MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Communication Breakdown; Workload; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure
MARQO ONE RNAV STAR: Runway 8 was closed. We were set up for the RWY 14 transition; then somewhere before COROE; without enough time we were told descend and use the RWY 8 transition. I tried to set up the transition on an FMS system because the pilot not flying was new and wasn't acting fast enough. I told him to fly and attempted the modification. I then found myself too close to COROE without a transition route and quickly requested a heading. ATC reiterated his instructions and we went back and forth wasting time with me trying to explain we couldn't navigate it and needed a heading and altitude. He didn't get that we lost our FMS routing because of his late request. THEY SHOULDN'T ISSUE these changes so late in the game as well as keep us high too long which was another issue adding to the complications. While this was going on I selected heading hold after COROE which was basically the runway 8 transition until I finally got a heading and new altitude.They shouldn't be allowed to issue a different transition while landing another runway; besides adding distraction and confusion. Our systems won't do it unless we have much more time to set it up and figure out we will have to plan on raw data approach if it isn't an RNAV or RNAV back up. RNAV is not allowed on an FMS airplane anyway.Tell ATC to learn and understand our aircraft and pilot capabilities and that the more complex the request; the more dangerous it is since we may not know until after we have gone through the distracting procedure of attempting to comply; that it is too late to do anything. And in our case; left without a route in the FMS while crossing the initial waypoint of the arrival transition. (Thus my reason for requesting a heading of which they fought and took too long to provide.)Bottom line; special changes and requests to these very specific and restricted arrivals should not be issued or expected to comply with. Either have us fly the arrivals as is or provide vectors; speeds; and altitudes. My future response in this situation will be; 'UNABLE RNAV' and if that doesn't elicit radar vectors I will have to declare an emergency.
MD-80 Captain reported struggling to get the FMS re-programmed after a late runway change from ATC. Reporter recommended ATC stick with the original clearance and minimize short-notice changes.