An air carrier flight crew flying B757 into lax experiences confusion as to the cleared STAR and run...

Attributes
ACN	442300
Time
Date	199907
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sct.tracon
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : profile descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	442300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Initially cleared for approach/SID to runway 25L, then switched to arrival for runway 24R, but clearance was confusing in that we were unsure if clearance was for arrival or approach. ATC was busy, which made for a hard time in clarifying. I was/am new on FMC aircraft so trying to set up system was time consuming. Then after we clarified/set up for runway 24R, ATC cleared us to runway 24L. The third clearance in less than 7-10 mins. This is bordering on unacceptable. ATC is abusing the efforts pilots will go to to keep flying a clearance. To top it all off, the captain heard the clearance as runway 25L and turned to the south complex. He was trying to fly localizer and had told me he had tuned it, which he had, to runway 25L instead of runway 24L. We finally just pointed the aircraft at runway 24L and landed, after I convinced the captain that was our clearance (and ATC chastised us for the south turn).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING B757 INTO LAX EXPERIENCES CONFUSION AS TO THE CLRED STAR AND RWY.

Narrative: INITIALLY CLRED FOR APCH/SID TO RWY 25L, THEN SWITCHED TO ARR FOR RWY 24R, BUT CLRNC WAS CONFUSING IN THAT WE WERE UNSURE IF CLRNC WAS FOR ARR OR APCH. ATC WAS BUSY, WHICH MADE FOR A HARD TIME IN CLARIFYING. I WAS/AM NEW ON FMC ACFT SO TRYING TO SET UP SYS WAS TIME CONSUMING. THEN AFTER WE CLARIFIED/SET UP FOR RWY 24R, ATC CLRED US TO RWY 24L. THE THIRD CLRNC IN LESS THAN 7-10 MINS. THIS IS BORDERING ON UNACCEPTABLE. ATC IS ABUSING THE EFFORTS PLTS WILL GO TO TO KEEP FLYING A CLRNC. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, THE CAPT HEARD THE CLRNC AS RWY 25L AND TURNED TO THE S COMPLEX. HE WAS TRYING TO FLY LOC AND HAD TOLD ME HE HAD TUNED IT, WHICH HE HAD, TO RWY 25L INSTEAD OF RWY 24L. WE FINALLY JUST POINTED THE ACFT AT RWY 24L AND LANDED, AFTER I CONVINCED THE CAPT THAT WAS OUR CLRNC (AND ATC CHASTISED US FOR THE S TURN).

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.

An air carrier flight crew flying B757 into lax experiences confusion as to the cleared STAR and runway.