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Late runway assignment at lax causes B737 crew to descend below step down fix at gaate on ILS runway 25L.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 738096 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 25l other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 329 |
| ASRS Report | 738096 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 227 |
| ASRS Report | 738097 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Controller said he would work on getting us the north complex and this suited our expectations. We were later cleared for ILS runway 25L (mentally we were expecting runway 24R) and became task saturated with re-programming FMC; local frequency; speed reduction; trying to get down for a stable approach. At some point we were cleared visual runway 25L; I believe I was still on or above the GS; when we noticed we were below the step down altitude at gaate 5000 ft MSL; we were approximately 4500 ft. We are not sure if we were cleared visual prior to descending below 5000 ft MSL. Hindsight being 20/20 he probably said; 'expect runway 25L I will work on getting you the north complex.' which is what we cued in on; since 99% of the time that ends up the case; but there were numerous helos in the area. Clarify uncertain clearances; reprogram if in a complex environment such as lax.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT AT LAX CAUSES B737 CREW TO DESCEND BELOW STEP DOWN FIX AT GAATE ON ILS RWY 25L.
Narrative: CONTROLLER SAID HE WOULD WORK ON GETTING US THE NORTH COMPLEX AND THIS SUITED OUR EXPECTATIONS. WE WERE LATER CLEARED FOR ILS RWY 25L (MENTALLY WE WERE EXPECTING RWY 24R) AND BECAME TASK SATURATED WITH RE-PROGRAMMING FMC; LOCAL FREQUENCY; SPEED REDUCTION; TRYING TO GET DOWN FOR A STABLE APPROACH. AT SOME POINT WE WERE CLEARED VISUAL RWY 25L; I BELIEVE I WAS STILL ON OR ABOVE THE GS; WHEN WE NOTICED WE WERE BELOW THE STEP DOWN ALTITUDE AT GAATE 5000 FT MSL; WE WERE APPROX 4500 FT. WE ARE NOT SURE IF WE WERE CLEARED VISUAL PRIOR TO DESCENDING BELOW 5000 FT MSL. HINDSIGHT BEING 20/20 HE PROBABLY SAID; 'EXPECT RWY 25L I WILL WORK ON GETTING YOU THE NORTH COMPLEX.' WHICH IS WHAT WE CUED IN ON; SINCE 99% OF THE TIME THAT ENDS UP THE CASE; BUT THERE WERE NUMEROUS HELOS IN THE AREA. CLARIFY UNCERTAIN CLEARANCES; REPROGRAM IF IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS LAX.
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.