A320 flight crew has altitude deviation during STAR into klax.

Attributes
ACN	566434
Time
Date	200211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sct.tracon
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : lax.tower tower : cnw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : pdz.pdz 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain -- PNF, first officer -- PF. We were on arrival to lax with paradise arrival runway 25L set in mcdu. Approach gives us 'runway 24R' and clears us for the paradise arrival, comply with all the altitude restrs. Runway 24R with the paradise arrival was set-up in the secondary flight plan. Secondary was activated. Many of the fixes on the arrival disappeared. I tried to re-install the arrival, but failed to get it in before the approach controller told us to level off. We were right of course and at about 9500 ft. I explained the situation and the controller vectored us to runway 24R. When on the ground and things slowed down, I realized what the problem had to be. Normally, the same arrival remains when changing runways in the flight plan. With the paradise arrival, it has to be reselected each time. When I put runway 24R in the secondary, I must have overlooked this difference. This is the only thing that makes sense. When I put it in the secondary, I had been distraction by other events, and this caused the error to be overlooked. Primary was copied to the secondary prior to selecting runway 24R in the secondary. The controller, when I asked if I needed to call him when on the ground, said, 'no,' everything had been taken care of. Everything was alright.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC HAS ALTDEV DURING STAR INTO KLAX.

Narrative: CAPT -- PNF, FO -- PF. WE WERE ON ARR TO LAX WITH PARADISE ARR RWY 25L SET IN MCDU. APCH GIVES US 'RWY 24R' AND CLRS US FOR THE PARADISE ARR, COMPLY WITH ALL THE ALT RESTRS. RWY 24R WITH THE PARADISE ARR WAS SET-UP IN THE SECONDARY FLT PLAN. SECONDARY WAS ACTIVATED. MANY OF THE FIXES ON THE ARR DISAPPEARED. I TRIED TO RE-INSTALL THE ARR, BUT FAILED TO GET IT IN BEFORE THE APCH CTLR TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF. WE WERE R OF COURSE AND AT ABOUT 9500 FT. I EXPLAINED THE SIT AND THE CTLR VECTORED US TO RWY 24R. WHEN ON THE GND AND THINGS SLOWED DOWN, I REALIZED WHAT THE PROB HAD TO BE. NORMALLY, THE SAME ARR REMAINS WHEN CHANGING RWYS IN THE FLT PLAN. WITH THE PARADISE ARR, IT HAS TO BE RESELECTED EACH TIME. WHEN I PUT RWY 24R IN THE SECONDARY, I MUST HAVE OVERLOOKED THIS DIFFERENCE. THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES SENSE. WHEN I PUT IT IN THE SECONDARY, I HAD BEEN DISTR BY OTHER EVENTS, AND THIS CAUSED THE ERROR TO BE OVERLOOKED. PRIMARY WAS COPIED TO THE SECONDARY PRIOR TO SELECTING RWY 24R IN THE SECONDARY. THE CTLR, WHEN I ASKED IF I NEEDED TO CALL HIM WHEN ON THE GND, SAID, 'NO,' EVERYTHING HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT.

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.