Narrative:

During arrival to lax flying the seavu one arrival; our aircraft intercepted the inbound course to runway 25L when ATC wanted us to intercept the inbound course to runway 24R. Earlier; approximately 350 mi from the airport; we were cleared direct to twenty-nine palms. We overheard ZAB tell other flts that lax was busy and that they were rerouted direct to hector for the riivr one arrival. The seavu one arrival was on our planned and cleared route of flight; and we were expecting to fly it to runway 25L. We had it loaded in our FMS; and had verified all of the altitudes and airspds. In order to be prepared for a change; the first officer; who was the PF; also loaded the riivr one arrival to runway 25L into route 2 of the FMS; and verified all the points. We continued along our filed route into ZLA airspace without any off course vectors or speed assignments. When we were handed off to socal approach; we were cleared to descend via the seavu one arrival; but received no runway assignment. In the vicinity of konzl; with the aircraft at 17000 ft MSL and 280 KIAS; we were instructed to maintain 17000 ft and fly heading 360 degrees. After a couple of mins we were turned to a southerly heading. We received and flew several more assigned headings which placed us a couple of mi north of the seavu arrival; and were cleared to 16000 ft and later to 15000 ft. The socal approach control radio frequency was very busy. We then received a clearance direct to skoll intersection; with which we were not familiar. Skoll intersection was not on our fix list; since we had preloaded runway 25L; and had not been given any other runway assignment. I looked at the commercial page; but could not immediately find it. I asked socal where that fix was; and the controller spelled the fix name for me and said it was on the arrival. I asked which arrival; and the reply was the seavu arrival. I typed skoll into the fix page of the FMS which displayed skoll on our map with a green circle around it. We were already very close to it; and on our map display; it nearly lined up with the other points leading to runway 25L; so after skoll; we continued along our preloaded track line. I do not remember all the specific altitude assignments we were given; but I do remember that we were cleared to 5000 ft at some point. When we were handed off to the final controller; they said that it appeared that we had intercepted the course to runway 25L and that we were supposed to be on runway 24R. We were cleared to heading 270 degrees to intercept the runway 24R localizer; and then for the ILS approach to runway 24R. I informed the controller that we had not received an assignment to runway 24R. I do not know whether or not there was a loss of separation between our flight and others in the area. The flight then proceeded to a normal landing on runway 24R. This situation would have been avoided if socal approach control had advised us of our assigned runway upon initial contact. We prefer to have this information as far in advance as possible so that we can load it into our FMS; verify all of the navigation points and conduct a detailed approach briefing. The problem could also have been avoided if the controller who cleared us to skoll had said to continue the arrival to runway 24R. Then we could have selected it on our FMS and skoll along with all the correct remaining points to runway 24R would have been displayed. In order to avoid a repeat of this situation; on future flts into lax I will be sure to ascertain our runway assignment as soon as we contact socal approach control. With multiple approachs serving multiple runways; it is essential that this information be clearly transmitted; received and understood.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMMENTS THAT WHILE BEING VECTORED ON THE LAX SEAVU ONE TO 25L IN HEAVY TFC; ATC DID NOT ASSIGN A RWY; BUT HAD EXPECTED HIM TO FLY THE 24R ILS.

Narrative: DURING ARR TO LAX FLYING THE SEAVU ONE ARR; OUR ACFT INTERCEPTED THE INBOUND COURSE TO RWY 25L WHEN ATC WANTED US TO INTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE TO RWY 24R. EARLIER; APPROX 350 MI FROM THE ARPT; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO TWENTY-NINE PALMS. WE OVERHEARD ZAB TELL OTHER FLTS THAT LAX WAS BUSY AND THAT THEY WERE REROUTED DIRECT TO HECTOR FOR THE RIIVR ONE ARR. THE SEAVU ONE ARR WAS ON OUR PLANNED AND CLRED RTE OF FLT; AND WE WERE EXPECTING TO FLY IT TO RWY 25L. WE HAD IT LOADED IN OUR FMS; AND HAD VERIFIED ALL OF THE ALTS AND AIRSPDS. IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR A CHANGE; THE FO; WHO WAS THE PF; ALSO LOADED THE RIIVR ONE ARR TO RWY 25L INTO RTE 2 OF THE FMS; AND VERIFIED ALL THE POINTS. WE CONTINUED ALONG OUR FILED RTE INTO ZLA AIRSPACE WITHOUT ANY OFF COURSE VECTORS OR SPD ASSIGNMENTS. WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SOCAL APCH; WE WERE CLRED TO DSND VIA THE SEAVU ONE ARR; BUT RECEIVED NO RWY ASSIGNMENT. IN THE VICINITY OF KONZL; WITH THE ACFT AT 17000 FT MSL AND 280 KIAS; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 17000 FT AND FLY HDG 360 DEGS. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS WE WERE TURNED TO A SOUTHERLY HDG. WE RECEIVED AND FLEW SEVERAL MORE ASSIGNED HDGS WHICH PLACED US A COUPLE OF MI N OF THE SEAVU ARR; AND WERE CLRED TO 16000 FT AND LATER TO 15000 FT. THE SOCAL APCH CTL RADIO FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. WE THEN RECEIVED A CLRNC DIRECT TO SKOLL INTXN; WITH WHICH WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR. SKOLL INTXN WAS NOT ON OUR FIX LIST; SINCE WE HAD PRELOADED RWY 25L; AND HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY OTHER RWY ASSIGNMENT. I LOOKED AT THE COMMERCIAL PAGE; BUT COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIND IT. I ASKED SOCAL WHERE THAT FIX WAS; AND THE CTLR SPELLED THE FIX NAME FOR ME AND SAID IT WAS ON THE ARR. I ASKED WHICH ARR; AND THE REPLY WAS THE SEAVU ARR. I TYPED SKOLL INTO THE FIX PAGE OF THE FMS WHICH DISPLAYED SKOLL ON OUR MAP WITH A GREEN CIRCLE AROUND IT. WE WERE ALREADY VERY CLOSE TO IT; AND ON OUR MAP DISPLAY; IT NEARLY LINED UP WITH THE OTHER POINTS LEADING TO RWY 25L; SO AFTER SKOLL; WE CONTINUED ALONG OUR PRELOADED TRACK LINE. I DO NOT REMEMBER ALL THE SPECIFIC ALT ASSIGNMENTS WE WERE GIVEN; BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 FT AT SOME POINT. WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE FINAL CTLR; THEY SAID THAT IT APPEARED THAT WE HAD INTERCEPTED THE COURSE TO RWY 25L AND THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON RWY 24R. WE WERE CLRED TO HDG 270 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 24R LOC; AND THEN FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 24R. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED AN ASSIGNMENT TO RWY 24R. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN OUR FLT AND OTHERS IN THE AREA. THE FLT THEN PROCEEDED TO A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 24R. THIS SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SOCAL APCH CTL HAD ADVISED US OF OUR ASSIGNED RWY UPON INITIAL CONTACT. WE PREFER TO HAVE THIS INFO AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN LOAD IT INTO OUR FMS; VERIFY ALL OF THE NAV POINTS AND CONDUCT A DETAILED APCH BRIEFING. THE PROB COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR WHO CLRED US TO SKOLL HAD SAID TO CONTINUE THE ARR TO RWY 24R. THEN WE COULD HAVE SELECTED IT ON OUR FMS AND SKOLL ALONG WITH ALL THE CORRECT REMAINING POINTS TO RWY 24R WOULD HAVE BEEN DISPLAYED. IN ORDER TO AVOID A REPEAT OF THIS SITUATION; ON FUTURE FLTS INTO LAX I WILL BE SURE TO ASCERTAIN OUR RWY ASSIGNMENT AS SOON AS WE CONTACT SOCAL APCH CTL. WITH MULTIPLE APCHS SERVING MULTIPLE RWYS; IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THIS INFO BE CLEARLY XMITTED; RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.