Narrative:

I was the PF and the captain was the PNF on flight from dfw to sfo. A major storm was hitting the entire coast of california. Sfo ATIS information called for ILS runway 28L/right approachs. We briefed the sfo page modesto 2 arrival (mod.MOD2) and the sfo page ILS runway 28R. Due to reports of continuous moderate turbulence in the descent, and given the WX conditions, we briefed and loaded a 250 KT descent speed into the performance descent page of the FMGC and inserted the anticipated restr of 11000 ft and 250 KIAS at cedes. Anticipating the need for engine anti-ice (increases flight idle) and the slower descent speed, we asked ZOA for a lower altitude and were told we would get lower in 20 mi. When we were cleared to descend, we were over 5000 ft above the idle descent profile. Full speed brakes got us down just in time. But as we arrived at cedes we were told that sfo was conducting prm approachs now, and to descend to 7000 ft, slow to 180 KTS and proceed direct to anete. Anete is the first fix on the sfo lda runway 28R. We scrambled to figure out where anete was, get the sfo lda prm runway 28R page out, brief it, load the FMGC and brief the prm maneuvers page from the flight manual. Since the current ATIS was not calling for the prm, we had not looked at it. We discovered that there is no lda approach in our FMGC and had to load it manually. While all this was going on, we were told to change airspeed between 250 KTS and 180 KTS, with an acceleration to 210 KTS followed by a slow down back to 180 KTS, while trying to get down to 5000 ft at batke (GS intercept point). We were told to switch to sfo tower around 15 mi out. When the captain checked in, they sounded surprised to hear us and gave us the winds and told us to continue for runway 28L. The captain asked if we were now cleared for the left runway instead of the right and after a moment we were able to confirm we were still supposed to be landing on runway 28R. We began listening to monitor frequency at this time on radio #2 per the sfo page. Shortly after we configured for landing and started our descent, we got a call from monitor that we were drifting south of course. We both agreed that we were not. Monitor called again just as we made ground contact outside the san mateo bridge (approximately sfo 7 DME). At this point, I noticed that the identify for the approach was wrong and when we put in ifnp/110.75 with a course of 278 degrees, we were indeed south of course. We corrected and were cleared to land on runway 28R. Tower also made a quick remark about not having to worry because the other act had broken out, but I do not recall the exact conversation, as I was trying to land in a crosswind and was busy. We parked at gate X and ran to Y to make the short turn to lax. We did not hear anything from sfo tower or ground with regard to the whole approach and landing, but felt that we should both submit reports. If sfo wants to do prm approachs, they need to put it in the ATIS. Item #1 on the sfo tells us to brief to fly the 'prm when the ATIS broadcast advises us that prm approachs are being used.' they can't throw it in your lap at 25 mi out, in a storm, and try to make their spacing work out. We were busy enough just trying to stay clear of the WX and comply with altitude and airspeed instructions -- then they throw the prm at us. To make it worse, the lda is not line selectable in our FMGC. That is a lot of heads down time building the box. The PNF is trying to do this while handling the radios and listening to the PF brief the new approach. The lda prm approach briefing is more detailed and not something we do very often. Specific briefing items from the approach page as well as the airplane flight manual maneuvers section must be included. Loading and briefing this while trying to 'make it happen' for ATC proved too much. Next time I will strongly advocate that we decline the prm approach and either continue on the ILS that we briefed and had every right to anticipate, or go hold somewhere while we get everything done for the prm, let ATC decide which one they want then. We will just be late and burn a lot more gas. We are all trying very hard to get things done on schedule and as efficiently as possible under tremendous stress. But the desire to 'get it done' and 'pull on the same end of the rope' can come back to bite you. It did this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WHEN ASSIGNED AN UNEXPECTED LDA PRM APCH TO RWY 28R, DRIFTED TOWARD THE NTZ AND CAUSED PARALLEL TFC TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF AND THE CAPT WAS THE PNF ON FLT FROM DFW TO SFO. A MAJOR STORM WAS HITTING THE ENTIRE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. SFO ATIS INFO CALLED FOR ILS RWY 28L/R APCHS. WE BRIEFED THE SFO PAGE MODESTO 2 ARR (MOD.MOD2) AND THE SFO PAGE ILS RWY 28R. DUE TO RPTS OF CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB IN THE DSCNT, AND GIVEN THE WX CONDITIONS, WE BRIEFED AND LOADED A 250 KT DSCNT SPD INTO THE PERFORMANCE DSCNT PAGE OF THE FMGC AND INSERTED THE ANTICIPATED RESTR OF 11000 FT AND 250 KIAS AT CEDES. ANTICIPATING THE NEED FOR ENG ANTI-ICE (INCREASES FLT IDLE) AND THE SLOWER DSCNT SPD, WE ASKED ZOA FOR A LOWER ALT AND WERE TOLD WE WOULD GET LOWER IN 20 MI. WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO DSND, WE WERE OVER 5000 FT ABOVE THE IDLE DSCNT PROFILE. FULL SPD BRAKES GOT US DOWN JUST IN TIME. BUT AS WE ARRIVED AT CEDES WE WERE TOLD THAT SFO WAS CONDUCTING PRM APCHS NOW, AND TO DSND TO 7000 FT, SLOW TO 180 KTS AND PROCEED DIRECT TO ANETE. ANETE IS THE FIRST FIX ON THE SFO LDA RWY 28R. WE SCRAMBLED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ANETE WAS, GET THE SFO LDA PRM RWY 28R PAGE OUT, BRIEF IT, LOAD THE FMGC AND BRIEF THE PRM MANEUVERS PAGE FROM THE FLT MANUAL. SINCE THE CURRENT ATIS WAS NOT CALLING FOR THE PRM, WE HAD NOT LOOKED AT IT. WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS NO LDA APCH IN OUR FMGC AND HAD TO LOAD IT MANUALLY. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, WE WERE TOLD TO CHANGE AIRSPD BTWN 250 KTS AND 180 KTS, WITH AN ACCELERATION TO 210 KTS FOLLOWED BY A SLOW DOWN BACK TO 180 KTS, WHILE TRYING TO GET DOWN TO 5000 FT AT BATKE (GS INTERCEPT POINT). WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH TO SFO TWR AROUND 15 MI OUT. WHEN THE CAPT CHKED IN, THEY SOUNDED SURPRISED TO HEAR US AND GAVE US THE WINDS AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE FOR RWY 28L. THE CAPT ASKED IF WE WERE NOW CLRED FOR THE L RWY INSTEAD OF THE R AND AFTER A MOMENT WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM WE WERE STILL SUPPOSED TO BE LNDG ON RWY 28R. WE BEGAN LISTENING TO MONITOR FREQ AT THIS TIME ON RADIO #2 PER THE SFO PAGE. SHORTLY AFTER WE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND STARTED OUR DSCNT, WE GOT A CALL FROM MONITOR THAT WE WERE DRIFTING S OF COURSE. WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE WERE NOT. MONITOR CALLED AGAIN JUST AS WE MADE GND CONTACT OUTSIDE THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE (APPROX SFO 7 DME). AT THIS POINT, I NOTICED THAT THE IDENT FOR THE APCH WAS WRONG AND WHEN WE PUT IN IFNP/110.75 WITH A COURSE OF 278 DEGS, WE WERE INDEED S OF COURSE. WE CORRECTED AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28R. TWR ALSO MADE A QUICK REMARK ABOUT NOT HAVING TO WORRY BECAUSE THE OTHER ACT HAD BROKEN OUT, BUT I DO NOT RECALL THE EXACT CONVERSATION, AS I WAS TRYING TO LAND IN A XWIND AND WAS BUSY. WE PARKED AT GATE X AND RAN TO Y TO MAKE THE SHORT TURN TO LAX. WE DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING FROM SFO TWR OR GND WITH REGARD TO THE WHOLE APCH AND LNDG, BUT FELT THAT WE SHOULD BOTH SUBMIT RPTS. IF SFO WANTS TO DO PRM APCHS, THEY NEED TO PUT IT IN THE ATIS. ITEM #1 ON THE SFO TELLS US TO BRIEF TO FLY THE 'PRM WHEN THE ATIS BROADCAST ADVISES US THAT PRM APCHS ARE BEING USED.' THEY CAN'T THROW IT IN YOUR LAP AT 25 MI OUT, IN A STORM, AND TRY TO MAKE THEIR SPACING WORK OUT. WE WERE BUSY ENOUGH JUST TRYING TO STAY CLR OF THE WX AND COMPLY WITH ALT AND AIRSPD INSTRUCTIONS -- THEN THEY THROW THE PRM AT US. TO MAKE IT WORSE, THE LDA IS NOT LINE SELECTABLE IN OUR FMGC. THAT IS A LOT OF HEADS DOWN TIME BUILDING THE BOX. THE PNF IS TRYING TO DO THIS WHILE HANDLING THE RADIOS AND LISTENING TO THE PF BRIEF THE NEW APCH. THE LDA PRM APCH BRIEFING IS MORE DETAILED AND NOT SOMETHING WE DO VERY OFTEN. SPECIFIC BRIEFING ITEMS FROM THE APCH PAGE AS WELL AS THE AIRPLANE FLT MANUAL MANEUVERS SECTION MUST BE INCLUDED. LOADING AND BRIEFING THIS WHILE TRYING TO 'MAKE IT HAPPEN' FOR ATC PROVED TOO MUCH. NEXT TIME I WILL STRONGLY ADVOCATE THAT WE DECLINE THE PRM APCH AND EITHER CONTINUE ON THE ILS THAT WE BRIEFED AND HAD EVERY RIGHT TO ANTICIPATE, OR GO HOLD SOMEWHERE WHILE WE GET EVERYTHING DONE FOR THE PRM, LET ATC DECIDE WHICH ONE THEY WANT THEN. WE WILL JUST BE LATE AND BURN A LOT MORE GAS. WE ARE ALL TRYING VERY HARD TO GET THINGS DONE ON SCHEDULE AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE UNDER TREMENDOUS STRESS. BUT THE DESIRE TO 'GET IT DONE' AND 'PULL ON THE SAME END OF THE ROPE' CAN COME BACK TO BITE YOU. IT DID THIS TIME.

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.