Frequency congestion causes missed handoff during approach to lax, ca.

Attributes
ACN	490693
Time
Date	200011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 25l other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : paradise 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	490693
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	490790
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

This event occurred while flying the paradise 4 arrival into lax. We were initially cleared to descend via paradise 4 arrival for runway 25L. Due to a conflict with another aircraft going to the north runways, we were leveled at 13000 ft. We were then cleared to cross arnes at 10000 ft and descend via paradise 4 arrival. At this time we were talking to socal approach. We continued with the approach and at 15 mi we called approach control about a handoff. They told us to immediately call socal the next frequency. Checking in with approach they asked us if we had the field in sight, we replied that we did. They cleared us for the visual approach and sent us to tower frequency. The rest of the flight was uneventful. On the ground, lax ground control gave us a phone number to socal and told us to call them, which the captain did. Our mistake was proceeding past fueler, the last point on the paradise 4 arrival, without clearance. Due to radio frequency congestion we never received the handoff to the next controller who would have cleared us for the approach. In discussing the event with the captain, after he talked with socal on the phone, what seems to have happened was the flight controller gave us a frequency change. We did not hear the change and no response from us was recorded on ATC tapes. Approach thought we took the handoff and so all subsequent attempts to contact us were on the next frequency. Supplemental information from acn 490790: socal approach wanted to know if we had radio problems. We told them that no radio call changing frequencys was received and asked if the tape showed that we had received one, and given a reply. He said no reply was received from us. A busy radio environment with heavy traffic load for both the controller and pilots resulted in a lost radio handoff. Lessons for us: clearance to descend via the pdz for the ILS runway 25L is not clearance for the ILS, it is only clearance to go to fueler. And if you haven't received clearance for the ILS by the time you get to fueler, you need to be talking to someone, not waiting till you get to 15 NM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ CONGESTION CAUSES MISSED HDOF DURING APCH TO LAX, CA.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED WHILE FLYING THE PARADISE 4 ARR INTO LAX. WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO DSND VIA PARADISE 4 ARR FOR RWY 25L. DUE TO A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT GOING TO THE N RWYS, WE WERE LEVELED AT 13000 FT. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS ARNES AT 10000 FT AND DSND VIA PARADISE 4 ARR. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TALKING TO SOCAL APCH. WE CONTINUED WITH THE APCH AND AT 15 MI WE CALLED APCH CTL ABOUT A HDOF. THEY TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY CALL SOCAL THE NEXT FREQ. CHKING IN WITH APCH THEY ASKED US IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT, WE REPLIED THAT WE DID. THEY CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND SENT US TO TWR FREQ. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON THE GND, LAX GND CTL GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO SOCAL AND TOLD US TO CALL THEM, WHICH THE CAPT DID. OUR MISTAKE WAS PROCEEDING PAST FUELER, THE LAST POINT ON THE PARADISE 4 ARR, WITHOUT CLRNC. DUE TO RADIO FREQ CONGESTION WE NEVER RECEIVED THE HDOF TO THE NEXT CTLR WHO WOULD HAVE CLRED US FOR THE APCH. IN DISCUSSING THE EVENT WITH THE CAPT, AFTER HE TALKED WITH SOCAL ON THE PHONE, WHAT SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED WAS THE FLT CTLR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. WE DID NOT HEAR THE CHANGE AND NO RESPONSE FROM US WAS RECORDED ON ATC TAPES. APCH THOUGHT WE TOOK THE HDOF AND SO ALL SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT US WERE ON THE NEXT FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 490790: SOCAL APCH WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD RADIO PROBS. WE TOLD THEM THAT NO RADIO CALL CHANGING FREQS WAS RECEIVED AND ASKED IF THE TAPE SHOWED THAT WE HAD RECEIVED ONE, AND GIVEN A REPLY. HE SAID NO REPLY WAS RECEIVED FROM US. A BUSY RADIO ENVIRONMENT WITH HVY TFC LOAD FOR BOTH THE CTLR AND PLTS RESULTED IN A LOST RADIO HDOF. LESSONS FOR US: CLRNC TO DSND VIA THE PDZ FOR THE ILS RWY 25L IS NOT CLRNC FOR THE ILS, IT IS ONLY CLRNC TO GO TO FUELER. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED CLRNC FOR THE ILS BY THE TIME YOU GET TO FUELER, YOU NEED TO BE TALKING TO SOMEONE, NOT WAITING TILL YOU GET TO 15 NM.

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.