Narrative:

Cleared to 'descend via the civet 1 arrival' to lax. First officer flew to floor (10000 ft) of arrival at arnes intersection. Upon passing arnes, he continued descent toward 9000 ft MSL prior to suzzi intersection on ILS runway 25L, without being cleared for approach. Switch over to approach control was delayed due to busy controllers. I, the captain, was giving the 'prior to descent below 10000 ft' PA to the flight attendants, and sending last min arrival message via ACARS to lax company operations. I didn't see first officer set 9000 ft on altitude alerter and start descent out of 10000 ft without clearance until he had passed 9800 ft. I ordered an immediate return to 10000 ft. Our lowest descent was to 9750 ft MSL. Contributing factors: 1) I should have given PA and sent arrival message earlier in what can be a high workload arrival procedure. It was at air carrier's request that I send arrival message 10 mins prior to gate arrival and alert flight attendants regarding descent through 10000 ft MSL happens all about the same time and can take 1 pilot out of the loop at the wrong time. Completing these items earlier during descent would be smarter. 2) the first officer is a reserve pilot who flies little. He comes to this company after the bankruptcy of his original carrier where he was a captain, and now somewhat resents his first officer status. His best flying seems to be via military stories recounting the good old days. He was flying this 1 leg pit-lax because original first officer was out of time (30 hours in 7 days). He properly briefed me on the 2 approachs we would most likely fly into lax, but failed to inform me he did not have a copy of the civet 1 arrival procedure. I found that out after we had landed and I asked him to review arrival plate reference floor altitude of 10000 ft. After review of my copy, he still doesn't appreciate his error, and feels that I overreacted. He has been flying just about as many decades as I have.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 DSNDS FROM 10000 FT ON THE CIVET 1 ARR AT LAX, STARTS APCH PROC WITHOUT CLRNC FROM APCH CTL. PIC, PNF, WAS DISTR. THE FO HAD A BAD ATTITUDE, WAS A CAPT FROM A DEFUNCT ACR. FO DID NOT HAVE AN APCH PLATE FOR PROC. FO SET THE ALT ALERTER FOR HIS DSCNT WHICH, AS PF, WAS AGAINST ACR POLICY.

Narrative: CLRED TO 'DSND VIA THE CIVET 1 ARR' TO LAX. FO FLEW TO FLOOR (10000 FT) OF ARR AT ARNES INTXN. UPON PASSING ARNES, HE CONTINUED DSCNT TOWARD 9000 FT MSL PRIOR TO SUZZI INTXN ON ILS RWY 25L, WITHOUT BEING CLRED FOR APCH. SWITCH OVER TO APCH CTL WAS DELAYED DUE TO BUSY CTLRS. I, THE CAPT, WAS GIVING THE 'PRIOR TO DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT' PA TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND SENDING LAST MIN ARR MESSAGE VIA ACARS TO LAX COMPANY OPS. I DIDN'T SEE FO SET 9000 FT ON ALT ALERTER AND START DSCNT OUT OF 10000 FT WITHOUT CLRNC UNTIL HE HAD PASSED 9800 FT. I ORDERED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO 10000 FT. OUR LOWEST DSCNT WAS TO 9750 FT MSL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN PA AND SENT ARR MESSAGE EARLIER IN WHAT CAN BE A HIGH WORKLOAD ARR PROC. IT WAS AT ACR'S REQUEST THAT I SEND ARR MESSAGE 10 MINS PRIOR TO GATE ARR AND ALERT FLT ATTENDANTS REGARDING DSCNT THROUGH 10000 FT MSL HAPPENS ALL ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND CAN TAKE 1 PLT OUT OF THE LOOP AT THE WRONG TIME. COMPLETING THESE ITEMS EARLIER DURING DSCNT WOULD BE SMARTER. 2) THE FO IS A RESERVE PLT WHO FLIES LITTLE. HE COMES TO THIS COMPANY AFTER THE BANKRUPTCY OF HIS ORIGINAL CARRIER WHERE HE WAS A CAPT, AND NOW SOMEWHAT RESENTS HIS FO STATUS. HIS BEST FLYING SEEMS TO BE VIA MIL STORIES RECOUNTING THE GOOD OLD DAYS. HE WAS FLYING THIS 1 LEG PIT-LAX BECAUSE ORIGINAL FO WAS OUT OF TIME (30 HRS IN 7 DAYS). HE PROPERLY BRIEFED ME ON THE 2 APCHS WE WOULD MOST LIKELY FLY INTO LAX, BUT FAILED TO INFORM ME HE DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE CIVET 1 ARR PROC. I FOUND THAT OUT AFTER WE HAD LANDED AND I ASKED HIM TO REVIEW ARR PLATE REF FLOOR ALT OF 10000 FT. AFTER REVIEW OF MY COPY, HE STILL DOESN'T APPRECIATE HIS ERROR, AND FEELS THAT I OVERREACTED. HE HAS BEEN FLYING JUST ABOUT AS MANY DECADES AS I HAVE.

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.