B727 crew mistunes radios during a close in runway change at lax.

Attributes
ACN	453810
Time
Date	199910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 25l / 24r other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : civet 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20100 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	453810
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared on J-64 to 'civet' thence on the civet 4 to lax. Approaching civet, approach control pointed out traffic and had us hold heading. We were then cleared to turn back to civet and cleared via civet 4 arrival to runway 25L at lax. My copilot was 3 months new, having flown only single seat military, had never flown copilot for anyone and was having a tough time overall (retired military). I slowed to help him catch-up as he was struggling. Numerous TA's (2 TA's) and several speed adjustments from ATC occurred. When switched to the next controller we were reclred via mitts 1 arrival to runway 24R. I had briefed the civet 4 to runway 25L, and requested my copilot pull out the mitts arrival 'coach' me through the appropriate restrs and retune the radios to the ILS runway 24R. He supposedly did this. Approach stated we appeared south of the runway 24R localizer, I checked my instruments and showed on centerline. My copilot transmitted 'we show centerline for runway 25R.' both the controller and I simultaneously reasserted we should be on runway 24R, the copilot had mistuned the radios in his haste. I don't think due to his total lack of copilot experience and total unfamiliarity with lax he even realized there was a runway 24R. Subsequent approach and landing were uneventful. I was too busy to notice this error as the frequency and multi-changes by ATC was chaotic. The frequency was busy too -- too much 'stand by on the readback' by the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW MISTUNES RADIOS DURING A CLOSE IN RWY CHANGE AT LAX.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED ON J-64 TO 'CIVET' THENCE ON THE CIVET 4 TO LAX. APCHING CIVET, APCH CTL POINTED OUT TFC AND HAD US HOLD HEADING. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TURN BACK TO CIVET AND CLRED VIA CIVET 4 ARR TO RWY 25L AT LAX. MY COPLT WAS 3 MONTHS NEW, HAVING FLOWN ONLY SINGLE SEAT MIL, HAD NEVER FLOWN COPLT FOR ANYONE AND WAS HAVING A TOUGH TIME OVERALL (RETIRED MIL). I SLOWED TO HELP HIM CATCH-UP AS HE WAS STRUGGLING. NUMEROUS TA'S (2 TA'S) AND SEVERAL SPD ADJUSTMENTS FROM ATC OCCURRED. WHEN SWITCHED TO THE NEXT CTLR WE WERE RECLRED VIA MITTS 1 ARR TO RWY 24R. I HAD BRIEFED THE CIVET 4 TO RWY 25L, AND REQUESTED MY COPLT PULL OUT THE MITTS ARR 'COACH' ME THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE RESTRS AND RETUNE THE RADIOS TO THE ILS RWY 24R. HE SUPPOSEDLY DID THIS. APCH STATED WE APPEARED S OF THE RWY 24R LOC, I CHKED MY INSTS AND SHOWED ON CTRLINE. MY COPLT XMITTED 'WE SHOW CTRLINE FOR RWY 25R.' BOTH THE CTLR AND I SIMULTANEOUSLY REASSERTED WE SHOULD BE ON RWY 24R, THE COPLT HAD MISTUNED THE RADIOS IN HIS HASTE. I DON'T THINK DUE TO HIS TOTAL LACK OF COPLT EXPERIENCE AND TOTAL UNFAMILIARITY WITH LAX HE EVEN REALIZED THERE WAS A RWY 24R. SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. I WAS TOO BUSY TO NOTICE THIS ERROR AS THE FREQ AND MULTI-CHANGES BY ATC WAS CHAOTIC. THE FREQ WAS BUSY TOO -- TOO MUCH 'STAND BY ON THE READBACK' BY THE CTLR.

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.