Narrative:

This flight was filed for the civet 5 arrival; hec transition. We were assigned FL190 and told to contact socal approach just prior to gramm intersection. We crossed gramm at 280 KTS per the arrival. Upon changing to approach control frequency; approach was busy talking to other traffic. When we checked in; we were told; 'descend via the civet arrival for runway 24R.' we were at or past rustt intersection when this was assigned. The first officer was flying. He started the descent while I went 'heads down' to reload the assigned arrival and runway into the FMC and verify the waypoints. At or near civet; we were assigned 250 KTS. As the PNF; I became too involved in verifying the waypoints along the arrival and setting the radios to the ILS frequency and lost situational awareness. Adding to the difficulties; the sun was low on the horizon and directly in our eyes. I looked up to regain my situational awareness and discovered we were not going to make the crossing restr at decor (9800-9000 ft). I told the first officer to 'get down' but it was too late. The speed brakes were extended and we were at 250 KTS. We ended up crossing decor about 10300 ft. Approach control frequency was too congested for us to communication with socal our missing the crossing restr. We continued the arrival; approach and landing without further incident. A late change in the arrival runway; a late descent; radio congestion and the sun caused a loss of situational awareness and this altitude deviation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW MISSED A LAX CIVET ALT CONSTRAINT AFTER BEING DISTRACTED BY FMC WORK FOR A LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT; SUN POSITION AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS FILED FOR THE CIVET 5 ARR; HEC TRANSITION. WE WERE ASSIGNED FL190 AND TOLD TO CONTACT SOCAL APCH JUST PRIOR TO GRAMM INTXN. WE CROSSED GRAMM AT 280 KTS PER THE ARR. UPON CHANGING TO APCH CTL FREQ; APCH WAS BUSY TALKING TO OTHER TFC. WHEN WE CHKED IN; WE WERE TOLD; 'DSND VIA THE CIVET ARR FOR RWY 24R.' WE WERE AT OR PAST RUSTT INTXN WHEN THIS WAS ASSIGNED. THE FO WAS FLYING. HE STARTED THE DSCNT WHILE I WENT 'HEADS DOWN' TO RELOAD THE ASSIGNED ARR AND RWY INTO THE FMC AND VERIFY THE WAYPOINTS. AT OR NEAR CIVET; WE WERE ASSIGNED 250 KTS. AS THE PNF; I BECAME TOO INVOLVED IN VERIFYING THE WAYPOINTS ALONG THE ARR AND SETTING THE RADIOS TO THE ILS FREQ AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTIES; THE SUN WAS LOW ON THE HORIZON AND DIRECTLY IN OUR EYES. I LOOKED UP TO REGAIN MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND DISCOVERED WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR AT DECOR (9800-9000 FT). I TOLD THE FO TO 'GET DOWN' BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED AND WE WERE AT 250 KTS. WE ENDED UP XING DECOR ABOUT 10300 FT. APCH CTL FREQ WAS TOO CONGESTED FOR US TO COM WITH SOCAL OUR MISSING THE XING RESTR. WE CONTINUED THE ARR; APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A LATE CHANGE IN THE ARR RWY; A LATE DSCNT; RADIO CONGESTION AND THE SUN CAUSED A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND THIS ALTDEV.

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.