MD80 flight crew has a close in runway change issued during the seavu 1 arrival to lax.

Attributes
ACN	731325
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
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 Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	731325
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Once again; on the seavu arrival to lax we were given a late runway change. The assumed runway for landing from the east is runway 25R and this was programmed into the FMS. After passing konzl intersection we were handed off from la center to socal approach. Socal cleared us to descend via the seavu arrival for runway 24R. Reprogramming the FMS from runway 25R to runway 24R caused the intermediate waypoints of cataw and seavu to drop out; and the airplane began a turn direct to dixxn. Recognizing this error; we went to heading select; scrambled to reinsert the waypoint cataw; and recomposed the correct course. The situation in the cockpit was total heads down concentration on course reconstruction while descending below 18000 ft in cavu conditions. I will admit that reliance on VOR navigation would have rendered this discussion moot; but our goal for the future is to rely solely on FMS. As long as there are anomalies in changing runways for intended landing or takeoff in conjunction with sids or stars; ATC must work with us and give us enough time to make the appropriate changes to our navigation computer. A runway change on arrival at lax inside konzl is not adequate! What will it take to make socal realize that!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS A CLOSE IN RWY CHANGE ISSUED DURING THE SEAVU 1 ARR TO LAX.

Narrative: ONCE AGAIN; ON THE SEAVU ARR TO LAX WE WERE GIVEN A LATE RWY CHANGE. THE ASSUMED RWY FOR LNDG FROM THE E IS RWY 25R AND THIS WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS. AFTER PASSING KONZL INTXN WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM LA CTR TO SOCAL APCH. SOCAL CLRED US TO DSND VIA THE SEAVU ARR FOR RWY 24R. REPROGRAMMING THE FMS FROM RWY 25R TO RWY 24R CAUSED THE INTERMEDIATE WAYPOINTS OF CATAW AND SEAVU TO DROP OUT; AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TURN DIRECT TO DIXXN. RECOGNIZING THIS ERROR; WE WENT TO HEADING SELECT; SCRAMBLED TO REINSERT THE WAYPOINT CATAW; AND RECOMPOSED THE CORRECT COURSE. THE SITUATION IN THE COCKPIT WAS TOTAL HEADS DOWN CONCENTRATION ON COURSE RECONSTRUCTION WHILE DSNDING BELOW 18000 FT IN CAVU CONDITIONS. I WILL ADMIT THAT RELIANCE ON VOR NAV WOULD HAVE RENDERED THIS DISCUSSION MOOT; BUT OUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE IS TO RELY SOLELY ON FMS. AS LONG AS THERE ARE ANOMALIES IN CHANGING RWYS FOR INTENDED LNDG OR TAKEOFF IN CONJUNCTION WITH SIDS OR STARS; ATC MUST WORK WITH US AND GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CHANGES TO OUR NAV COMPUTER. A RWY CHANGE ON ARR AT LAX INSIDE KONZL IS NOT ADEQUATE! WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE SOCAL REALIZE THAT!

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.