Narrative:

Upon arrival into the lax area we were on the sadde 6 STAR heading toward fillmore when the controller gave us heading vectors. Then we were cleared to fillmore. Our next instruction was to cross the santa monica VOR at 7000 ft. We turned to go to santa monica VOR (although a debate was held as to whether or not the controller wanted us to resume the remainder of the arrival procedure). Next came an instruction from ATC to make an immediate turn. Our next instructions were to cross santa monica VOR at 7000 ft, then descend rapidly to 2500 ft. In the recent light of confusion our attns were not fully focused on the task in hand. Consequently, the aircraft crossed the VOR at 6600 ft descending to 2500 ft. At no time had anyone told us which runway to expect and since we were parking on the south side of the field we were prepared for landing on runway 25L/right. When the final controller gave us our intercept turn for runway 24R, I frantically searched for the appropriate approach plate and dialed in the localizer frequency. As we leveled our wings on the assigned intercept heading, the new localizer signal came in. We had to recapture the needle. As we started our turn, ATC told us to turn for the re- intercept. The ATC controllers were extremely busy, with no time to interject our questions of whether we were supposed to resume the arrival procedure. We were also left in the dark on which runway we were being vectored for, although I believed it was also a 'tight turn on.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC TURN OFF THEIR STAR COURSE AND DSND BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED XING POINT ALT AND OVERSHOT THEIR TURN TO FINAL APCH. ALL OF THESE EVENTS WERE IN PART DUE TO ARTCC AND APCH CTL ERRORS AND FREQ AND TFC CONGESTION ACCORDING TO THE RPTRS.

Narrative: UPON ARR INTO THE LAX AREA WE WERE ON THE SADDE 6 STAR HDG TOWARD FILLMORE WHEN THE CTLR GAVE US HDG VECTORS. THEN WE WERE CLRED TO FILLMORE. OUR NEXT INSTRUCTION WAS TO CROSS THE SANTA MONICA VOR AT 7000 FT. WE TURNED TO GO TO SANTA MONICA VOR (ALTHOUGH A DEBATE WAS HELD AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE CTLR WANTED US TO RESUME THE REMAINDER OF THE ARR PROC). NEXT CAME AN INSTRUCTION FROM ATC TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN. OUR NEXT INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CROSS SANTA MONICA VOR AT 7000 FT, THEN DSND RAPIDLY TO 2500 FT. IN THE RECENT LIGHT OF CONFUSION OUR ATTNS WERE NOT FULLY FOCUSED ON THE TASK IN HAND. CONSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CROSSED THE VOR AT 6600 FT DSNDING TO 2500 FT. AT NO TIME HAD ANYONE TOLD US WHICH RWY TO EXPECT AND SINCE WE WERE PARKING ON THE S SIDE OF THE FIELD WE WERE PREPARED FOR LNDG ON RWY 25L/R. WHEN THE FINAL CTLR GAVE US OUR INTERCEPT TURN FOR RWY 24R, I FRANTICALLY SEARCHED FOR THE APPROPRIATE APCH PLATE AND DIALED IN THE LOC FREQ. AS WE LEVELED OUR WINGS ON THE ASSIGNED INTERCEPT HDG, THE NEW LOC SIGNAL CAME IN. WE HAD TO RECAPTURE THE NEEDLE. AS WE STARTED OUR TURN, ATC TOLD US TO TURN FOR THE RE- INTERCEPT. THE ATC CTLRS WERE EXTREMELY BUSY, WITH NO TIME TO INTERJECT OUR QUESTIONS OF WHETHER WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RESUME THE ARR PROC. WE WERE ALSO LEFT IN THE DARK ON WHICH RWY WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR, ALTHOUGH I BELIEVED IT WAS ALSO A 'TIGHT TURN ON.'

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.