An air carrier captain experienced an RA during the civet arrival into lax.

Attributes
ACN	451770
Time
Date	199910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : civet 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12001 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	451770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	staffing : sct.tracon
Airspace Structure	class b : lax.b
Chart	star : civet 4

Narrative:

During civet arrival at lax, we were given several step-downs, at or above altitude requirements. Upon crossing bremr at 12000 ft, ATC told us to expedite descent to 10000 ft for VFR traffic at 11500 ft. At that time we saw traffic on TCASII TA 600 ft below in level flight. We stopped descent. Then TCASII commanded RA a rapid descent. With no visual contact, we complied. Passing through 11000 ft, we saw traffic (VFR) 500-800 ft above and 1/2 mi left. Because of a previous ATC directive to slow and our delay in descending, we were high for the next crossing restr (arnes). This could not have been avoided. We were also unsure, since ATC had descended us to a hard altitude, if we were still legally on the arrival and, therefore, not required to make the crossing restr. After leveling at 10000 ft, approach cleared us for the visual. Lax is always a mess because ATC expects us to defy the laws of physics by issuing abrupt 50-70 KT speed reductions and expecting us to still comply with the arrival restrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT EXPERIENCED AN RA DURING THE CIVET ARR INTO LAX.

Narrative: DURING CIVET ARR AT LAX, WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL STEP-DOWNS, AT OR ABOVE ALT REQUIREMENTS. UPON XING BREMR AT 12000 FT, ATC TOLD US TO EXPEDITE DSCNT TO 10000 FT FOR VFR TFC AT 11500 FT. AT THAT TIME WE SAW TFC ON TCASII TA 600 FT BELOW IN LEVEL FLT. WE STOPPED DSCNT. THEN TCASII COMMANDED RA A RAPID DSCNT. WITH NO VISUAL CONTACT, WE COMPLIED. PASSING THROUGH 11000 FT, WE SAW TFC (VFR) 500-800 FT ABOVE AND 1/2 MI L. BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS ATC DIRECTIVE TO SLOW AND OUR DELAY IN DSNDING, WE WERE HIGH FOR THE NEXT XING RESTR (ARNES). THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. WE WERE ALSO UNSURE, SINCE ATC HAD DSNDED US TO A HARD ALT, IF WE WERE STILL LEGALLY ON THE ARR AND, THEREFORE, NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. AFTER LEVELING AT 10000 FT, APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. LAX IS ALWAYS A MESS BECAUSE ATC EXPECTS US TO DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS BY ISSUING ABRUPT 50-70 KT SPD REDUCTIONS AND EXPECTING US TO STILL COMPLY WITH THE ARR RESTRS.

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.