B757 flight crew on seavu STAR to lax experiences track deviation when late runway assignment from A...

Attributes
ACN	712729
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tracon : sct.tracon tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : seavu
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : lax.tower
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 107 flight time total : 11200 flight time type : 767
ASRS Report	712729
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 117 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	712728
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

ZLA cleared us for the SEAVU1 arrival tnp transition. No runway was given at that time. I loaded the runway 24R expecting the north complex because the prior week that was our runway assignment. Lax then cleared us direct to konzl intersection descend and maintain 17000 ft. Still no runway assignment was given. After passing konzl at 17000 ft I noticed that ATC still had not cleared us on the profile descent. Concerned we might not make the profile altitudes; I reminded ATC that we were maintaining 17000 ft. At this point I believe we were past trtle intersection. At that time ATC cleared us for profile descent for runway 25R. I verified with ATC runway 25R and it was confirmed. At this point we were approximately 1.5-2 mi from cataw intersection. At cataw the arrival makes a right turn to 278 degrees to seavu intersection. I immediately reselected the arrival then the new runway 25R. I noticed there was a discontinuity on the legs page. We flew past cataw the autoplt went to heading hold because of the discontinuity on the FMC. We both knew we had to make a turn at cataw. The first officer mentioned he was going to start a turn in heading select; I agreed. I worked as quickly as I could to correct the discontinuity. ATC noticed we missed our turn and gave us a vector and descent for runway 24R another runway change. ATC called out traffic at 2 O'clock position; we said 'looking.' ATC said 'if we didn't have traffic he would have to break us off the approach.' we said we had 'traffic in sight.' at no time was there a TCAS alert of conflict with the traffic. ATC simply wanted us to maintain visual separation and follow that traffic. ATC then cleared us to intercept runway 25R localizer; another runway change. The first officer put the ILS frequency in while I loaded it into the FMC and extended it. The first officer flew the ILS runway 25R and landed without further incidents. Looking back on this incident several things could have been done to prevent this. First; I should have confirmed early with ATC which runway to expect. Second; when the discontinuity came up I should have immediately had the first officer switch to raw data and fly the STAR. Perhaps; because this was a long duty day 13+ hours duty I might have been quicker in fixing the discontinuity. Perhaps; 1.5-2 mi from the cataw intersection was too short of a time frame to fix the discontinuity problem. Third; I probably should have not changed the arrival since it was already in FMC and reload only the new runway assignment. However; I was under the impression that when given a different runway the PNF has to reload the arrival and the new runway. I know on a SID that is the procedure. In summary these events are as best as I can remember. The first officer and I tried to piece together the chain of events as they occurred in order to make the as soon as possible report as accurate as possible. We were both exhausted after a long day and did our best in taking notes in the taxi ride from lax to ont.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW ON SEAVU STAR TO LAX EXPERIENCES TRACK DEV WHEN LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT FROM ATC RESULTS IN FMS RTE DISCONTINUITY OVER CATAW INTXN.

Narrative: ZLA CLRED US FOR THE SEAVU1 ARR TNP TRANSITION. NO RWY WAS GIVEN AT THAT TIME. I LOADED THE RWY 24R EXPECTING THE N COMPLEX BECAUSE THE PRIOR WEEK THAT WAS OUR RWY ASSIGNMENT. LAX THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO KONZL INTXN DSND AND MAINTAIN 17000 FT. STILL NO RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN. AFTER PASSING KONZL AT 17000 FT I NOTICED THAT ATC STILL HAD NOT CLRED US ON THE PROFILE DSCNT. CONCERNED WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THE PROFILE ALTS; I REMINDED ATC THAT WE WERE MAINTAINING 17000 FT. AT THIS POINT I BELIEVE WE WERE PAST TRTLE INTXN. AT THAT TIME ATC CLRED US FOR PROFILE DSCNT FOR RWY 25R. I VERIFIED WITH ATC RWY 25R AND IT WAS CONFIRMED. AT THIS POINT WE WERE APPROX 1.5-2 MI FROM CATAW INTXN. AT CATAW THE ARR MAKES A R TURN TO 278 DEGS TO SEAVU INTXN. I IMMEDIATELY RESELECTED THE ARR THEN THE NEW RWY 25R. I NOTICED THERE WAS A DISCONTINUITY ON THE LEGS PAGE. WE FLEW PAST CATAW THE AUTOPLT WENT TO HDG HOLD BECAUSE OF THE DISCONTINUITY ON THE FMC. WE BOTH KNEW WE HAD TO MAKE A TURN AT CATAW. THE FO MENTIONED HE WAS GOING TO START A TURN IN HDG SELECT; I AGREED. I WORKED AS QUICKLY AS I COULD TO CORRECT THE DISCONTINUITY. ATC NOTICED WE MISSED OUR TURN AND GAVE US A VECTOR AND DSCNT FOR RWY 24R ANOTHER RWY CHANGE. ATC CALLED OUT TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK POS; WE SAID 'LOOKING.' ATC SAID 'IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TFC HE WOULD HAVE TO BREAK US OFF THE APCH.' WE SAID WE HAD 'TFC IN SIGHT.' AT NO TIME WAS THERE A TCAS ALERT OF CONFLICT WITH THE TFC. ATC SIMPLY WANTED US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND FOLLOW THAT TFC. ATC THEN CLRED US TO INTERCEPT RWY 25R LOC; ANOTHER RWY CHANGE. THE FO PUT THE ILS FREQ IN WHILE I LOADED IT INTO THE FMC AND EXTENDED IT. THE FO FLEW THE ILS RWY 25R AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENTS. LOOKING BACK ON THIS INCIDENT SEVERAL THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS. FIRST; I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED EARLY WITH ATC WHICH RWY TO EXPECT. SECOND; WHEN THE DISCONTINUITY CAME UP I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY HAD THE FO SWITCH TO RAW DATA AND FLY THE STAR. PERHAPS; BECAUSE THIS WAS A LONG DUTY DAY 13+ HRS DUTY I MIGHT HAVE BEEN QUICKER IN FIXING THE DISCONTINUITY. PERHAPS; 1.5-2 MI FROM THE CATAW INTXN WAS TOO SHORT OF A TIME FRAME TO FIX THE DISCONTINUITY PROB. THIRD; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE NOT CHANGED THE ARR SINCE IT WAS ALREADY IN FMC AND RELOAD ONLY THE NEW RWY ASSIGNMENT. HOWEVER; I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WHEN GIVEN A DIFFERENT RWY THE PNF HAS TO RELOAD THE ARR AND THE NEW RWY. I KNOW ON A SID THAT IS THE PROC. IN SUMMARY THESE EVENTS ARE AS BEST AS I CAN REMEMBER. THE FO AND I TRIED TO PIECE TOGETHER THE CHAIN OF EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED IN ORDER TO MAKE THE ASAP RPT AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE BOTH EXHAUSTED AFTER A LONG DAY AND DID OUR BEST IN TAKING NOTES IN THE TAXI RIDE FROM LAX TO ONT.

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.

B757 flight crew on seavu STAR to lax experiences track deviation when late runway assignment from ATC results in FMS route discontinuity over cataw intersection.