Narrative:

On downwind for (IMC) ILS to runway 14L at O'hare. Approach turns us onto base leg and descends us from 6000' to 4000'. The turn had us pointing inside of the OM. Looking at our CRT's which give us a complete picture of the situation, we begin asking each other what approachs game plan is. We are still at 4000' and 250 KIAS and being vectored inside the OM for runway 14L. After being on this heading for several mins, approach control starts yelling that we have taken the wrong clearance and to start a right turn (can't remember heading) and climb to 5000'. Then I believe another voice gives us a left turn and climb to 6000', all in very rapid succession with loud tension in the voice. We observe a widebody transport Y on final approach to runway 14L or 14R (couldn't tell) that we climb directly over. When we xed the widebody transport Y we probably had 800' to 900' vertical sep. At the time, we had the widebody transport Y in sight as we were in between cloud layers and there was no problem. No evasive action of any kind was taken. Approach control switched us to runway 14R approach frequency and we were vectored to that runway. Nothing more was said on radio. The captain and I discussed the original clearance and agreed that it had been for us and that we had properly acknowledged it. West/O listening to approach control's tapes, I guess we'll never know. I assume if it was our fault a violation will be started. If it was approachs problem, we'll never hear anymore of it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX TWO ACR WDB ACFT BEING VECTORED FOR ILS APCH INTO ORD.

Narrative: ON DOWNWIND FOR (IMC) ILS TO RWY 14L AT O'HARE. APCH TURNS US ONTO BASE LEG AND DSNDS US FROM 6000' TO 4000'. THE TURN HAD US POINTING INSIDE OF THE OM. LOOKING AT OUR CRT'S WHICH GIVE US A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE SITUATION, WE BEGIN ASKING EACH OTHER WHAT APCHS GAME PLAN IS. WE ARE STILL AT 4000' AND 250 KIAS AND BEING VECTORED INSIDE THE OM FOR RWY 14L. AFTER BEING ON THIS HDG FOR SEVERAL MINS, APCH CTL STARTS YELLING THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THE WRONG CLRNC AND TO START A RIGHT TURN (CAN'T REMEMBER HDG) AND CLB TO 5000'. THEN I BELIEVE ANOTHER VOICE GIVES US A LEFT TURN AND CLB TO 6000', ALL IN VERY RAPID SUCCESSION WITH LOUD TENSION IN THE VOICE. WE OBSERVE A WDB Y ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 14L OR 14R (COULDN'T TELL) THAT WE CLB DIRECTLY OVER. WHEN WE XED THE WDB Y WE PROBABLY HAD 800' TO 900' VERT SEP. AT THE TIME, WE HAD THE WDB Y IN SIGHT AS WE WERE IN BTWN CLOUD LAYERS AND THERE WAS NO PROB. NO EVASIVE ACTION OF ANY KIND WAS TAKEN. APCH CTL SWITCHED US TO RWY 14R APCH FREQ AND WE WERE VECTORED TO THAT RWY. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID ON RADIO. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND AGREED THAT IT HAD BEEN FOR US AND THAT WE HAD PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED IT. W/O LISTENING TO APCH CTL'S TAPES, I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW. I ASSUME IF IT WAS OUR FAULT A VIOLATION WILL BE STARTED. IF IT WAS APCHS PROB, WE'LL NEVER HEAR ANYMORE OF IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.