Widebody transport arrival to rjaa is challenged by short notice runway change and unfriendly format...

Attributes
ACN	706054
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : aries
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nrt.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : aries
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	706054
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication

Narrative:

During descent into rjaa at aries the tower suddenly changed from runway 16R to runway 34L. The first officer and myself had to scramble to reprogram the FMS and gather the numerous pages from the trip kit to rebrief for the new approach. Several times I had to redirect who was flying and who was gathering materials and reprogramming the FMS. We were very fortunate that both of us were very familiar with rjaa. If we were making approach to unfamiliar airport would probably have to enter holding somewhere to allow sufficient time to get prepared. The major difficulty is due to the way commercial charts (stars; aoi; approach) display and present information to the pilots. Commercial charts have the necessary information spread out over too many pages instead of illustrating all the information on STAR; and airport approach pages. They need to reformat the necessary data in easy to use crew friendly format.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ARR TO RJAA IS CHALLENGED BY SHORT NOTICE RWY CHANGE AND UNFRIENDLY FORMAT OF APCH CHARTS.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO RJAA AT ARIES THE TWR SUDDENLY CHANGED FROM RWY 16R TO RWY 34L. THE FO AND MYSELF HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO REPROGRAM THE FMS AND GATHER THE NUMEROUS PAGES FROM THE TRIP KIT TO REBRIEF FOR THE NEW APCH. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO REDIRECT WHO WAS FLYING AND WHO WAS GATHERING MATERIALS AND REPROGRAMMING THE FMS. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT BOTH OF US WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH RJAA. IF WE WERE MAKING APCH TO UNFAMILIAR ARPT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO ENTER HOLDING SOMEWHERE TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO GET PREPARED. THE MAJOR DIFFICULTY IS DUE TO THE WAY COMMERCIAL CHARTS (STARS; AOI; APCH) DISPLAY AND PRESENT INFO TO THE PLTS. COMMERCIAL CHARTS HAVE THE NECESSARY INFO SPREAD OUT OVER TOO MANY PAGES INSTEAD OF ILLUSTRATING ALL THE INFO ON STAR; AND ARPT APCH PAGES. THEY NEED TO REFORMAT THE NECESSARY DATA IN EASY TO USE CREW FRIENDLY FORMAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Widebody transport arrival to rjaa is challenged by short notice runway change and unfriendly format of approach charts.