A320 crew was given a last min runway change on the pdz 4 STAR in sct class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	532397
Time
Date	200112
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : konzl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : paradise 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	532397
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : sct.tracon

Narrative:

I was flying from phx to lax. During the pdz 4 arrival into lax to runway 25L, socal approach cleared us to 'descend on the pdz 4 arrival.' the descent was managed on autoplt with 8000 ft set in the window. After passing the knozl intersection, at 17000 ft, socal then cleared us to 'descend on the pdz 4 to runway 24R, maintain maximum forward speed.' the cockpit workload was high trying to accommodate ATC's changes to our arrival. I made the runway change in the mcdu/FMC and the aircraft defaulted to a 'selected' descent to 8000 ft at 340 KIAS. We then descended below 16000 ft prior to trtle intersection. When I realized the error, I climbed back up to 16000 ft and flew the rest of the arrival without incident except we were assigned 250 KIAS by the next controller. Contributing factors were automation, busy ATC frequencys, late descent clrncs, extreme speed assignments and a relatively new captain (high minimums) who was new to the airbus automation. The fault was mine -- allowing myself to get distraction by the MFDU/FMC instead of flying the airplane!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW WAS GIVEN A LAST MIN RWY CHANGE ON THE PDZ 4 STAR IN SCT CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM PHX TO LAX. DURING THE PDZ 4 ARR INTO LAX TO RWY 25L, SOCAL APCH CLRED US TO 'DSND ON THE PDZ 4 ARR.' THE DSCNT WAS MANAGED ON AUTOPLT WITH 8000 FT SET IN THE WINDOW. AFTER PASSING THE KNOZL INTXN, AT 17000 FT, SOCAL THEN CLRED US TO 'DSND ON THE PDZ 4 TO RWY 24R, MAINTAIN MAX FORWARD SPD.' THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD WAS HIGH TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE ATC'S CHANGES TO OUR ARR. I MADE THE RWY CHANGE IN THE MCDU/FMC AND THE ACFT DEFAULTED TO A 'SELECTED' DSCNT TO 8000 FT AT 340 KIAS. WE THEN DSNDED BELOW 16000 FT PRIOR TO TRTLE INTXN. WHEN I REALIZED THE ERROR, I CLBED BACK UP TO 16000 FT AND FLEW THE REST OF THE ARR WITHOUT INCIDENT EXCEPT WE WERE ASSIGNED 250 KIAS BY THE NEXT CTLR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE AUTOMATION, BUSY ATC FREQS, LATE DSCNT CLRNCS, EXTREME SPD ASSIGNMENTS AND A RELATIVELY NEW CAPT (HIGH MINIMUMS) WHO WAS NEW TO THE AIRBUS AUTOMATION. THE FAULT WAS MINE -- ALLOWING MYSELF TO GET DISTR BY THE MFDU/FMC INSTEAD OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE!

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.