Narrative:

En route to lax, early evening fog kept ceiling at 300 overcast for 2 hours. Upon arrival, WX was 300 overcast 1 mi RVR 2500 ft for north side of airport, 6000 ft for south side. 100 mi out, ZLA began vectoring for spacing with turns of 40 degrees either side of course along with speed adjustments. STAR arrival filed was the pdz 3. This STAR serves all 4 runways and is very functional and clever. Past experience for me has been socal's attempt to keep us on the north side to be closer to our terminal and to reduce ground congestion. This was not to be this day! The pdz 3 STAR has numerous mandatory crossing restrs. Aircraft handed off from ZLA to socal approach around 17000 ft to 15000 ft. FMS was programmed for the pdz STAR with ILS runway 24R. When only approximately 12 mi from arnes intersection, socal cleared flight for 'ILS runway 25L, cross arnes intersection at 10000 ft.' aircraft altitude was approximately 12500 ft. My first officer (experienced) reprogrammed the FMC from ILS runway 24R (mitts intersection) to ILS runway 25L (arnes intersection). But, with murphy's law working, the FMC would not initially show arnes on the screen, so distance to arnes couldn't be determined until the raw data could be set up, and radio calls made this a big chore. I turned inbound on the localizer course via raw data, but could not be sure I had crossed arnes intersection at 10000 ft. Prevention: socal's traffic management desk has got to plan ahead better so as to give us a chance to have the FMC set up properly for the approach and its backup. If ZLA on handoff to socal approach could say 'contact socal approach on XXX.xx expect ILS runway 25L' that would help us get set up in time. Waiting until the last min to give the approach when it could be 1 of 3 is taking the chance that all the equipment and people are always going to work. Going to raw data takes a moment to digest!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAST MIN APCH RWY ASSIGNMENT AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: ENRTE TO LAX, EARLY EVENING FOG KEPT CEILING AT 300 OVCST FOR 2 HRS. UPON ARR, WX WAS 300 OVCST 1 MI RVR 2500 FT FOR N SIDE OF ARPT, 6000 FT FOR S SIDE. 100 MI OUT, ZLA BEGAN VECTORING FOR SPACING WITH TURNS OF 40 DEGS EITHER SIDE OF COURSE ALONG WITH SPD ADJUSTMENTS. STAR ARR FILED WAS THE PDZ 3. THIS STAR SERVES ALL 4 RWYS AND IS VERY FUNCTIONAL AND CLEVER. PAST EXPERIENCE FOR ME HAS BEEN SOCAL'S ATTEMPT TO KEEP US ON THE N SIDE TO BE CLOSER TO OUR TERMINAL AND TO REDUCE GND CONGESTION. THIS WAS NOT TO BE THIS DAY! THE PDZ 3 STAR HAS NUMEROUS MANDATORY XING RESTRS. ACFT HANDED OFF FROM ZLA TO SOCAL APCH AROUND 17000 FT TO 15000 FT. FMS WAS PROGRAMMED FOR THE PDZ STAR WITH ILS RWY 24R. WHEN ONLY APPROX 12 MI FROM ARNES INTXN, SOCAL CLRED FLT FOR 'ILS RWY 25L, CROSS ARNES INTXN AT 10000 FT.' ACFT ALT WAS APPROX 12500 FT. MY FO (EXPERIENCED) REPROGRAMMED THE FMC FROM ILS RWY 24R (MITTS INTXN) TO ILS RWY 25L (ARNES INTXN). BUT, WITH MURPHY'S LAW WORKING, THE FMC WOULD NOT INITIALLY SHOW ARNES ON THE SCREEN, SO DISTANCE TO ARNES COULDN'T BE DETERMINED UNTIL THE RAW DATA COULD BE SET UP, AND RADIO CALLS MADE THIS A BIG CHORE. I TURNED INBOUND ON THE LOC COURSE VIA RAW DATA, BUT COULD NOT BE SURE I HAD CROSSED ARNES INTXN AT 10000 FT. PREVENTION: SOCAL'S TFC MGMNT DESK HAS GOT TO PLAN AHEAD BETTER SO AS TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO HAVE THE FMC SET UP PROPERLY FOR THE APCH AND ITS BACKUP. IF ZLA ON HDOF TO SOCAL APCH COULD SAY 'CONTACT SOCAL APCH ON XXX.XX EXPECT ILS RWY 25L' THAT WOULD HELP US GET SET UP IN TIME. WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MIN TO GIVE THE APCH WHEN IT COULD BE 1 OF 3 IS TAKING THE CHANCE THAT ALL THE EQUIP AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO WORK. GOING TO RAW DATA TAKES A MOMENT TO DIGEST!

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.