Narrative:

While sitting at gate (lax) located 50 yards from the departure end of runway 24L, my first officer briefed the departure procedure for runway 24L (which was the departure runway every time for me in the last 4 yrs operating out of lax). That procedure is a straight out climb on a 250 degree heading after takeoff. Without any warning, lax ground control issued a taxi clearance to the opposite side of the airport using the 'south taxi route.' as I had never departed from the south complex at lax (runway 25L/right) I was unfamiliar with the procedure and requested my first officer to help lead me through the turns, route, etc. Ground movement of aircraft was saturated with non stop radio communication. I was given 10-15 additional taxi instructions concerning other aircraft and there was at least that many instructions to other aircraft getting them clear of our route. There were aircraft moving from literally every direction and my first officer and myself were totally focused on the job at hand. Even while the non stop radio talk was going on, I called for the 'before takeoff checklist' and I tried to listen to my first officer and all the radio transmission simultaneously. When the takeoff brief came up in the check, my first officer had the departure page in front while I remained glued to the airport/taxi chart and there was a commuter getting specific instructions on how to taxi to a route around us at the same moment of the departure brief. This radio transmission caught the attention of my first officer and he missed the 30 degree left turn on the chart and I didn't catch the oversight. By the time we got to the runway, we had been 38 mins since we left the gate (according to our ACARS). We took off from runway 25R and did not make the turn to 220 degrees. Even though we contacted socal departure at 700 ft AGL 10 seconds after liftoff, their first turn for us wasn't for 2-3 mins. Most every high density airport in america gives pilots a 'heads up' type of information to let pilots plan for an anticipated procedure. Lax ATC changes 'the plan' without notice many, many times more than any other terminal airport. If we had any notice this highly irregular departure runway ws going to be used, then we would've been able to deal with the taxi and departure procedures separately and would not have missed noting the turn on the departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLC DOES NOT MAKE THE REQUIRED 30 DEG TURN ON THEIR DEP SID OUT OF LAX, CA.

Narrative: WHILE SITTING AT GATE (LAX) LOCATED 50 YARDS FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 24L, MY FO BRIEFED THE DEP PROC FOR RWY 24L (WHICH WAS THE DEP RWY EVERY TIME FOR ME IN THE LAST 4 YRS OPERATING OUT OF LAX). THAT PROC IS A STRAIGHT OUT CLB ON A 250 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, LAX GND CTL ISSUED A TAXI CLRNC TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ARPT USING THE 'S TAXI RTE.' AS I HAD NEVER DEPARTED FROM THE S COMPLEX AT LAX (RWY 25L/R) I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PROC AND REQUESTED MY FO TO HELP LEAD ME THROUGH THE TURNS, RTE, ETC. GND MOVEMENT OF ACFT WAS SATURATED WITH NON STOP RADIO COM. I WAS GIVEN 10-15 ADDITIONAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING OTHER ACFT AND THERE WAS AT LEAST THAT MANY INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT GETTING THEM CLR OF OUR RTE. THERE WERE ACFT MOVING FROM LITERALLY EVERY DIRECTION AND MY FO AND MYSELF WERE TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE JOB AT HAND. EVEN WHILE THE NON STOP RADIO TALK WAS GOING ON, I CALLED FOR THE 'BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST' AND I TRIED TO LISTEN TO MY FO AND ALL THE RADIO XMISSION SIMULTANEOUSLY. WHEN THE TKOF BRIEF CAME UP IN THE CHK, MY FO HAD THE DEP PAGE IN FRONT WHILE I REMAINED GLUED TO THE ARPT/TAXI CHART AND THERE WAS A COMMUTER GETTING SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO TAXI TO A RTE AROUND US AT THE SAME MOMENT OF THE DEP BRIEF. THIS RADIO XMISSION CAUGHT THE ATTN OF MY FO AND HE MISSED THE 30 DEG L TURN ON THE CHART AND I DIDN'T CATCH THE OVERSIGHT. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE RWY, WE HAD BEEN 38 MINS SINCE WE LEFT THE GATE (ACCORDING TO OUR ACARS). WE TOOK OFF FROM RWY 25R AND DID NOT MAKE THE TURN TO 220 DEGS. EVEN THOUGH WE CONTACTED SOCAL DEP AT 700 FT AGL 10 SECONDS AFTER LIFTOFF, THEIR FIRST TURN FOR US WASN'T FOR 2-3 MINS. MOST EVERY HIGH DENSITY ARPT IN AMERICA GIVES PLTS A 'HEADS UP' TYPE OF INFO TO LET PLTS PLAN FOR AN ANTICIPATED PROC. LAX ATC CHANGES 'THE PLAN' WITHOUT NOTICE MANY, MANY TIMES MORE THAN ANY OTHER TERMINAL ARPT. IF WE HAD ANY NOTICE THIS HIGHLY IRREGULAR DEP RWY WS GOING TO BE USED, THEN WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE TAXI AND DEP PROCS SEPARATELY AND WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED NOTING THE TURN ON THE DEP.

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.