Narrative:

We were on our original clearance flying the paradise 2 for lax runway 25L. Near pdz ATC began giving us some spacing vectors and slowed us to 250 KTS. At some point, back on the arrival, we were told to speed up to 300 KTS, but then slowed again a very short time later. I believe we were inside of pdz when ATC told us we were now going to runway 24R, gave us the new localizer frequency, a heading change to intercept, and handoff. The new controller told us to intercept the mitts 1 arrival on our current heading. Because we were not prepared or set up for this new arrival, I told him we would continue to accept vectors for the runway 24R localizer. With several other comments with the controller, it was apparent that he was not happy we would not accept the new STAR. After he gave us several stepdowns, I believe we were given another handoff and the new controller asked if we could accept runway 25L again. We did and were given a slight vector back to the ILS/localizer for runway 25L. I think there is a misconception by the controllers that we should just be able to change stars easily -- even though were inside the STAR's IAF. This is not so, unless a crew has already briefed and planned for the other STAR. We just received a message to beware, be careful of all the altitude restrs on the lax stars. While later review shows that mitts and paradise stars both fly over pdz, the approachs involve different stepdown fixes, some only 3 mi apart. They also intercept the final courses only 2 mi apart, leaving a possibility of overflying the intercept if busy loading the new STAR or reviewing the charts for new frequencys, etc. Accepting the new STAR would have required us to insure the STAR altitude restrs were met, while trying to set everything up, review the charts, and review the FMC for accuracy. I have no problem reasonably changing approachs into lax, but the controllers will need to accept the additional workload of giving vectors and altitude stepdown clrncs until those new approachs are setup and briefed appropriately in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CHANGE OF STAR IN LAX AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC FLYING THE PARADISE 2 FOR LAX RWY 25L. NEAR PDZ ATC BEGAN GIVING US SOME SPACING VECTORS AND SLOWED US TO 250 KTS. AT SOME POINT, BACK ON THE ARR, WE WERE TOLD TO SPD UP TO 300 KTS, BUT THEN SLOWED AGAIN A VERY SHORT TIME LATER. I BELIEVE WE WERE INSIDE OF PDZ WHEN ATC TOLD US WE WERE NOW GOING TO RWY 24R, GAVE US THE NEW LOC FREQ, A HDG CHANGE TO INTERCEPT, AND HDOF. THE NEW CTLR TOLD US TO INTERCEPT THE MITTS 1 ARR ON OUR CURRENT HDG. BECAUSE WE WERE NOT PREPARED OR SET UP FOR THIS NEW ARR, I TOLD HIM WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCEPT VECTORS FOR THE RWY 24R LOC. WITH SEVERAL OTHER COMMENTS WITH THE CTLR, IT WAS APPARENT THAT HE WAS NOT HAPPY WE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE NEW STAR. AFTER HE GAVE US SEVERAL STEPDOWNS, I BELIEVE WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER HDOF AND THE NEW CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT RWY 25L AGAIN. WE DID AND WERE GIVEN A SLIGHT VECTOR BACK TO THE ILS/LOC FOR RWY 25L. I THINK THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION BY THE CTLRS THAT WE SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO CHANGE STARS EASILY -- EVEN THOUGH WERE INSIDE THE STAR'S IAF. THIS IS NOT SO, UNLESS A CREW HAS ALREADY BRIEFED AND PLANNED FOR THE OTHER STAR. WE JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE TO BEWARE, BE CAREFUL OF ALL THE ALT RESTRS ON THE LAX STARS. WHILE LATER REVIEW SHOWS THAT MITTS AND PARADISE STARS BOTH FLY OVER PDZ, THE APCHS INVOLVE DIFFERENT STEPDOWN FIXES, SOME ONLY 3 MI APART. THEY ALSO INTERCEPT THE FINAL COURSES ONLY 2 MI APART, LEAVING A POSSIBILITY OF OVERFLYING THE INTERCEPT IF BUSY LOADING THE NEW STAR OR REVIEWING THE CHARTS FOR NEW FREQS, ETC. ACCEPTING THE NEW STAR WOULD HAVE REQUIRED US TO INSURE THE STAR ALT RESTRS WERE MET, WHILE TRYING TO SET EVERYTHING UP, REVIEW THE CHARTS, AND REVIEW THE FMC FOR ACCURACY. I HAVE NO PROB REASONABLY CHANGING APCHS INTO LAX, BUT THE CTLRS WILL NEED TO ACCEPT THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD OF GIVING VECTORS AND ALT STEPDOWN CLRNCS UNTIL THOSE NEW APCHS ARE SETUP AND BRIEFED APPROPRIATELY IN THE COCKPIT.

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.