Narrative:

While arriving lax on the civet arrival; we had briefed and set up for a runway 25R ILS. At civet; the controller issued runway 24R. The first officer had a great deal of difficulty reprogramming the FMS. I had reset my navaids for the runway 24R ILS and was prepared to proceed without the FMS information flying the arrival manually. I then worked on clearing up the FMS problem. I looked up to notice that the aircraft was starting a left turn away from the desired ILS final. I immediately selected heading and turned back in the correct direction. In troubleshooting; I found that I was one digit off on my ILS frequency. With all that was going on; I did not have time to identify the ILS. I identified the ILS and captured the localizer for runway 24R then continued inbound for an uneventful landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 PLT RPTS LAX LATE RWY CHANGE CAUSED A HDG CHANGE WHEN WAYPOINTS DROP. AN INCORRECT MANUAL ILS FREQ SELECTION PREVENTED ILS LOC CAPTURE.

Narrative: WHILE ARRIVING LAX ON THE CIVET ARR; WE HAD BRIEFED AND SET UP FOR A RWY 25R ILS. AT CIVET; THE CTLR ISSUED RWY 24R. THE FO HAD A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY REPROGRAMMING THE FMS. I HAD RESET MY NAVAIDS FOR THE RWY 24R ILS AND WAS PREPARED TO PROCEED WITHOUT THE FMS INFO FLYING THE ARR MANUALLY. I THEN WORKED ON CLEARING UP THE FMS PROB. I LOOKED UP TO NOTICE THAT THE ACFT WAS STARTING A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE DESIRED ILS FINAL. I IMMEDIATELY SELECTED HDG AND TURNED BACK IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION. IN TROUBLESHOOTING; I FOUND THAT I WAS ONE DIGIT OFF ON MY ILS FREQ. WITH ALL THAT WAS GOING ON; I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO IDENTIFY THE ILS. I IDENTIFIED THE ILS AND CAPTURED THE LOC FOR RWY 24R THEN CONTINUED INBOUND FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

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.