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3 approach runway changes within 31 mi. Excessive heads down in cockpit inserting new runways with every change.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 321709 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199511 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax tower : hrl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 321709 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was the copilot doing the PNF on air carrier X on the mudde 1 arrival into lax. The A320 is a glass cockpit. Original clearance was for the ILS runway 25R. Just outside bonez (lax 31 DME) we were told to transition to the runway 24R ILS. Once established there were advised of right traffic (a B737) on a base to runway 24R and to follow him. Then we were told to transition to runway 24L for landing. In a jurassic jet this is normal stuff, kind of, but in a glass aircraft this requires some head down time on final approach to swap and input displays, assign new runways to the flight computers. 3 runway changes in 31 mi shouldn't happen in any aircraft much less a glass one. My company's SOP's require doing an approach check each time a new approach/runway is assigned. Again, more head down time in a busy environment with plenty of radio calls going on. 1 runway change is plenty, but 2 changes is too much to be done, with traffic, frequency changes, and radio calls to make. Leave the glass airplanes on 1 runway.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 3 APCH RWY CHANGES WITHIN 31 MI. EXCESSIVE HEADS DOWN IN COCKPIT INSERTING NEW RWYS WITH EVERY CHANGE.
Narrative: I WAS THE COPLT DOING THE PNF ON ACR X ON THE MUDDE 1 ARR INTO LAX. THE A320 IS A GLASS COCKPIT. ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS FOR THE ILS RWY 25R. JUST OUTSIDE BONEZ (LAX 31 DME) WE WERE TOLD TO TRANSITION TO THE RWY 24R ILS. ONCE ESTABLISHED THERE WERE ADVISED OF R TFC (A B737) ON A BASE TO RWY 24R AND TO FOLLOW HIM. THEN WE WERE TOLD TO TRANSITION TO RWY 24L FOR LNDG. IN A JURASSIC JET THIS IS NORMAL STUFF, KIND OF, BUT IN A GLASS ACFT THIS REQUIRES SOME HEAD DOWN TIME ON FINAL APCH TO SWAP AND INPUT DISPLAYS, ASSIGN NEW RWYS TO THE FLT COMPUTERS. 3 RWY CHANGES IN 31 MI SHOULDN'T HAPPEN IN ANY ACFT MUCH LESS A GLASS ONE. MY COMPANY'S SOP'S REQUIRE DOING AN APCH CHK EACH TIME A NEW APCH/RWY IS ASSIGNED. AGAIN, MORE HEAD DOWN TIME IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT WITH PLENTY OF RADIO CALLS GOING ON. 1 RWY CHANGE IS PLENTY, BUT 2 CHANGES IS TOO MUCH TO BE DONE, WITH TFC, FREQ CHANGES, AND RADIO CALLS TO MAKE. LEAVE THE GLASS AIRPLANES ON 1 RWY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.