B757 flight crew is issued a close-in runway change during the civet 5 arrival to lax.

Attributes
ACN	732109
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
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	732109
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Arriving on the civet 5 arrival to lax; as usual; we were uninformed of which runway we would be given until inside of gramm. The pegasus requires something; so we took our best guess at runway 24R. However; we were finally assigned runway 25R just inside of gramm. It doesn't matter how prepared you are; trying to reprogram pegasus or even the regular FMC's takes some time. In this situation; rustt dropped out while trying to choose the transition. Rustt is the turn point to continue on to civet. Fortunately; both the captain and I coordinate together fairly well; and being familiar with la and of higher than usual computer literacy; managed to stay on course. It's time pilots are not scolded to be prepared; but rather get lax to be better prepared! Runway assignments need to be made sooner! Cleaning up the stars so that there isn't so much detail on one page would be another serious suggestion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW IS ISSUED A CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGE DURING THE CIVET 5 ARR TO LAX.

Narrative: ARRIVING ON THE CIVET 5 ARR TO LAX; AS USUAL; WE WERE UNINFORMED OF WHICH RWY WE WOULD BE GIVEN UNTIL INSIDE OF GRAMM. THE PEGASUS REQUIRES SOMETHING; SO WE TOOK OUR BEST GUESS AT RWY 24R. HOWEVER; WE WERE FINALLY ASSIGNED RWY 25R JUST INSIDE OF GRAMM. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW PREPARED YOU ARE; TRYING TO REPROGRAM PEGASUS OR EVEN THE REGULAR FMC'S TAKES SOME TIME. IN THIS SITUATION; RUSTT DROPPED OUT WHILE TRYING TO CHOOSE THE TRANSITION. RUSTT IS THE TURN POINT TO CONTINUE ON TO CIVET. FORTUNATELY; BOTH THE CAPT AND I COORDINATE TOGETHER FAIRLY WELL; AND BEING FAMILIAR WITH LA AND OF HIGHER THAN USUAL COMPUTER LITERACY; MANAGED TO STAY ON COURSE. IT'S TIME PLTS ARE NOT SCOLDED TO BE PREPARED; BUT RATHER GET LAX TO BE BETTER PREPARED! RWY ASSIGNMENTS NEED TO BE MADE SOONER! CLEANING UP THE STARS SO THAT THERE ISN'T SO MUCH DETAIL ON ONE PAGE WOULD BE ANOTHER SERIOUS SUGGESTION.

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.