Narrative:

We were transitioning from the civet arrival to the ILS runway 25L approach at lax, 250 KTS, descending to 10000 ft. The first officer was flying. Prior to arnes approach control requested we slow to 180 KTS, followed by a further reduction to 170 KTS. As a result we were high at arnes. At arnes 9000 ft was set on the MCP and called out. Approach control called out at least one traffic to us, and I was maintaining a traffic watch. As I was checking our leveloff (the autoplt was not in use) I realized that we were leveling off at 8000 ft, not 9000 ft, and actually went about 150 ft below 8000 ft. I alerted the first officer. We were over 1 mi prior to suzzi, 9000 ft was set on the MCP, the flight director bar was full up. We were unable to regain 9000 ft by suzzi due to the short distance. After suzzi we made a normal approach and landing on runway 25L at lax. The PF took appropriate aggressive action to slow and continue the descent to get back on profile (leveloff, spoilers extended, and flaps extended to 20 degrees as we slowed), when the reduction in speed was assigned. The sun was just above the horizon and a little to the right of straight ahead. There was a mix of heavy haze and some clouds below our altitude reflecting much glare from the sun. It was difficult to see outside even with sunglasses, and impossible without sunglasses, because of the direct sun and reflected glare. With the sharp contrast of light between outside and inside the cockpit, it was very difficult to adjust vision inside the cockpit, especially with sunglasses on. The workload, and the difficult light conditions distracted me and I did not adequately monitor the position/altitude of the aircraft. The first officer was a new first officer (less than 2 months as an first officer with our company) though he did have 12 yrs experience in the military.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB ACFT TRANSITIONING FROM AN ARR TO THE ILS APCH IS INSTRUCTED TO REDUCE SPD TWICE RESULTING IN BEING HIGH AT THE FIX. ATTEMPTING TO SLOW AND DSND THEY DSND BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE TRANSITIONING FROM THE CIVET ARR TO THE ILS RWY 25L APCH AT LAX, 250 KTS, DSNDING TO 10000 FT. THE FO WAS FLYING. PRIOR TO ARNES APCH CTL REQUESTED WE SLOW TO 180 KTS, FOLLOWED BY A FURTHER REDUCTION TO 170 KTS. AS A RESULT WE WERE HIGH AT ARNES. AT ARNES 9000 FT WAS SET ON THE MCP AND CALLED OUT. APCH CTL CALLED OUT AT LEAST ONE TFC TO US, AND I WAS MAINTAINING A TFC WATCH. AS I WAS CHKING OUR LEVELOFF (THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT IN USE) I REALIZED THAT WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 8000 FT, NOT 9000 FT, AND ACTUALLY WENT ABOUT 150 FT BELOW 8000 FT. I ALERTED THE FO. WE WERE OVER 1 MI PRIOR TO SUZZI, 9000 FT WAS SET ON THE MCP, THE FLT DIRECTOR BAR WAS FULL UP. WE WERE UNABLE TO REGAIN 9000 FT BY SUZZI DUE TO THE SHORT DISTANCE. AFTER SUZZI WE MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 25L AT LAX. THE PF TOOK APPROPRIATE AGGRESSIVE ACTION TO SLOW AND CONTINUE THE DSCNT TO GET BACK ON PROFILE (LEVELOFF, SPOILERS EXTENDED, AND FLAPS EXTENDED TO 20 DEGS AS WE SLOWED), WHEN THE REDUCTION IN SPD WAS ASSIGNED. THE SUN WAS JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON AND A LITTLE TO THE R OF STRAIGHT AHEAD. THERE WAS A MIX OF HVY HAZE AND SOME CLOUDS BELOW OUR ALT REFLECTING MUCH GLARE FROM THE SUN. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE OUTSIDE EVEN WITH SUNGLASSES, AND IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT SUNGLASSES, BECAUSE OF THE DIRECT SUN AND REFLECTED GLARE. WITH THE SHARP CONTRAST OF LIGHT BTWN OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE COCKPIT, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO ADJUST VISION INSIDE THE COCKPIT, ESPECIALLY WITH SUNGLASSES ON. THE WORKLOAD, AND THE DIFFICULT LIGHT CONDITIONS DISTRACTED ME AND I DID NOT ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE POS/ALT OF THE ACFT. THE FO WAS A NEW FO (LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AS AN FO WITH OUR COMPANY) THOUGH HE DID HAVE 12 YRS EXPERIENCE IN THE MIL.

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.