Narrative:

During arrival preparation in cruise; I had initially verified the arrival fixes/altitudes in the FMC through riivr. I had not been to lax since the arrival changes; so discussed with pm that it appeared from the approach plate we would be assigned runway 25L. He said he would get runway 24R for us; so I had both approach plates out; but delayed approach brief and verifying the fixes beyond riivr because I was waiting to confirm runway assignment. Before departure I had verified all fixes through riivr; loaded 25L into FMC; and noted a discontinuity between arrival and approach; but planned on closing that when assigned a runway in flight. On arrival we were cleared to cross gramm at 280 KTS/FL180. Approaching gramm and preparing to accomplish descent checklist; given frequency change to socal. They assigned 250 KTS and descent via riivr two arrival to runway 25L. I had both runway approach plates out; and mistakenly entered jaxev (runway 24R) after riivr; thinking it was for runway 25L. Since things were now getting busy with descent restrs; pm was trying to help enter fixes. Somehow the arrival was dropped; so we were both scrambling to get enough fixes entered to meet follow-on restrs. At one point; the pm realized that the arrival airport was actually las! I am certain that at some point I saw hunda and other lax runway 25L fixes in the FMC; so neither of us know how this was entered and are both still baffled. I was trying to focus on meeting altitude restrs; but also entered hasbo versus the correct spelling of habso. The aircraft began a sharp turn to the left for 180 degrees off course. We both knew this was incorrect; so I disconnected LNAV and/or the autoplt. During the time I corrected back and pm entered correct fix; we were still rushing to get ahead of the follow-on restrs and had not been able to reload the entire STAR. I believe I made all the altitude restrs; but we drifted off course. I tried to join the localizer; but due to failure to properly set the course; it did not capture. Again we drifted left (south) of course and socal asked us if we were on the arrival/approach. I then had a visual with the airport and corrected back visually; and socal restr us to 8000 ft. Concerned about becoming high on the approach; I slowed to 210 KTS. I established us on localizer; and when affirmed visual with field socal; cleared the visual approach. Remainder of approach and landing were normal. First; I delayed briefing runway 25L and verifying it in the FMC because I was waiting for runway assignment. I should have briefed and entered one or the other and then made changes. Pm and I debriefed the importance of only have the pm make changes to the FMC with autoplt on and then both verify changes before executing. It is not uncommon for pm's to try to 'help out' by making FMC entries without PF's attention; but this requires consistent communication with PF. I need to be more direct with pm at times. Twice during the 'confusion' I said something to the effect of; 'can we get a heading?' this was my way of asking him to ask ATC for a vector. He was rushing to get fixes corrected and probably didn't really hear me. Certainly I should have been clrer in what I wanted and told him to; 'ask ATC for a vector.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW ON THE LAX RIIVR ARRIVAL TO RUNWAY 25L DID NOT ACTIVATE A FMC RUNWAY BECAUSE THEY DESIRED RUNWAY 24. WHEN ASSIGNED 25L AND WHILE ACTIVATING 25L THE ARRIVAL PROCEDURE WAS DROPPED CAUSING CONFUSION AND A TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: DURING ARR PREPARATION IN CRUISE; I HAD INITIALLY VERIFIED THE ARR FIXES/ALTS IN THE FMC THROUGH RIIVR. I HAD NOT BEEN TO LAX SINCE THE ARR CHANGES; SO DISCUSSED WITH PM THAT IT APPEARED FROM THE APCH PLATE WE WOULD BE ASSIGNED RWY 25L. HE SAID HE WOULD GET RWY 24R FOR US; SO I HAD BOTH APCH PLATES OUT; BUT DELAYED APCH BRIEF AND VERIFYING THE FIXES BEYOND RIIVR BECAUSE I WAS WAITING TO CONFIRM RWY ASSIGNMENT. BEFORE DEP I HAD VERIFIED ALL FIXES THROUGH RIIVR; LOADED 25L INTO FMC; AND NOTED A DISCONTINUITY BTWN ARR AND APCH; BUT PLANNED ON CLOSING THAT WHEN ASSIGNED A RWY IN FLT. ON ARR WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS GRAMM AT 280 KTS/FL180. APCHING GRAMM AND PREPARING TO ACCOMPLISH DSCNT CHKLIST; GIVEN FREQ CHANGE TO SOCAL. THEY ASSIGNED 250 KTS AND DSCNT VIA RIIVR TWO ARR TO RWY 25L. I HAD BOTH RWY APCH PLATES OUT; AND MISTAKENLY ENTERED JAXEV (RWY 24R) AFTER RIIVR; THINKING IT WAS FOR RWY 25L. SINCE THINGS WERE NOW GETTING BUSY WITH DSCNT RESTRS; PM WAS TRYING TO HELP ENTER FIXES. SOMEHOW THE ARR WAS DROPPED; SO WE WERE BOTH SCRAMBLING TO GET ENOUGH FIXES ENTERED TO MEET FOLLOW-ON RESTRS. AT ONE POINT; THE PM REALIZED THAT THE ARR ARPT WAS ACTUALLY LAS! I AM CERTAIN THAT AT SOME POINT I SAW HUNDA AND OTHER LAX RWY 25L FIXES IN THE FMC; SO NEITHER OF US KNOW HOW THIS WAS ENTERED AND ARE BOTH STILL BAFFLED. I WAS TRYING TO FOCUS ON MEETING ALT RESTRS; BUT ALSO ENTERED HASBO VERSUS THE CORRECT SPELLING OF HABSO. THE ACFT BEGAN A SHARP TURN TO THE L FOR 180 DEGS OFF COURSE. WE BOTH KNEW THIS WAS INCORRECT; SO I DISCONNECTED LNAV AND/OR THE AUTOPLT. DURING THE TIME I CORRECTED BACK AND PM ENTERED CORRECT FIX; WE WERE STILL RUSHING TO GET AHEAD OF THE FOLLOW-ON RESTRS AND HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO RELOAD THE ENTIRE STAR. I BELIEVE I MADE ALL THE ALT RESTRS; BUT WE DRIFTED OFF COURSE. I TRIED TO JOIN THE LOC; BUT DUE TO FAILURE TO PROPERLY SET THE COURSE; IT DID NOT CAPTURE. AGAIN WE DRIFTED L (S) OF COURSE AND SOCAL ASKED US IF WE WERE ON THE ARR/APCH. I THEN HAD A VISUAL WITH THE ARPT AND CORRECTED BACK VISUALLY; AND SOCAL RESTR US TO 8000 FT. CONCERNED ABOUT BECOMING HIGH ON THE APCH; I SLOWED TO 210 KTS. I ESTABLISHED US ON LOC; AND WHEN AFFIRMED VISUAL WITH FIELD SOCAL; CLRED THE VISUAL APCH. REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. FIRST; I DELAYED BRIEFING RWY 25L AND VERIFYING IT IN THE FMC BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR RWY ASSIGNMENT. I SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED AND ENTERED ONE OR THE OTHER AND THEN MADE CHANGES. PM AND I DEBRIEFED THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLY HAVE THE PM MAKE CHANGES TO THE FMC WITH AUTOPLT ON AND THEN BOTH VERIFY CHANGES BEFORE EXECUTING. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR PM'S TO TRY TO 'HELP OUT' BY MAKING FMC ENTRIES WITHOUT PF'S ATTN; BUT THIS REQUIRES CONSISTENT COM WITH PF. I NEED TO BE MORE DIRECT WITH PM AT TIMES. TWICE DURING THE 'CONFUSION' I SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF; 'CAN WE GET A HDG?' THIS WAS MY WAY OF ASKING HIM TO ASK ATC FOR A VECTOR. HE WAS RUSHING TO GET FIXES CORRECTED AND PROBABLY DIDN'T REALLY HEAR ME. CERTAINLY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRER IN WHAT I WANTED AND TOLD HIM TO; 'ASK ATC FOR A VECTOR.'

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.