Narrative:

During our ILS runway 25L approach, the spacing became tight between our and the proceeding aircraft, in part due to several storm cells in the approach area. Several other aircraft were requesting/executing WX deviation off-course paths. This caused the controller to 'break' us off course for separation. However, the assigned heading took us directly into a 'red' storm on the radar. While I continued flying the assigned heading, the captain (lca) attempted numerous times to contact approach for a new heading to avoid the storm. The frequency was completely cluttered and barely understandable as numerous aircraft attempted to contact approach. This was compounded as we entered into moderate to heavy rain and continuous light turbulence creating an extremely noisy cockpit due to the heavy rain contact. Prior to this we were assigned to descend to 4000 ft, before an amended clearance was finally received to maintain 5000 ft. Unfortunately, we had already descended past 5000 ft, per the previous clearance, but were able to stop at 4800 ft MSL and climb immediately to 5000 ft MSL. We did at one point receive a TA which never became an RA. After an extensive discussion of this sequence of events, my lca and I agreed that the use of a 'secondary' monitoring frequency, similar to that used for prm ILS, employed during high traffic and/or severe WX would have provided a 'less stressful and avoided a potentially dangerous' situation that occurred as a result of heavy traffic and WX. We were eventually broken out and reentered the approach. Supplemental information from acn 580960: turned off localizer by ATC due to spacing with aircraft ahead. Assigned heading was directly toward a cell. Tried to get heading relief from ATC but couldn't due to frequency congestion. Turned toward assigned heading skirting cell. Couldn't hear ATC well due to rain (only light turbulence), couldn't get clearance repeated due to frequency congestion. When clearance to level at 5000 ft received, we were already at 4800 ft. Notified ATC of this and immediately climbed to 5000 ft, and accepted vectors to downwind for uneventful landing. The point of this report is that we need to be able to communicate with ATC, not just listen to them transmit continuously. This happened at lax but ord and other busy airports have the same problem. A solution would be to have a 'monitor' controller on a discrete frequency (not 121.5), as is the case at prm airports like msp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW ON APCH INTO LAX DURING STORM CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED HVY RAIN AND TURB ARE PULLED OFF APCH BECAUSE OF SPACING AND FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: DURING OUR ILS RWY 25L APCH, THE SPACING BECAME TIGHT BTWN OUR AND THE PROCEEDING ACFT, IN PART DUE TO SEVERAL STORM CELLS IN THE APCH AREA. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT WERE REQUESTING/EXECUTING WX DEV OFF-COURSE PATHS. THIS CAUSED THE CTLR TO 'BREAK' US OFF COURSE FOR SEPARATION. HOWEVER, THE ASSIGNED HEADING TOOK US DIRECTLY INTO A 'RED' STORM ON THE RADAR. WHILE I CONTINUED FLYING THE ASSIGNED HEADING, THE CAPT (LCA) ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CONTACT APCH FOR A NEW HEADING TO AVOID THE STORM. THE FREQ WAS COMPLETELY CLUTTERED AND BARELY UNDERSTANDABLE AS NUMEROUS ACFT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH. THIS WAS COMPOUNDED AS WE ENTERED INTO MODERATE TO HVY RAIN AND CONTINUOUS LIGHT TURB CREATING AN EXTREMELY NOISY COCKPIT DUE TO THE HVY RAIN CONTACT. PRIOR TO THIS WE WERE ASSIGNED TO DSND TO 4000 FT, BEFORE AN AMENDED CLRNC WAS FINALLY RECEIVED TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD ALREADY DSNDED PAST 5000 FT, PER THE PREVIOUS CLRNC, BUT WERE ABLE TO STOP AT 4800 FT MSL AND CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 5000 FT MSL. WE DID AT ONE POINT RECEIVE A TA WHICH NEVER BECAME AN RA. AFTER AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION OF THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, MY LCA AND I AGREED THAT THE USE OF A 'SECONDARY' MONITORING FREQ, SIMILAR TO THAT USED FOR PRM ILS, EMPLOYED DURING HIGH TFC AND/OR SEVERE WX WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A 'LESS STRESSFUL AND AVOIDED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS' SIT THAT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF HVY TFC AND WX. WE WERE EVENTUALLY BROKEN OUT AND REENTERED THE APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 580960: TURNED OFF LOC BY ATC DUE TO SPACING WITH ACFT AHEAD. ASSIGNED HEADING WAS DIRECTLY TOWARD A CELL. TRIED TO GET HEADING RELIEF FROM ATC BUT COULDN'T DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. TURNED TOWARD ASSIGNED HEADING SKIRTING CELL. COULDN'T HEAR ATC WELL DUE TO RAIN (ONLY LIGHT TURB), COULDN'T GET CLRNC REPEATED DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. WHEN CLRNC TO LEVEL AT 5000 FT RECEIVED, WE WERE ALREADY AT 4800 FT. NOTIFIED ATC OF THIS AND IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 5000 FT, AND ACCEPTED VECTORS TO DOWNWIND FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE POINT OF THIS RPT IS THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC, NOT JUST LISTEN TO THEM XMIT CONTINUOUSLY. THIS HAPPENED AT LAX BUT ORD AND OTHER BUSY ARPTS HAVE THE SAME PROB. A SOLUTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A 'MONITOR' CTLR ON A DISCRETE FREQ (NOT 121.5), AS IS THE CASE AT PRM ARPTS LIKE MSP.

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.