Late runway change on civet STAR to lax results in track and altitude deviation by B757 flight crew.

Attributes
ACN	721335
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tower : sycj.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : civet
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	721335
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The captain was ill en route and had to use the lav at least 3 times. I knew that I would need be more responsibility than ever. On the civet 5 arrival just outside rustt; ATC gave us clearance for another runway. We were at FL180. They then gave us a clearance to descend via the civet 5. I entered the new runway into the CDU box; reselected the arrival and executed. The plane then went into heading hold; altitude hold until it could think thru the change. We carried past rustt on the inbound heading and did not descend due to its being in its thinking-about-it mode. It noticed this and went to heading select and turned it towards civet and hit flight level change to get it started down. We deviated from the arrival while the computer caught up to the latitude track. ATC challenged us on our lateral deviation from the arrival. We deployed the boards; but still missed the altitude requirement at civet also. If ATC could give their runway change outside of gramm; it would prevent the flight crews from last min changes and CPU panic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE RWY CHANGE ON CIVET STAR TO LAX RESULTS IN TRACK AND ALT DEV BY B757 FLT CREW.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS ILL ENRTE AND HAD TO USE THE LAV AT LEAST 3 TIMES. I KNEW THAT I WOULD NEED BE MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN EVER. ON THE CIVET 5 ARR JUST OUTSIDE RUSTT; ATC GAVE US CLRNC FOR ANOTHER RWY. WE WERE AT FL180. THEY THEN GAVE US A CLRNC TO DSND VIA THE CIVET 5. I ENTERED THE NEW RWY INTO THE CDU BOX; RESELECTED THE ARR AND EXECUTED. THE PLANE THEN WENT INTO HEADING HOLD; ALT HOLD UNTIL IT COULD THINK THRU THE CHANGE. WE CARRIED PAST RUSTT ON THE INBND HEADING AND DID NOT DSND DUE TO ITS BEING IN ITS THINKING-ABOUT-IT MODE. IT NOTICED THIS AND WENT TO HEADING SELECT AND TURNED IT TOWARDS CIVET AND HIT FLT LEVEL CHANGE TO GET IT STARTED DOWN. WE DEVIATED FROM THE ARR WHILE THE COMPUTER CAUGHT UP TO THE LAT TRACK. ATC CHALLENGED US ON OUR LATERAL DEVIATION FROM THE ARR. WE DEPLOYED THE BOARDS; BUT STILL MISSED THE ALT REQUIREMENT AT CIVET ALSO. IF ATC COULD GIVE THEIR RWY CHANGE OUTSIDE OF GRAMM; IT WOULD PREVENT THE FLT CREWS FROM LAST MIN CHANGES AND CPU PANIC.

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.