Narrative:

This is a report filed more as a complaint about lax (socal) approach procedures. Incidents like ours are not uncommon and I'm sure many similar complaints and reports have been filed over the yrs. This involves the problem of multiple changes on the arrival and approach into lax and when flying the B757 with a slow FMC, it becomes, at times, unsafe with a lot of heads down work to program the FMS, change frequencys, brief new procedures, etc. We had begun our descent and were cleared to fly to civet, civet 4 STAR to runway 25L. The following changes then occurred as we continued our descent, coupled with frequency changes, altitude restrs and some speed restrs. Shortly after the initial clearance we were reclred the redeye 2, runway 6L. As we continued and reprogrammed and rebriefed we were then cleared back to the civet 4 runway 25L, once again reprogram, rebrief. Soon again yet another change to the mitts 1, runway 24R. This was followed soon by direct smo VOR, runway 7L, which then changed to runway 6R and then unbelievably changed again to runway 6L. If you are aware of the difficulty in reprogramming the B757 FMC, changing frequencys, rebriefing the approach and runway, making altitude restrs, speed restrs, and also radio calls, as well as the necessary checklists, you'll get the picture of what a mess this was. Please don't follow this up with a letter or bulletin about anticipating these changes for we were prepared and we were successful in completing each change. However, we were task saturated. Had there been WX or a possible aircraft problem involving communication procedures and/or other considerations, a very unsafe situation would have existed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE APCH AND RWY CHANGES PROVES DIFFICULT FOR 'GLASS COCKPIT' FMS ACR PLT.

Narrative: THIS IS A RPT FILED MORE AS A COMPLAINT ABOUT LAX (SOCAL) APCH PROCS. INCIDENTS LIKE OURS ARE NOT UNCOMMON AND I'M SURE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND RPTS HAVE BEEN FILED OVER THE YRS. THIS INVOLVES THE PROB OF MULTIPLE CHANGES ON THE ARR AND APCH INTO LAX AND WHEN FLYING THE B757 WITH A SLOW FMC, IT BECOMES, AT TIMES, UNSAFE WITH A LOT OF HEADS DOWN WORK TO PROGRAM THE FMS, CHANGE FREQS, BRIEF NEW PROCS, ETC. WE HAD BEGUN OUR DSCNT AND WERE CLRED TO FLY TO CIVET, CIVET 4 STAR TO RWY 25L. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES THEN OCCURRED AS WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT, COUPLED WITH FREQ CHANGES, ALT RESTRS AND SOME SPD RESTRS. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL CLRNC WE WERE RECLRED THE REDEYE 2, RWY 6L. AS WE CONTINUED AND REPROGRAMMED AND REBRIEFED WE WERE THEN CLRED BACK TO THE CIVET 4 RWY 25L, ONCE AGAIN REPROGRAM, REBRIEF. SOON AGAIN YET ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE MITTS 1, RWY 24R. THIS WAS FOLLOWED SOON BY DIRECT SMO VOR, RWY 7L, WHICH THEN CHANGED TO RWY 6R AND THEN UNBELIEVABLY CHANGED AGAIN TO RWY 6L. IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN REPROGRAMMING THE B757 FMC, CHANGING FREQS, REBRIEFING THE APCH AND RWY, MAKING ALT RESTRS, SPD RESTRS, AND ALSO RADIO CALLS, AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY CHKLISTS, YOU'LL GET THE PICTURE OF WHAT A MESS THIS WAS. PLEASE DON'T FOLLOW THIS UP WITH A LETTER OR BULLETIN ABOUT ANTICIPATING THESE CHANGES FOR WE WERE PREPARED AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPLETING EACH CHANGE. HOWEVER, WE WERE TASK SATURATED. HAD THERE BEEN WX OR A POSSIBLE ACFT PROB INVOLVING COM PROCS AND/OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, A VERY UNSAFE SIT WOULD HAVE EXISTED.

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.