Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Airport; Human Factors
We are continuing to see problems related to multiple approach changes upon arrival into DEN. In my last three arrivals into DEN; TRACON switched our expected approach procedure or runway three times. In all cases; the arrival runway and approach advertised on ATIS was not executed although we had set-up and briefed the approach IAW normal procedures. TRACON would then change the approach and often the runway forcing us to again go heads-down; perform a reset-up of the cockpit; and another briefing. Then the runway was changed again by either Approach or Tower. In all three instances (my last three arrivals into DEN); the end result was that the non-flying pilot was forced to go heads-down below 10;000 feet MSL and a full briefing could not be accomplished prior to landing. It is important to realize that in many of these instances; we are performing approaches to converging; parallel traffic and crews have not had time to properly brief the LOC frequencies that are being used. A mistaken frequency dialed at the last minute has the potential to cause crews to overshoot into simultaneous parallel traffic. I applaud DEN TRACON for leading the way with RNP operations; but the sequencing and alternating use of these procedures (as it is today) is resulting in unsafe task saturation in the approach environment; low to the ground.
Pilot reports of many changes to the approach and runway they had planned for landing at DEN.