Narrative:

Descending to gramm on the civet 5 arrival to las we were leveling at FL190 and slowed to 250 KTS at socal's request; then given a vector north for additional separation and flow into lax. When turned back direct to civet we were given a frequency change. The new controller cleared us direct to civet and descended to 14000 ft; speed back up to 280 KTS; and cleared for the civet runway 24R approach to runway 24R and 'sorry about the changes.' I flew direct to civet while the copilot changed the arrival from runway 25L in route 1 to runway 24R which had been placed in route 2 earlier. Three miles prior to civet we leveled at 14000 ft and 280 KTS as per socal's request. I asked the copilot to confirm with socal that we were cleared to descend on the profile. He confirmed that yes we were but to maintain the 280 KTS until further advised. I selected VNAV since we were still on the required step-down altitudes. For about 5 seconds I tried to select VNAV but the automatic flight controller didn't respond correctly; jumping back into altitude hold. During that brief distraction I overshot the turn onto the RNAV approach. Immediately the controller saw this and gave me a turn as I was turning back to course. Since there was an aircraft also making a turn from the south onto the runway 25L approach final the controller wanted to make sure we had that aircraft in sight and were turning onto the proper approach course. When I saw my overshoot happening I immediately clicked off all the automation and hand flew the requested vector. When we told the controller that we had the aircraft on the parallel approach in sight; he cleared us back to the next step-down on the arrival and for the approach. In hindsight I should not have tried to use VNAV once the approach had been interrupted; this caused an unnecessary distraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT CREW DEVIATED FROM THE CHARTED STAR ON ARR INTO LAX FOLLOWING A LATE RWY CHANGE.

Narrative: DSNDING TO GRAMM ON THE CIVET 5 ARR TO LAS WE WERE LEVELING AT FL190 AND SLOWED TO 250 KTS AT SOCAL'S REQUEST; THEN GIVEN A VECTOR N FOR ADDITIONAL SEPARATION AND FLOW INTO LAX. WHEN TURNED BACK DIRECT TO CIVET WE WERE GIVEN A FREQUENCY CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO CIVET AND DSNDED TO 14000 FT; SPEED BACK UP TO 280 KTS; AND CLRED FOR THE CIVET RWY 24R APCH TO RWY 24R AND 'SORRY ABOUT THE CHANGES.' I FLEW DIRECT TO CIVET WHILE THE COPLT CHANGED THE ARR FROM RWY 25L IN RTE 1 TO RWY 24R WHICH HAD BEEN PLACED IN RTE 2 EARLIER. THREE MILES PRIOR TO CIVET WE LEVELED AT 14000 FT AND 280 KTS AS PER SOCAL'S REQUEST. I ASKED THE COPLT TO CONFIRM WITH SOCAL THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DSND ON THE PROFILE. HE CONFIRMED THAT YES WE WERE BUT TO MAINTAIN THE 280 KTS UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. I SELECTED VNAV SINCE WE WERE STILL ON THE REQUIRED STEP-DOWN ALTITUDES. FOR ABOUT 5 SECS I TRIED TO SELECT VNAV BUT THE AUTO FLT CTLR DIDN'T RESPOND CORRECTLY; JUMPING BACK INTO ALTITUDE HOLD. DURING THAT BRIEF DISTRACTION I OVERSHOT THE TURN ONTO THE RNAV APCH. IMMEDIATELY THE CTLR SAW THIS AND GAVE ME A TURN AS I WAS TURNING BACK TO COURSE. SINCE THERE WAS AN ACFT ALSO MAKING A TURN FROM THE S ONTO THE RWY 25L APCH FINAL THE CTLR WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THAT ACFT IN SIGHT AND WERE TURNING ONTO THE PROPER APCH COURSE. WHEN I SAW MY OVERSHOOT HAPPENING I IMMEDIATELY CLICKED OFF ALL THE AUTOMATION AND HAND FLEW THE REQUESTED VECTOR. WHEN WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD THE ACFT ON THE PARALLEL APCH IN SIGHT; HE CLRED US BACK TO THE NEXT STEP-DOWN ON THE ARR AND FOR THE APCH. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TRIED TO USE VNAV ONCE THE APCH HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED; THIS CAUSED AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION.

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.