Air carrier first officer reports confusion over FMC coding of arrivals into zspd.

Attributes
ACN	787378
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zspd.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 25000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : edmm.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : dumet
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 30000
ASRS Report	787378
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This is unsafe. The normal arrival into pvg; landing south; is the DUMET22A. For at least the past month; the arrival is no longer line-selectable as the DUM22A; as published on the commercial chart. We have typically built the approach; or asked for radar vectors. On this past flight; the flying crew selected runway 16 and built the approach before crew change. While en route; I was looking at the different arrs for the south runways and found the arrs are still line-selectable; but under a different name. Runway 16 is selectable as DUM16; and runway 17L as DUM17B (as I recall). I have seen the pvg WX go from VFR to CAT ii while on the approach. That is not the time to be building an approach; especially after a 12 hour flight. Building an approach introduces the possibility of an error. The approach plates need to be updated or a NOTAM issued. Crews need to know this information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO REPORTS CONFUSION OVER FMC CODING OF ARRIVALS INTO ZSPD.

Narrative: THIS IS UNSAFE. THE NORMAL ARR INTO PVG; LNDG S; IS THE DUMET22A. FOR AT LEAST THE PAST MONTH; THE ARR IS NO LONGER LINE-SELECTABLE AS THE DUM22A; AS PUBLISHED ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART. WE HAVE TYPICALLY BUILT THE APCH; OR ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS. ON THIS PAST FLT; THE FLYING CREW SELECTED RWY 16 AND BUILT THE APCH BEFORE CREW CHANGE. WHILE ENRTE; I WAS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT ARRS FOR THE S RWYS AND FOUND THE ARRS ARE STILL LINE-SELECTABLE; BUT UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME. RWY 16 IS SELECTABLE AS DUM16; AND RWY 17L AS DUM17B (AS I RECALL). I HAVE SEEN THE PVG WX GO FROM VFR TO CAT II WHILE ON THE APCH. THAT IS NOT THE TIME TO BE BUILDING AN APCH; ESPECIALLY AFTER A 12 HR FLT. BUILDING AN APCH INTRODUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ERROR. THE APCH PLATES NEED TO BE UPDATED OR A NOTAM ISSUED. CREWS NEED TO KNOW THIS INFO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.