Narrative:

On descent into lax; we were set up and briefed for the seavu 1 arrival to runway 25R. After passing konzl; approach changed our runway to runway 24R. I was flying; autoplt on; and started to change the runway and arrival to the new runway in the FMS. I failed to select the entire arrival all the way back to tnp; which dropped a lot of the arrival points out of our route of flight. So I went back into the FMS to reset the arrival. As I was doing this; the aircraft now had no route information to follow; so I selected heading select to keep the aircraft going in the desired direction and selected vertical speed to keep the aircraft descending. By the time I finally got the arrival in the FMS correctly; we had passed seavu left of course and at approximately 15200 ft. I then set about getting us back on course and getting us descending the way we needed to be. By the time we were approaching decor; we were was higher than the 9800b9000a altitude restr; and even with full speed brakes; passed decor at approximately 11000 ft MSL. We tried to call approach for relief on the restr but were unable to due to frequency congestion. I continued the accelerated descent until we were back on the prescribed descent path and flew the arrival and approach to an uneventful landing on runway 24R at lax. In hindsight; I should have given the aircraft to the captain prior to getting into the FMS or definitely after having messed up the initial arrival attempt; so that someone would have been dedicated to flying the aircraft while all this was going on. I tried to do too much; and unfortunately for us; none of it very successfully. Not messing up the initial attempt would have been a smart move as well. Supplemental information from acn 709426: we just got behind during a very busy time. It would help if the initial approach controller could give a runway assignment that would stick -- there is much more time to respond early on this arrival. I know we are told to ditch the FMS and fly raw data when things change. 6 yrs ago in a B727 that would have been easy; but when things get tough you do what you know. I have not flown an arrival even close to this complex on raw data in 5 yrs. Things that are easy when practiced often; are a little scary when under a lot of pressure and unfamiliar. We tried to notify approach that we were not going to make the restr; but we must have been blocked because they never responded and the frequency was very busy. The remainder of the arrival and landing were normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW RPTS MISSING LAX SEAVU 1 ALT RESTRS AFTER BEING DISTR WHILE ENTERING FMS ENTRIES FOR A LAST MIN RWY CHANGE.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO LAX; WE WERE SET UP AND BRIEFED FOR THE SEAVU 1 ARR TO RWY 25R. AFTER PASSING KONZL; APCH CHANGED OUR RWY TO RWY 24R. I WAS FLYING; AUTOPLT ON; AND STARTED TO CHANGE THE RWY AND ARR TO THE NEW RWY IN THE FMS. I FAILED TO SELECT THE ENTIRE ARR ALL THE WAY BACK TO TNP; WHICH DROPPED A LOT OF THE ARR POINTS OUT OF OUR RTE OF FLT. SO I WENT BACK INTO THE FMS TO RESET THE ARR. AS I WAS DOING THIS; THE ACFT NOW HAD NO RTE INFO TO FOLLOW; SO I SELECTED HDG SELECT TO KEEP THE ACFT GOING IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION AND SELECTED VERT SPD TO KEEP THE ACFT DSNDING. BY THE TIME I FINALLY GOT THE ARR IN THE FMS CORRECTLY; WE HAD PASSED SEAVU L OF COURSE AND AT APPROX 15200 FT. I THEN SET ABOUT GETTING US BACK ON COURSE AND GETTING US DSNDING THE WAY WE NEEDED TO BE. BY THE TIME WE WERE APCHING DECOR; WE WERE WAS HIGHER THAN THE 9800B9000A ALT RESTR; AND EVEN WITH FULL SPD BRAKES; PASSED DECOR AT APPROX 11000 FT MSL. WE TRIED TO CALL APCH FOR RELIEF ON THE RESTR BUT WERE UNABLE TO DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. I CONTINUED THE ACCELERATED DSCNT UNTIL WE WERE BACK ON THE PRESCRIBED DSCNT PATH AND FLEW THE ARR AND APCH TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 24R AT LAX. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE ACFT TO THE CAPT PRIOR TO GETTING INTO THE FMS OR DEFINITELY AFTER HAVING MESSED UP THE INITIAL ARR ATTEMPT; SO THAT SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO FLYING THE ACFT WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON. I TRIED TO DO TOO MUCH; AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR US; NONE OF IT VERY SUCCESSFULLY. NOT MESSING UP THE INITIAL ATTEMPT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SMART MOVE AS WELL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 709426: WE JUST GOT BEHIND DURING A VERY BUSY TIME. IT WOULD HELP IF THE INITIAL APCH CTLR COULD GIVE A RWY ASSIGNMENT THAT WOULD STICK -- THERE IS MUCH MORE TIME TO RESPOND EARLY ON THIS ARR. I KNOW WE ARE TOLD TO DITCH THE FMS AND FLY RAW DATA WHEN THINGS CHANGE. 6 YRS AGO IN A B727 THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY; BUT WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH YOU DO WHAT YOU KNOW. I HAVE NOT FLOWN AN ARR EVEN CLOSE TO THIS COMPLEX ON RAW DATA IN 5 YRS. THINGS THAT ARE EASY WHEN PRACTICED OFTEN; ARE A LITTLE SCARY WHEN UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE AND UNFAMILIAR. WE TRIED TO NOTIFY APCH THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR; BUT WE MUST HAVE BEEN BLOCKED BECAUSE THEY NEVER RESPONDED AND THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. THE REMAINDER OF THE ARR AND LNDG WERE NORMAL.

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.