Narrative:

I don't expect this to be a problem, however, I consider the situation less than satisfactory. Civet 1 arrival has recently been changed to civet 2 arrival. Arnes crossing altitude used to be between 10000 ft and 11000 ft. It is now 10000 ft firm. The FMC's database shows 10000 ft or above. First officer was flying and was slowing as requested to 210 KTS. This makes it hard to descend at same time. I noticed that he was getting high on profile, and told him to be sure to cross arnes at 10000 ft as I could see he was referencing database information. He dumped it over and made it more or less. He reached 10000 ft about 1/2 mi after crossing arnes. It wasn't pretty. It seems an unsatisfactory situation when both paper chart and electronic database are produced by the same company and yet have different data. I rode jump seat on another carrier on sep/xa/97. The pilots noticed that the civet crossing altitude had been changed from between FL180 and 14000 ft to between 17000 ft and 14000 ft. The new database was not due to change until the following day. Also, the effective dates of database changes is confusing to most people. The last day for the old database was sep/xb/97 and the first day for the new database was also sep/xb/97. An obvious impossibility. An air carrier captain said that his B757- 200's FMC database differed from his approach plate for the civet STAR at lax in several important areas. He said that he has noted other less important discrepancies in commercially supplied charts and database information recently and so he watches these areas more carefully. He said that he was able to avoid any gross errors in these cases, but he was curious as to whether any other reports have been made. He said that he has also reported these errors to his company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FLC RPTS THAT THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BTWN THE PRINTED COMMERCIAL CIVET STAR AND THE COMMERCIALLY SUPPLIED FMC DATABASE FOR THIS STAR. THE RPTR NOTED THAT THIS PROB ALSO EXISTED AT ANOTHER ACR.

Narrative: I DON'T EXPECT THIS TO BE A PROB, HOWEVER, I CONSIDER THE SIT LESS THAN SATISFACTORY. CIVET 1 ARR HAS RECENTLY BEEN CHANGED TO CIVET 2 ARR. ARNES XING ALT USED TO BE BTWN 10000 FT AND 11000 FT. IT IS NOW 10000 FT FIRM. THE FMC'S DATABASE SHOWS 10000 FT OR ABOVE. FO WAS FLYING AND WAS SLOWING AS REQUESTED TO 210 KTS. THIS MAKES IT HARD TO DSND AT SAME TIME. I NOTICED THAT HE WAS GETTING HIGH ON PROFILE, AND TOLD HIM TO BE SURE TO CROSS ARNES AT 10000 FT AS I COULD SEE HE WAS REFING DATABASE INFO. HE DUMPED IT OVER AND MADE IT MORE OR LESS. HE REACHED 10000 FT ABOUT 1/2 MI AFTER XING ARNES. IT WASN'T PRETTY. IT SEEMS AN UNSATISFACTORY SIT WHEN BOTH PAPER CHART AND ELECTRONIC DATABASE ARE PRODUCED BY THE SAME COMPANY AND YET HAVE DIFFERENT DATA. I RODE JUMP SEAT ON ANOTHER CARRIER ON SEP/XA/97. THE PLTS NOTICED THAT THE CIVET XING ALT HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM BTWN FL180 AND 14000 FT TO BTWN 17000 FT AND 14000 FT. THE NEW DATABASE WAS NOT DUE TO CHANGE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. ALSO, THE EFFECTIVE DATES OF DATABASE CHANGES IS CONFUSING TO MOST PEOPLE. THE LAST DAY FOR THE OLD DATABASE WAS SEP/XB/97 AND THE FIRST DAY FOR THE NEW DATABASE WAS ALSO SEP/XB/97. AN OBVIOUS IMPOSSIBILITY. AN ACR CAPT SAID THAT HIS B757- 200'S FMC DATABASE DIFFERED FROM HIS APCH PLATE FOR THE CIVET STAR AT LAX IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT AREAS. HE SAID THAT HE HAS NOTED OTHER LESS IMPORTANT DISCREPANCIES IN COMMERCIALLY SUPPLIED CHARTS AND DATABASE INFO RECENTLY AND SO HE WATCHES THESE AREAS MORE CAREFULLY. HE SAID THAT HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID ANY GROSS ERRORS IN THESE CASES, BUT HE WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER ANY OTHER RPTS HAVE BEEN MADE. HE SAID THAT HE HAS ALSO REPORTED THESE ERRORS TO HIS COMPANY.

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.