Narrative:

During the past 3 months I have been flying into lax in the early morning hours, before XA00 local. We have been filed on the redeye two arrival over twentynine palms on each of our flts. On each of our arrs we were given a vector to intercept the runway 25L localizer or track inbound on the lax 068 degree radial. Per our flight operations manual, expected stars were reviewed and a descent point was determined. About half the time we were given the civet four arrival landing west. The other times we would start on the redeye two, but only later to be vectored to santa monica (smo) with socal approach giving altitudes to descend to. The arrival was never flown as published. On the morning of jul/thu/03, the first officer and I briefed the redeye two arrival and discussed the crossing restr on the graphic depiction of the arrival, neither one of us caught the requirement to cross smo VOR at 8000 ft. While level at 10000 ft and about 6 mi from smo VOR approach told us to immediately descend to 7000 ft. We were then told that we should be crossing smo VOR at 8000 ft. Approach also told us that a lot of crews fail to cross smo VOR at 8000 ft. We immediately started our descent to 7000 ft thinking what does he mean we should cross santa monica at 8000 ft. After making a few more runway changes we land. After the completion of the flight we were able to review the arrival. It took a while to find the restr for unlike the other crossing restrs it was down below the box where the frequency is for the VOR. All the others are listed above the depicted intersection to cross. Based on the controller's comment we weren't alone in missing this altitude. This is obvious a problem that needs to be addressed. Moving the restr above the VOR depiction might help or have a bold note telling of the restr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW MISSES XING RESTR DURING ARR INTO LAX.

Narrative: DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO LAX IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS, BEFORE XA00 LCL. WE HAVE BEEN FILED ON THE REDEYE TWO ARR OVER TWENTYNINE PALMS ON EACH OF OUR FLTS. ON EACH OF OUR ARRS WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 25L LOC OR TRACK INBOUND ON THE LAX 068 DEG RADIAL. PER OUR FLT OPS MANUAL, EXPECTED STARS WERE REVIEWED AND A DSCNT POINT WAS DETERMINED. ABOUT HALF THE TIME WE WERE GIVEN THE CIVET FOUR ARR LNDG W. THE OTHER TIMES WE WOULD START ON THE REDEYE TWO, BUT ONLY LATER TO BE VECTORED TO SANTA MONICA (SMO) WITH SOCAL APCH GIVING ALTS TO DSND TO. THE ARR WAS NEVER FLOWN AS PUBLISHED. ON THE MORNING OF JUL/THU/03, THE FO AND I BRIEFED THE REDEYE TWO ARR AND DISCUSSED THE XING RESTR ON THE GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THE ARR, NEITHER ONE OF US CAUGHT THE REQUIREMENT TO CROSS SMO VOR AT 8000 FT. WHILE LEVEL AT 10000 FT AND ABOUT 6 MI FROM SMO VOR APCH TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY DSND TO 7000 FT. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT WE SHOULD BE XING SMO VOR AT 8000 FT. APCH ALSO TOLD US THAT A LOT OF CREWS FAIL TO CROSS SMO VOR AT 8000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED OUR DSCNT TO 7000 FT THINKING WHAT DOES HE MEAN WE SHOULD CROSS SANTA MONICA AT 8000 FT. AFTER MAKING A FEW MORE RWY CHANGES WE LAND. AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT WE WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THE ARR. IT TOOK A WHILE TO FIND THE RESTR FOR UNLIKE THE OTHER XING RESTRS IT WAS DOWN BELOW THE BOX WHERE THE FREQ IS FOR THE VOR. ALL THE OTHERS ARE LISTED ABOVE THE DEPICTED INTXN TO CROSS. BASED ON THE CTLR'S COMMENT WE WEREN'T ALONE IN MISSING THIS ALT. THIS IS OBVIOUS A PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. MOVING THE RESTR ABOVE THE VOR DEPICTION MIGHT HELP OR HAVE A BOLD NOTE TELLING OF THE RESTR.

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.