Narrative:

Lax approach vectored us south of the civet arrival. Finally gave us a 270 degree heading. Then cleared us to descend to 10000 ft and then descend via the civet arrival. Never really cleared us to intercept the civet arrival routing. First officer and I discussed and decided that was the intent. Controller was very busy and a bit overloaded. He switched us to a different frequency about 6 mi past fuelr but before gaate. Next controller's first response to us was that our last cleared altitude was 8000 ft (altitude over fuelr). We were now at about 6000 ft on the approach. She 'informed' us we had never been cleared for the approach, but then did. After hundreds of these approachs to lax, I've never had this happen. She was technically correct -- we had not been cleared for the runway 25L approach, which would make our last clearance and altitude fuelr and 8000 ft. However, at 6 mi past that fix, the approach would have been unsuccessful, and I feel the controller had intended to give us the clearance and just forgot. No traffic conflict, no TCASII and no problems resulted from the mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLC OVERSHOT CIVET XING RESTR ASSUMING THAT THE SCT CTLR WOULD HAVE WANTED IT ANYWAY.

Narrative: LAX APCH VECTORED US S OF THE CIVET ARR. FINALLY GAVE US A 270 DEG HDG. THEN CLRED US TO DSND TO 10000 FT AND THEN DSND VIA THE CIVET ARR. NEVER REALLY CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE CIVET ARR ROUTING. FO AND I DISCUSSED AND DECIDED THAT WAS THE INTENT. CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND A BIT OVERLOADED. HE SWITCHED US TO A DIFFERENT FREQ ABOUT 6 MI PAST FUELR BUT BEFORE GAATE. NEXT CTLR'S FIRST RESPONSE TO US WAS THAT OUR LAST CLRED ALT WAS 8000 FT (ALT OVER FUELR). WE WERE NOW AT ABOUT 6000 FT ON THE APCH. SHE 'INFORMED' US WE HAD NEVER BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH, BUT THEN DID. AFTER HUNDREDS OF THESE APCHS TO LAX, I'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. SHE WAS TECHNICALLY CORRECT -- WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR THE RWY 25L APCH, WHICH WOULD MAKE OUR LAST CLRNC AND ALT FUELR AND 8000 FT. HOWEVER, AT 6 MI PAST THAT FIX, THE APCH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL, AND I FEEL THE CTLR HAD INTENDED TO GIVE US THE CLRNC AND JUST FORGOT. NO TFC CONFLICT, NO TCASII AND NO PROBS RESULTED FROM THE MISTAKE.

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.