Narrative:

On arrival to lax airport from mexico, we were cleared for descent on the pdz 3 arrival, which is a new revised arrival over the pdz VOR. We were cleared to descend via the arrival for runway 24R at lax airport. ATC cleared us to cross amigo intersection (3OO degree radial at 31 NM from jli VOR) at 16000 ft, which we did and then cleared us to descend via the arrival. We started the descent from 16000 ft to 15000 ft about 10 mins early according to ATC, and we were at 15700 ft when they advised us that we were still short of jerom intersection. We immediately climbed back up to 16000 ft and were somewhat confused about what the new arrival was telling us. The scale between amigo intersection and jerom intersection is grossly understated and it appears initially that duedd intersection is located 29 NM from jli VOR, which should be crossed at 16000 ft. 2 other aircraft ahead of us had the same conversation with ATC and also seemed confused where the intersection actually was located in relation to both vors paradise and julian.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING AN MD80 ON PDZ 3 ARR INTO LAX RPTS CONFUSION AS TO ALT XING RESTRS.

Narrative: ON ARR TO LAX ARPT FROM MEXICO, WE WERE CLRED FOR DSCNT ON THE PDZ 3 ARR, WHICH IS A NEW REVISED ARR OVER THE PDZ VOR. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND VIA THE ARR FOR RWY 24R AT LAX ARPT. ATC CLRED US TO CROSS AMIGO INTXN (3OO DEG RADIAL AT 31 NM FROM JLI VOR) AT 16000 FT, WHICH WE DID AND THEN CLRED US TO DSND VIA THE ARR. WE STARTED THE DSCNT FROM 16000 FT TO 15000 FT ABOUT 10 MINS EARLY ACCORDING TO ATC, AND WE WERE AT 15700 FT WHEN THEY ADVISED US THAT WE WERE STILL SHORT OF JEROM INTXN. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK UP TO 16000 FT AND WERE SOMEWHAT CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT THE NEW ARR WAS TELLING US. THE SCALE BTWN AMIGO INTXN AND JEROM INTXN IS GROSSLY UNDERSTATED AND IT APPEARS INITIALLY THAT DUEDD INTXN IS LOCATED 29 NM FROM JLI VOR, WHICH SHOULD BE CROSSED AT 16000 FT. 2 OTHER ACFT AHEAD OF US HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH ATC AND ALSO SEEMED CONFUSED WHERE THE INTXN ACTUALLY WAS LOCATED IN RELATION TO BOTH VORS PARADISE AND JULIAN.

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.