THE 'BREMR' XING RESTR (MAINLY BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN A SPD CONSTRAINT OF 250 KTS). THE CTLR THEN CLRED US DOWN TO 10000 FT AND TO CALL SOCAL APCH AT ARNES. BEFORE HE LEFT, HE ASKED OUT OF CURIOSITY WHY WE WERE LATE IN OUR DSCNT. I 'FESSED UP' TO LOADING INFO FROM THE WRONG CHART AFTER PULLING THE CORRECT ONE. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25L AT LAX, EVEN STRUGGLED IN ATTEMPT TO MEET THE STEPDOWN FIXES FOR THE APCH. (ALTHOUGH WE HAD MADE IT DOWN TO THE GS, THERE ARE SEVERAL FIXES TO CROSS THAT HAVE XING RESTRS WHICH ARE BELOW THE GS.) WITH THE NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG, AND COMPLETE THE 'BEFORE LNDG' CHKLIST, WE MAY HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY ABOVE AN APCH XING RESTR. THE ACFT WAS STABILIZED FOR THE APCH AND LNDG (AS WAS THE FLC) BY THE OM (LIMMA) AND CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG. POSSIBLY HAVING CIVET APPEAR ON THE DOWNE 4 ARR CAN CAUSE CONFUSION. I MUST ADMIT, HOWEVER, THAT MY CONCENTRATION HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED ALL DAY BY WORRYING ABOUT AN ISSUE CONCERNING MY 18 YR OLD DAUGHTER AWAY AT COLLEGE. AFTER LNDG AT LGB (LAST LEG OF THE DAY) I CALLED THE LAX TRACON SUPVR. HE SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN A SMOOTH AFTERNOON WITH NO RPTS OF ANY PROBS. HE FELT THAT MY LATE START DOWN DIDN'T CREATE ANY 'SITS' OR HE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED ALREADY. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT I WASN'T THE FIRST PLT TO DO WHAT I HAD DONE THAT AFTERNOON. I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT CTLRS QUESTION A PLT ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS WHEN HIS ACFT GOES BEYOND A POINT OF NORMAL LETDOWN.

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.