Narrative:

After contacting socal during the descent on the mitts 2 arrival for runway 24; we were given a clearance to cross snrkl intersection at 12000 ft and then we were cleared to descend on the profile for runway 24R. At the same time there was another carrier B747-400 that was being vectored. He was given a heading to intercept the runway 25L localizer. I could see the other carrier off to my 10 O'clock position just above my altitude. I also noticed that the vector that the controller had given him (220 degrees) did not coincide with his flight path. I could see that he was coming towards the runway 24R localizer. The airspeed assigned to us was 250 KTS. I was worried that the controller had not noticed the deviation that the other carrier was committing; so I started slowing down to 230 KTS to get more separation between us. We were now between 4-5 mi behind him according to the TCASII just above his altitude. The controller finally noticed the deviation after the other carrier had intercepted the runway 24R localizer. Socal gave the other directions 4 more times to intercept the runway 25L localizer. He was even given the runway 25L localizer frequency 2 times. Every response from the other carrier was for runway 24R. Finally the controller gave up trying to switch him to runway 25L. Communications between socal and the other carrier essentially ceased at that point. The other carrier was landing on runway 24R regardless of what socal was trying to tell him. During the entire deliberation between the controller and the other carrier; we encountered wake turbulence around 14000 ft. Like any wake turbulence encounter; the aircraft rolled left and then right 1 time. Right after the wake turbulence; we were given a speed restr of 180 KTS. After slowing; we had a 6 mi separation gap between us and the other carrier. I told the controller twice about the wake turbulence incident and all he said was 'roger.' during the remainder of the profile I was above glide path to avoid another wake turbulence encounter. I secured the cabin around 11000 ft. After landing in lax; I got a message from the first officer I was flying with. He said the operations agent working the flight had just learned that one of our flight attendants had been injured during the wake turbulence encounter and she was headed to the hospital.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT IS INJURED WHEN B737-500 ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB IN TRAIL OF B747-400 ON APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING SOCAL DURING THE DSCNT ON THE MITTS 2 ARR FOR RWY 24; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS SNRKL INTXN AT 12000 FT AND THEN WE WERE CLRED TO DSND ON THE PROFILE FOR RWY 24R. AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS ANOTHER CARRIER B747-400 THAT WAS BEING VECTORED. HE WAS GIVEN A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 25L LOC. I COULD SEE THE OTHER CARRIER OFF TO MY 10 O'CLOCK POS JUST ABOVE MY ALT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VECTOR THAT THE CTLR HAD GIVEN HIM (220 DEGS) DID NOT COINCIDE WITH HIS FLT PATH. I COULD SEE THAT HE WAS COMING TOWARDS THE RWY 24R LOC. THE AIRSPD ASSIGNED TO US WAS 250 KTS. I WAS WORRIED THAT THE CTLR HAD NOT NOTICED THE DEV THAT THE OTHER CARRIER WAS COMMITTING; SO I STARTED SLOWING DOWN TO 230 KTS TO GET MORE SEPARATION BTWN US. WE WERE NOW BTWN 4-5 MI BEHIND HIM ACCORDING TO THE TCASII JUST ABOVE HIS ALT. THE CTLR FINALLY NOTICED THE DEV AFTER THE OTHER CARRIER HAD INTERCEPTED THE RWY 24R LOC. SOCAL GAVE THE OTHER DIRECTIONS 4 MORE TIMES TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 25L LOC. HE WAS EVEN GIVEN THE RWY 25L LOC FREQ 2 TIMES. EVERY RESPONSE FROM THE OTHER CARRIER WAS FOR RWY 24R. FINALLY THE CTLR GAVE UP TRYING TO SWITCH HIM TO RWY 25L. COMS BTWN SOCAL AND THE OTHER CARRIER ESSENTIALLY CEASED AT THAT POINT. THE OTHER CARRIER WAS LNDG ON RWY 24R REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOCAL WAS TRYING TO TELL HIM. DURING THE ENTIRE DELIBERATION BTWN THE CTLR AND THE OTHER CARRIER; WE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB AROUND 14000 FT. LIKE ANY WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER; THE ACFT ROLLED L AND THEN R 1 TIME. RIGHT AFTER THE WAKE TURB; WE WERE GIVEN A SPD RESTR OF 180 KTS. AFTER SLOWING; WE HAD A 6 MI SEPARATION GAP BTWN US AND THE OTHER CARRIER. I TOLD THE CTLR TWICE ABOUT THE WAKE TURB INCIDENT AND ALL HE SAID WAS 'ROGER.' DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE PROFILE I WAS ABOVE GLIDE PATH TO AVOID ANOTHER WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER. I SECURED THE CABIN AROUND 11000 FT. AFTER LNDG IN LAX; I GOT A MESSAGE FROM THE FO I WAS FLYING WITH. HE SAID THE OPS AGENT WORKING THE FLT HAD JUST LEARNED THAT ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN INJURED DURING THE WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER AND SHE WAS HEADED TO THE HOSPITAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.