An MD80 on the seavu arrival to lax got a last minute runway change and the flight crew found the al...

Attributes
ACN	707877
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : mmcz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : seavu
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	707877
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	707876
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

First officer was PF on seavu STAR. ATC changed us to runway 24R while we had briefed runway 25 arrival. While we transitioned to runway 24R altitude restrictions I was setting in new navigation data in FMS and setting altitudes. We were level 12000 ft at dixxn. The next crossing was the crossing at or above 10000 ft. I set altitude at 10000 ft. I instructed first officer to descend to 10000 ft. He said he didn't see it. The next descent point then was between 9000 ft and 9800 ft while the aircraft was at 12000 ft. I set altitude at 9000 ft and instructed first officer to begin descent again. He was looking at the chart and said he didn't see 9000 ft. Since I hadn't studied the notes as thoroughly as arrival for runway 24 I wasn't sure if I had made a mistake. I triple checked myself and instructed him again to descend. I was just about to take over the aircraft when he started the descent. We ended up being about 300 to 500 ft high on the next restriction. We made the rest of the approach uneventfully. In the future; I will study all potential arrs and make sure that the first officer is aware of all the restrictions. The lax arrs are confusing as they have little numbers referring to crossing restrictions; I will be sure to brief all the descent points in the future; especially at lax.supplemental information from acn 707876: while descending to lax on the seavu one arrival for runway 25L; we were reassigned to descend via the seavu one arrival to runway 24R. We were at 11000 ft and waiting to descend to the next fix skoll at or above 10000 ft; when we were told to slow from 250 KTS to 210 KTS. While decelerating and reading the next bold note (#2) we noticed that we were to be at decor between 9800 ft and 9000 ft. Decor is located between skoll (at or above 10000 ft) and breea (at or above 8000 ft) but there is no bold note for the between 9800 ft and 9000 ft restriction; just a box note. We crossed decor at approximately 10400 ft or about 600 ft high. Socal approach said nothing and no TCAS advisories were experienced. In my opinion the approach notes in the final phase of the seavu one arrival are confusing and poorly written.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON THE SEAVU ARR TO LAX GOT A LAST MINUTE RWY CHANGE AND THE FLT CREW FOUND THE ALT RESTRICTIONS AND NOTES ON THE ARR CHART DIFFICULT TO READ AND INTERPRET.

Narrative: FO WAS PF ON SEAVU STAR. ATC CHANGED US TO RWY 24R WHILE WE HAD BRIEFED RWY 25 ARR. WHILE WE TRANSITIONED TO RWY 24R ALT RESTRICTIONS I WAS SETTING IN NEW NAV DATA IN FMS AND SETTING ALTS. WE WERE LEVEL 12000 FT AT DIXXN. THE NEXT CROSSING WAS THE CROSSING AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT. I SET ALT AT 10000 FT. I INSTRUCTED FO TO DSND TO 10000 FT. HE SAID HE DIDN'T SEE IT. THE NEXT DSCNT POINT THEN WAS BETWEEN 9000 FT AND 9800 FT WHILE THE ACFT WAS AT 12000 FT. I SET ALT AT 9000 FT AND INSTRUCTED FO TO BEGIN DSCNT AGAIN. HE WAS LOOKING AT THE CHART AND SAID HE DIDN'T SEE 9000 FT. SINCE I HADN'T STUDIED THE NOTES AS THOROUGHLY AS ARR FOR RWY 24 I WASN'T SURE IF I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. I TRIPLE CHKED MYSELF AND INSTRUCTED HIM AGAIN TO DSND. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO TAKE OVER THE ACFT WHEN HE STARTED THE DSCNT. WE ENDED UP BEING ABOUT 300 TO 500 FT HIGH ON THE NEXT RESTRICTION. WE MADE THE REST OF THE APCH UNEVENTFULLY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL STUDY ALL POTENTIAL ARRS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FO IS AWARE OF ALL THE RESTRICTIONS. THE LAX ARRS ARE CONFUSING AS THEY HAVE LITTLE NUMBERS REFERRING TO CROSSING RESTRICTIONS; I WILL BE SURE TO BRIEF ALL THE DSCNT POINTS IN THE FUTURE; ESPECIALLY AT LAX.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 707876: WHILE DSNDING TO LAX ON THE SEAVU ONE ARR FOR RWY 25L; WE WERE REASSIGNED TO DSND VIA THE SEAVU ONE ARR TO RWY 24R. WE WERE AT 11000 FT AND WAITING TO DSND TO THE NEXT FIX SKOLL AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT; WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW FROM 250 KTS TO 210 KTS. WHILE DECELERATING AND READING THE NEXT BOLD NOTE (#2) WE NOTICED THAT WE WERE TO BE AT DECOR BETWEEN 9800 FT AND 9000 FT. DECOR IS LOCATED BETWEEN SKOLL (AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT) AND BREEA (AT OR ABOVE 8000 FT) BUT THERE IS NO BOLD NOTE FOR THE BETWEEN 9800 FT AND 9000 FT RESTRICTION; JUST A BOX NOTE. WE CROSSED DECOR AT APPROX 10400 FT OR ABOUT 600 FT HIGH. SOCAL APCH SAID NOTHING AND NO TCAS ADVISORIES WERE EXPERIENCED. IN MY OPINION THE APCH NOTES IN THE FINAL PHASE OF THE SEAVU ONE ARR ARE CONFUSING AND POORLY WRITTEN.

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.

An MD80 on the seavu arrival to lax got a last minute runway change and the flight crew found the altitude restrictions and notes on the arrival chart difficult to read and interpret.