Narrative:

Arrival planned via skebr RNAV 1 into las. Ride was moderate chop with thunderstorms and slight deviations. FMS flight plan included skebr 1 arrival and was checked prior to departure. ATIS was received and briefed that runway 'would be assigned by approach.' winds were 190 degrees at 18 KTS gusting to 21 KTS and we selected 25 degrees on opc and computed approach/descent checklist. At this point, the ride deteriorated and I called flight attendants to take seats and stay seated for arrival. First officer called and received gate. Workload was high and I failed to note that I had not selected an arrival runway for the approach in the FMC. Upon reaching skebr, end of route was displayed. I selected heading select on MCP and turned 'towards' the next fix as I rechked the arrival and selected runway 25L. I selected kepec and proceeded direct. In the interim, las approach gave us a heading and lower. They vectored us some more and told us to call them upon landing. Landed without further incident. Called and spoke to ATC on landline and told them situation as noted above. He noted that we should 'always' expect runway 25L in las. I noted that when we have high winds forming 19's, it would help to reinforce the expected runway. Contributing factors: high workload, complicated vertical profile, 'busy' chart that has multiple rtes depicted, company's prior use of automation (1 FMC that is hard for captain to see and use), lack of VNAV utilization (half in half out of FMC and high workload on complying with vertical and lateral profiles). Human factors: I will always select an arrival runway for all flts to better prepare myself, habit pattern-wise, for the 1/100 RNAV arrs we fly. Company culture and habits leave us ill-equipped to transition to complicated high workload RNAV procedures. Supplemental information from acn 558954: I went off ATC radio and made in-range call to las operations. During this time FMC display read 'end of route.' in the future, I will ensure runway 25L is entered unless told otherwise. In addition, I will make in-range call further out to prevent being off line (and out of contact with ATC) approaching skebr (end of route point/turn point).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW, FLYING A STAR TO LAS, NEGLECTED TO PROGRAM THE FMS FOR AN ARR RWY, RESULTING IN A COURSE DEV AND A QUERY FROM ATC.

Narrative: ARR PLANNED VIA SKEBR RNAV 1 INTO LAS. RIDE WAS MODERATE CHOP WITH TSTMS AND SLIGHT DEVS. FMS FLT PLAN INCLUDED SKEBR 1 ARR AND WAS CHKED PRIOR TO DEP. ATIS WAS RECEIVED AND BRIEFED THAT RWY 'WOULD BE ASSIGNED BY APCH.' WINDS WERE 190 DEGS AT 18 KTS GUSTING TO 21 KTS AND WE SELECTED 25 DEGS ON OPC AND COMPUTED APCH/DSCNT CHKLIST. AT THIS POINT, THE RIDE DETERIORATED AND I CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE SEATS AND STAY SEATED FOR ARR. FO CALLED AND RECEIVED GATE. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH AND I FAILED TO NOTE THAT I HAD NOT SELECTED AN ARR RWY FOR THE APCH IN THE FMC. UPON REACHING SKEBR, END OF RTE WAS DISPLAYED. I SELECTED HDG SELECT ON MCP AND TURNED 'TOWARDS' THE NEXT FIX AS I RECHKED THE ARR AND SELECTED RWY 25L. I SELECTED KEPEC AND PROCEEDED DIRECT. IN THE INTERIM, LAS APCH GAVE US A HDG AND LOWER. THEY VECTORED US SOME MORE AND TOLD US TO CALL THEM UPON LNDG. LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLED AND SPOKE TO ATC ON LANDLINE AND TOLD THEM SIT AS NOTED ABOVE. HE NOTED THAT WE SHOULD 'ALWAYS' EXPECT RWY 25L IN LAS. I NOTED THAT WHEN WE HAVE HIGH WINDS FORMING 19'S, IT WOULD HELP TO REINFORCE THE EXPECTED RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HIGH WORKLOAD, COMPLICATED VERT PROFILE, 'BUSY' CHART THAT HAS MULTIPLE RTES DEPICTED, COMPANY'S PRIOR USE OF AUTOMATION (1 FMC THAT IS HARD FOR CAPT TO SEE AND USE), LACK OF VNAV UTILIZATION (HALF IN HALF OUT OF FMC AND HIGH WORKLOAD ON COMPLYING WITH VERT AND LATERAL PROFILES). HUMAN FACTORS: I WILL ALWAYS SELECT AN ARR RWY FOR ALL FLTS TO BETTER PREPARE MYSELF, HABIT PATTERN-WISE, FOR THE 1/100 RNAV ARRS WE FLY. COMPANY CULTURE AND HABITS LEAVE US ILL-EQUIPPED TO TRANSITION TO COMPLICATED HIGH WORKLOAD RNAV PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 558954: I WENT OFF ATC RADIO AND MADE IN-RANGE CALL TO LAS OPS. DURING THIS TIME FMC DISPLAY READ 'END OF RTE.' IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ENSURE RWY 25L IS ENTERED UNLESS TOLD OTHERWISE. IN ADDITION, I WILL MAKE IN-RANGE CALL FURTHER OUT TO PREVENT BEING OFF LINE (AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH ATC) APCHING SKEBR (END OF RTE POINT/TURN POINT).

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.