Narrative:

On pdz 2 arrival into lax, flight attendant advised us of smoke smell in cabin. While level at FL240 and donning oxygen mask, did not get clearance to descend to 17000 ft by konzl (21 DME). At 26 DME, ATC asked if we were going to make 17000 ft by konzl. Told them we would be unable to make 17000 ft by konzl and told them of problem in cabin. We told them we would descend to 17000 ft and were at 17000 ft by the pdz 16 DME. Then got descent clearance to 16000 ft. Runway and approach clearance was then changed to mitts arrival for runway 24R. Initial vector was issued to mitts arrival and clearance to 10000 ft. Got out mitts arrival and runway 24R approach then reclred to runway 25L. Completed descent and landing checklists. Landing was uneventful. Definitely task saturated approach. Supplemental information from acn 413940: approaching lax we were cleared to descend to FL240. At 5 NM east of konzl intersection, ZLA asked if we would make konzl intersection at 17000 ft. We started an immediate descent and advised ATC that we would be high. It is possible that the clearance to cross konzl was given by ATC but due to a distraction (smoke in the lavatory) it was never acknowledged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW WAS INVOLVED WITH SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THEY MISSED A DSCNT XING RESTR. ATC ASSIGNED THEM 2 DIFFERENT STARS AND 2 DIFFERENT RWYS.

Narrative: ON PDZ 2 ARR INTO LAX, FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US OF SMOKE SMELL IN CABIN. WHILE LEVEL AT FL240 AND DONNING OXYGEN MASK, DID NOT GET CLRNC TO DSND TO 17000 FT BY KONZL (21 DME). AT 26 DME, ATC ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE 17000 FT BY KONZL. TOLD THEM WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE 17000 FT BY KONZL AND TOLD THEM OF PROB IN CABIN. WE TOLD THEM WE WOULD DSND TO 17000 FT AND WERE AT 17000 FT BY THE PDZ 16 DME. THEN GOT DSCNT CLRNC TO 16000 FT. RWY AND APCH CLRNC WAS THEN CHANGED TO MITTS ARR FOR RWY 24R. INITIAL VECTOR WAS ISSUED TO MITTS ARR AND CLRNC TO 10000 FT. GOT OUT MITTS ARR AND RWY 24R APCH THEN RECLRED TO RWY 25L. COMPLETED DSCNT AND LNDG CHKLISTS. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DEFINITELY TASK SATURATED APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 413940: APCHING LAX WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO FL240. AT 5 NM E OF KONZL INTXN, ZLA ASKED IF WE WOULD MAKE KONZL INTXN AT 17000 FT. WE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND ADVISED ATC THAT WE WOULD BE HIGH. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CLRNC TO CROSS KONZL WAS GIVEN BY ATC BUT DUE TO A DISTR (SMOKE IN THE LAVATORY) IT WAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED.

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.