Narrative:

After passing rifft intersection on the paradise 2 arrival to lax, we descended to below 12000 ft. Tejay, the next intersection, reads 'cross at or above 12000 ft.' we immediately recognized our error and climbed back to 12000 ft. ATC noted our momentary deviation, but by the time they asked, we had already climbed back to 12000 ft. Contributing to the confusion is a complicated arrival with 7 crossing restrs, numerous frequency changes and continuously changing (ATC requested) large airspeed changes in airspace highly congested with IFR and VFR traffic (high 'inside' and 'outside' the cockpit workloads). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot reported his air carrier disconnects or inops all the modern aircraft devices. Even though this was a B737- 300 aircraft, they had no more equipment than a crew operating 35 yrs ago. The crew was given numerous speed changes and traffic advisories. Also the tunnel arrival fixes are all printed above the approach routing. All, that is, except the tejay restr, which is below that arrival routing. It took this analyst about five mins to find it. The reporter thinks this arrival and others like it should be scrapped and replaced by ones that do not have multiple step down fixes. He said that overly complex sids at slc were recently replaced with ones which were user friendly. He would like to see this happen here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW DSNDED BELOW 12000 FT AT TEJAY INTXN ON THE PARADISE 2 ARR TO LAX.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING RIFFT INTXN ON THE PARADISE 2 ARR TO LAX, WE DSNDED TO BELOW 12000 FT. TEJAY, THE NEXT INTXN, READS 'CROSS AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT.' WE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED OUR ERROR AND CLBED BACK TO 12000 FT. ATC NOTED OUR MOMENTARY DEV, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ASKED, WE HAD ALREADY CLBED BACK TO 12000 FT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFUSION IS A COMPLICATED ARR WITH 7 XING RESTRS, NUMEROUS FREQ CHANGES AND CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING (ATC REQUESTED) LARGE AIRSPD CHANGES IN AIRSPACE HIGHLY CONGESTED WITH IFR AND VFR TFC (HIGH 'INSIDE' AND 'OUTSIDE' THE COCKPIT WORKLOADS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT RPTED HIS ACR DISCONNECTS OR INOPS ALL THE MODERN ACFT DEVICES. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A B737- 300 ACFT, THEY HAD NO MORE EQUIP THAN A CREW OPERATING 35 YRS AGO. THE CREW WAS GIVEN NUMEROUS SPD CHANGES AND TFC ADVISORIES. ALSO THE TUNNEL ARR FIXES ARE ALL PRINTED ABOVE THE APCH ROUTING. ALL, THAT IS, EXCEPT THE TEJAY RESTR, WHICH IS BELOW THAT ARR ROUTING. IT TOOK THIS ANALYST ABOUT FIVE MINS TO FIND IT. THE RPTR THINKS THIS ARR AND OTHERS LIKE IT SHOULD BE SCRAPPED AND REPLACED BY ONES THAT DO NOT HAVE MULTIPLE STEP DOWN FIXES. HE SAID THAT OVERLY COMPLEX SIDS AT SLC WERE RECENTLY REPLACED WITH ONES WHICH WERE USER FRIENDLY. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN HERE.

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.