Narrative:

Lax is becoming a more stressful environment than some 3RD world airports. The STAR system needs straightening out: too many foreign pilots, too many side-stepped approachs, too much going on. We were cleared to 'civet' for ILS runway 25L. As we crossed civet intersection we were told, due to desire to accommodate (and short-cut) perpendicular arriving traffic, to abandon civet 4 STAR and join 'mitts one' STAR: now proceeding to runway 24R. While complying with course and descent changes we were then told now plan runway 24L and join that localizer on new vector. This is incredibly demanding with frequency changes and traffic coming at 90 degree angles to you from both sides. Our crew was 3 'native' americans for whom english is our first language and we were overloaded. (Throw mexican and asian pilots into the equation and you have a recipe for disaster.) why is this necessary? I say, establish fixes 60 mi out for each of the normal landing parallel runways: runways 25L and 24R. When you go to that fix, as in europe with many different language pilots sharing the same airspace, you now know your runway and can brief for all contingencies. (Ie, missed approach, etc.) visual side-steps on final would be okay. Crews cannot brief effectively for 4 ILS's into lax just so controllers can have the flexibility to create mayhem. Straighten out the arrival flows. Stop FLIP-flopping aircraft into a hodgepodge of parallel plan changes. Pilots of american acrs are regarding the ATC at lax emerging as a real nightmare. I can't speak for the workload imposed upon commuter pilots, but in a jumbo it is unsafe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 PIC RPT ON 'CHAOS' AND 'CONFUSION' PROMOTED AT LAX BY INCESSANT RWY CHANGES BY ATC FOR INBOUND ACFT.

Narrative: LAX IS BECOMING A MORE STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT THAN SOME 3RD WORLD ARPTS. THE STAR SYS NEEDS STRAIGHTENING OUT: TOO MANY FOREIGN PLTS, TOO MANY SIDE-STEPPED APCHS, TOO MUCH GOING ON. WE WERE CLRED TO 'CIVET' FOR ILS RWY 25L. AS WE CROSSED CIVET INTXN WE WERE TOLD, DUE TO DESIRE TO ACCOMMODATE (AND SHORT-CUT) PERPENDICULAR ARRIVING TFC, TO ABANDON CIVET 4 STAR AND JOIN 'MITTS ONE' STAR: NOW PROCEEDING TO RWY 24R. WHILE COMPLYING WITH COURSE AND DSCNT CHANGES WE WERE THEN TOLD NOW PLAN RWY 24L AND JOIN THAT LOC ON NEW VECTOR. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DEMANDING WITH FREQ CHANGES AND TFC COMING AT 90 DEG ANGLES TO YOU FROM BOTH SIDES. OUR CREW WAS 3 'NATIVE' AMERICANS FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS OUR FIRST LANGUAGE AND WE WERE OVERLOADED. (THROW MEXICAN AND ASIAN PLTS INTO THE EQUATION AND YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.) WHY IS THIS NECESSARY? I SAY, ESTABLISH FIXES 60 MI OUT FOR EACH OF THE NORMAL LNDG PARALLEL RWYS: RWYS 25L AND 24R. WHEN YOU GO TO THAT FIX, AS IN EUROPE WITH MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE PLTS SHARING THE SAME AIRSPACE, YOU NOW KNOW YOUR RWY AND CAN BRIEF FOR ALL CONTINGENCIES. (IE, MISSED APCH, ETC.) VISUAL SIDE-STEPS ON FINAL WOULD BE OKAY. CREWS CANNOT BRIEF EFFECTIVELY FOR 4 ILS'S INTO LAX JUST SO CTLRS CAN HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO CREATE MAYHEM. STRAIGHTEN OUT THE ARR FLOWS. STOP FLIP-FLOPPING ACFT INTO A HODGEPODGE OF PARALLEL PLAN CHANGES. PLTS OF AMERICAN ACRS ARE REGARDING THE ATC AT LAX EMERGING AS A REAL NIGHTMARE. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE WORKLOAD IMPOSED UPON COMMUTER PLTS, BUT IN A JUMBO IT IS UNSAFE.

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.