Narrative:

This report is not to report any operator or ATC mishap, but rather to suggest more clarity for visual apches from the north (landing west) at lax. After flying the profile descent from derbb intersection to fillmore VOR and on to smo VOR we were given a clearance to cross smo at 7000'. After we leveled off at 7000' we were asked if we saw lax airport. We saw the airport and we were expecting to get clearance for 1 of the 2 published visual approachs. Then the controller told us to turn base leg east of hollywood park track. In the process of configuring the aircraft and looking for traffic, I told the copilot to tell the controller I did not see the track at this point. His next clearance was to turn base leg east of the 4 DME fix. The only problem was he did not say what fix he was talking about (lax, lax ILS DME, smo?). He then asked if we saw the harbor freeway. We did and started our right base leg. After making an approach to runway 24R our runway was changed to runway 25R. A normal approach and landing were made on runway 25R. Both myself and copilot had reviewed all the apches at lax long before this flight. It did get a little confusing on the visual approach as I described above. My only reason for making the above comments is, hopefully in the future DME distances will be included for some of the turns on these visual apches. The lights on the ground and less than ideal visual conditions at lax make these visual approachs more difficult, especially for pilots less familiar with the area around lax.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE TO MAKE THEIR TURN ONTO BASE LEG FOR A VISUAL APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS NOT TO RPT ANY OPERATOR OR ATC MISHAP, BUT RATHER TO SUGGEST MORE CLARITY FOR VISUAL APCHES FROM THE N (LNDG W) AT LAX. AFTER FLYING THE PROFILE DSCNT FROM DERBB INTXN TO FILLMORE VOR AND ON TO SMO VOR WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS SMO AT 7000'. AFTER WE LEVELED OFF AT 7000' WE WERE ASKED IF WE SAW LAX ARPT. WE SAW THE ARPT AND WE WERE EXPECTING TO GET CLRNC FOR 1 OF THE 2 PUBLISHED VISUAL APCHS. THEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN BASE LEG E OF HOLLYWOOD PARK TRACK. IN THE PROCESS OF CONFIGURING THE ACFT AND LOOKING FOR TFC, I TOLD THE COPLT TO TELL THE CTLR I DID NOT SEE THE TRACK AT THIS POINT. HIS NEXT CLRNC WAS TO TURN BASE LEG E OF THE 4 DME FIX. THE ONLY PROB WAS HE DID NOT SAY WHAT FIX HE WAS TALKING ABOUT (LAX, LAX ILS DME, SMO?). HE THEN ASKED IF WE SAW THE HARBOR FREEWAY. WE DID AND STARTED OUR RIGHT BASE LEG. AFTER MAKING AN APCH TO RWY 24R OUR RWY WAS CHANGED TO RWY 25R. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WERE MADE ON RWY 25R. BOTH MYSELF AND COPLT HAD REVIEWED ALL THE APCHES AT LAX LONG BEFORE THIS FLT. IT DID GET A LITTLE CONFUSING ON THE VISUAL APCH AS I DESCRIBED ABOVE. MY ONLY REASON FOR MAKING THE ABOVE COMMENTS IS, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE DME DISTANCES WILL BE INCLUDED FOR SOME OF THE TURNS ON THESE VISUAL APCHES. THE LIGHTS ON THE GND AND LESS THAN IDEAL VISUAL CONDITIONS AT LAX MAKE THESE VISUAL APCHS MORE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR PLTS LESS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AROUND LAX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.