B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 98; Flight Crew Total 7600; Flight Crew Type 300
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Human-Machine Interface; Workload; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
After receiving a clearance to 'descend via Seavu arrival cleared for the approach; maintain 280 knots' the Captain didn't set MCP altitude and I failed to catch it. ATC called us back in approximately two minutes and asked if we had started down. We realized the mistake and attempted to comply with the clearance but slowed below assigned airspeed due to VNAV built in speed reduction; which we corrected immediately after which we received no further word from the Controller. There were no altitude busts; just a slight reduction below assigned speed. The arrival had been briefed thoroughly for what we expected and what was given. Event was simply a mistake we attributed to unfamiliar new MCP procedures. A contributing factor was a heavier than usual workload environment due to monitoring fuel management to avoid an over weight landing. We tankered fuel from IAH. We requested a lower altitude at approximately PHX to comply with landing weight.
At approximately PECOX I noticed IAS was decreasing and immediately commanded an increase in airspeed. Also; for unknown reason; 17;000 FT had been re-selected into window. Pilot not flying commanded an immediate descent.
A B737 flight crew suffered modest deviations while performing the SEAVU STAR to LAX while utilizing new company Mode Control Panel SOPs.