Narrative:

On the loop 4 departure from lax; runway 25R was selected in the FMS instead of runway 24L; and incorrect heading was flown for a short time in 'navigation' between passing smo 160 degree radial and later radio headings from socal departure. No irregularities were mentioned by departure control. After being unaccustomed to taking off on runway 24L; and visually noting that runway 25R was being used for departures; we briefed runway 25R departure before pushing out from our south complex location. It was also the more time constrained runway option. After being assigned runway 24L from ground control; we focused on the different power and flap settings for the other runway (shorter runway; and we had a relatively high takeoff weight); as well as the different taxi route. Nothing flagged us to change the departure runway in the FMS; nor to prepare for the different departure headings. This was my failure as captain to rebrief the departure during taxi out -- the departure name was the same; but the takeoff runway was different; changing the departure headings. In the FMS aircraft; the selected runway will automatically update the IRS position when the power is advanced; which placed the 'purple line' exactly where we would have expected it to be on the HSI display; the IRS/FMS system believing that we had actually taken off from runway 25R. In trying to determine why we had made this mistake in retrospect; there has been a lot of emphasis at the airline on 'RNAV' departures; and making sure that the correct departure runway is loaded. However; this being not an RNAV departure; we relaxed our guard. I don't know why departure control didn't bring this to our attention after crossing the smo 160 degree radial but my guess is that we hadn't deviated far enough from the correct departure path to grab the controller's attention; and there was no simultaneous departure from the south complex. On the south complex; runway 25R is currently doing double duty as a landing and takeoff runway because of closure/construction on runway 25L. This was also early morning; and we had a forward entry door problem at departure time. To prevent this from happening again; I have a suggestion: since most all passenger aircraft are now using FMS; perhaps it would be a good idea to place information signs in strategic locations reminding departing aircraft to verify the departure runway in their CDU's. These signs could be adjacent to the txwys connecting the north and south complexes in lax; as well as txwys connecting airport halves at other locations with similar parallel runway arrangements (dfw; jfk; den; iad; mia; msp; etc).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW DEPARTED LAX ON THE RWY 24L LOOP 4 DEP WITH THE RWY 25R LOOP DEP IN THE FMS AND DEVIATED FROM THE SID ROUTING.

Narrative: ON THE LOOP 4 DEP FROM LAX; RWY 25R WAS SELECTED IN THE FMS INSTEAD OF RWY 24L; AND INCORRECT HDG WAS FLOWN FOR A SHORT TIME IN 'NAV' BTWN PASSING SMO 160 DEG RADIAL AND LATER RADIO HDGS FROM SOCAL DEP. NO IRREGULARITIES WERE MENTIONED BY DEP CTL. AFTER BEING UNACCUSTOMED TO TAKING OFF ON RWY 24L; AND VISUALLY NOTING THAT RWY 25R WAS BEING USED FOR DEPS; WE BRIEFED RWY 25R DEP BEFORE PUSHING OUT FROM OUR S COMPLEX LOCATION. IT WAS ALSO THE MORE TIME CONSTRAINED RWY OPTION. AFTER BEING ASSIGNED RWY 24L FROM GND CTL; WE FOCUSED ON THE DIFFERENT PWR AND FLAP SETTINGS FOR THE OTHER RWY (SHORTER RWY; AND WE HAD A RELATIVELY HIGH TKOF WT); AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT TAXI RTE. NOTHING FLAGGED US TO CHANGE THE DEP RWY IN THE FMS; NOR TO PREPARE FOR THE DIFFERENT DEP HDGS. THIS WAS MY FAILURE AS CAPT TO REBRIEF THE DEP DURING TAXI OUT -- THE DEP NAME WAS THE SAME; BUT THE TKOF RWY WAS DIFFERENT; CHANGING THE DEP HDGS. IN THE FMS ACFT; THE SELECTED RWY WILL AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE THE IRS POS WHEN THE PWR IS ADVANCED; WHICH PLACED THE 'PURPLE LINE' EXACTLY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IT TO BE ON THE HSI DISPLAY; THE IRS/FMS SYS BELIEVING THAT WE HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 25R. IN TRYING TO DETERMINE WHY WE HAD MADE THIS MISTAKE IN RETROSPECT; THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF EMPHASIS AT THE AIRLINE ON 'RNAV' DEPS; AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CORRECT DEP RWY IS LOADED. HOWEVER; THIS BEING NOT AN RNAV DEP; WE RELAXED OUR GUARD. I DON'T KNOW WHY DEP CTL DIDN'T BRING THIS TO OUR ATTN AFTER XING THE SMO 160 DEG RADIAL BUT MY GUESS IS THAT WE HADN'T DEVIATED FAR ENOUGH FROM THE CORRECT DEP PATH TO GRAB THE CTLR'S ATTN; AND THERE WAS NO SIMULTANEOUS DEP FROM THE S COMPLEX. ON THE S COMPLEX; RWY 25R IS CURRENTLY DOING DOUBLE DUTY AS A LNDG AND TKOF RWY BECAUSE OF CLOSURE/CONSTRUCTION ON RWY 25L. THIS WAS ALSO EARLY MORNING; AND WE HAD A FORWARD ENTRY DOOR PROB AT DEP TIME. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; I HAVE A SUGGESTION: SINCE MOST ALL PAX ACFT ARE NOW USING FMS; PERHAPS IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO PLACE INFO SIGNS IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS REMINDING DEPARTING ACFT TO VERIFY THE DEP RWY IN THEIR CDU'S. THESE SIGNS COULD BE ADJACENT TO THE TXWYS CONNECTING THE N AND S COMPLEXES IN LAX; AS WELL AS TXWYS CONNECTING ARPT HALVES AT OTHER LOCATIONS WITH SIMILAR PARALLEL RWY ARRANGEMENTS (DFW; JFK; DEN; IAD; MIA; MSP; ETC).

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.