A B737-300 turned to the wrong vector heading after a close-in runway change from the las 19's to th...

Attributes
ACN	802749
Time
Date	200808
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	802749
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were coming into las on the sunset arrival and had planned for the new RNAV arrival to runway 19R. We were then told to expect a right downwind for runway 19R or runway 19L. Upon arrival we were flown over the 19's and then told to turn to 190 degrees. We then asked what to expect and were told expect runway 1L and were switched to a new frequency. We ended up turning past 190 degrees and when we checked in with the new controller there was confusion as to whether we had been instructed to turn to a different heading. There were many expectations as to which runway we were to land on and very little communication from ATC as to what their intentions were. There were so many missed calls on frequency and no one was sure as to who was being controled. Additionally; I think as I was scrambling to get the appropriate charts out; I might have put the runway heading into the MCP heading; causing us to go past the 190 degree heading. ATC and the FAA need to stop creating the complicated RNAV procedures; then each controller modifies as they see fit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 TURNED TO THE WRONG VECTOR HDG AFTER A CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGE FROM THE LAS 19'S TO THE LAS 01'S.

Narrative: WE WERE COMING INTO LAS ON THE SUNSET ARR AND HAD PLANNED FOR THE NEW RNAV ARR TO RWY 19R. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO EXPECT A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19R OR RWY 19L. UPON ARR WE WERE FLOWN OVER THE 19'S AND THEN TOLD TO TURN TO 190 DEGS. WE THEN ASKED WHAT TO EXPECT AND WERE TOLD EXPECT RWY 1L AND WERE SWITCHED TO A NEW FREQ. WE ENDED UP TURNING PAST 190 DEGS AND WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH THE NEW CTLR THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A DIFFERENT HDG. THERE WERE MANY EXPECTATIONS AS TO WHICH RWY WE WERE TO LAND ON AND VERY LITTLE COM FROM ATC AS TO WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE. THERE WERE SO MANY MISSED CALLS ON FREQ AND NO ONE WAS SURE AS TO WHO WAS BEING CTLED. ADDITIONALLY; I THINK AS I WAS SCRAMBLING TO GET THE APPROPRIATE CHARTS OUT; I MIGHT HAVE PUT THE RWY HDG INTO THE MCP HDG; CAUSING US TO GO PAST THE 190 DEG HDG. ATC AND THE FAA NEED TO STOP CREATING THE COMPLICATED RNAV PROCS; THEN EACH CTLR MODIFIES AS THEY SEE FIT.

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.

A B737-300 turned to the wrong vector heading after a close-in runway change from the las 19's to the las 01's.