Narrative:

Atx X was scheduled to depart O'hare and had obtained an aro for that time slot. Being advised that the arrival flts were early we were instructed to repos to await the passenger. An attempt was made to revise the aro but no suitable slots were available. The WX was clear and restr so I advised the sic that should we need to depart early that we would get a VFR clearance and that cruise altitude would be eleven five. The sic called clearance delivery and requested a VFR clearance. After a short delay to coordination we were instructed to maintain VFR and given a beacon code. Additionally we were to taxi up to the cargo taxiway and contact outbound ground control. I commented that it was unusual to receive a clearance, even VFR, without an altitude restriction but that 1 should be assigned by the tower when in position. Departure headings are given at that time. We received takeoff clearance and an assigned heading which was modified to runway heading shortly after lift off and instructed to remain with the tower. We were then instructed to turn left to 140 degree maintain VFR and contact midway arsa on frequency. As we were climbing and would be above this airspace the sic commented that this instruction was strange. This frequency was busy and our transmission did not bring a response. We returned to O'hare and again we were assigned the same frequency. The response was that we were in contact with ? Ground. By this time I had the midway then immediately sent us back over to chicago departure. At this point we were departing the TCA vertically and horizontally according to the DME. We were quickly given a chicago center frequency for advisories. Incidentally this frequency was also incorrect. The next morning I voluntarily contacted O'hare tower. I was told that there had been a system error. In fact no altitude restriction had been assigned and that inappropriate frequencys were given. Additionally the tower had to call downstairs (radar) in order to identify our aircraft in order to maintain separation for IFR traffic. Note: I was advised that I could have received an IFR clearance and that they do not have any information on whether an aircraft has an aro. I feel that this would have placed me in violation of the high density regulations. While I can agree that such a clearance without regulatory compliance probably poses the lowest risk it certainly exposes the hypocrisy of the enforcement procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ORD TWR FAILED TO ISSUE TCA CLRNC TO ATX X. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ATX X WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART O'HARE AND HAD OBTAINED AN ARO FOR THAT TIME SLOT. BEING ADVISED THAT THE ARR FLTS WERE EARLY WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO REPOS TO AWAIT THE PAX. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO REVISE THE ARO BUT NO SUITABLE SLOTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE WX WAS CLR AND RESTR SO I ADVISED THE SIC THAT SHOULD WE NEED TO DEPART EARLY THAT WE WOULD GET A VFR CLRNC AND THAT CRUISE ALT WOULD BE ELEVEN FIVE. THE SIC CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND REQUESTED A VFR CLRNC. AFTER A SHORT DELAY TO COORD WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VFR AND GIVEN A BEACON CODE. ADDITIONALLY WE WERE TO TAXI UP TO THE CARGO TAXIWAY AND CONTACT OUTBOUND GND CTL. I COMMENTED THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL TO RECEIVE A CLRNC, EVEN VFR, WITHOUT AN ALT RESTRICTION BUT THAT 1 SHOULD BE ASSIGNED BY THE TWR WHEN IN POS. DEP HDGS ARE GIVEN AT THAT TIME. WE RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC AND AN ASSIGNED HDG WHICH WAS MODIFIED TO RWY HDG SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF AND INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN WITH THE TWR. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN L TO 140 DEG MAINTAIN VFR AND CONTACT MIDWAY ARSA ON FREQ. AS WE WERE CLBING AND WOULD BE ABOVE THIS AIRSPACE THE SIC COMMENTED THAT THIS INSTRUCTION WAS STRANGE. THIS FREQ WAS BUSY AND OUR XMISSION DID NOT BRING A RESPONSE. WE RETURNED TO O'HARE AND AGAIN WE WERE ASSIGNED THE SAME FREQ. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ? GND. BY THIS TIME I HAD THE MIDWAY THEN IMMEDIATELY SENT US BACK OVER TO CHICAGO DEP. AT THIS POINT WE WERE DEPARTING THE TCA VERTICALLY AND HORIZLY ACCORDING TO THE DME. WE WERE QUICKLY GIVEN A CHICAGO CENTER FREQ FOR ADVISORIES. INCIDENTALLY THIS FREQ WAS ALSO INCORRECT. THE NEXT MORNING I VOLUNTARILY CONTACTED O'HARE TWR. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SYS ERROR. IN FACT NO ALT RESTRICTION HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AND THAT INAPPROPRIATE FREQS WERE GIVEN. ADDITIONALLY THE TWR HAD TO CALL DOWNSTAIRS (RADAR) IN ORDER TO IDENT OUR ACFT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION FOR IFR TFC. NOTE: I WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD HAVE RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC AND THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY INFO ON WHETHER AN ACFT HAS AN ARO. I FEEL THAT THIS WOULD HAVE PLACED ME IN VIOLATION OF THE HIGH DENSITY REGS. WHILE I CAN AGREE THAT SUCH A CLRNC WITHOUT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE PROBABLY POSES THE LOWEST RISK IT CERTAINLY EXPOSES THE HYPOCRISY OF THE ENFORCEMENT PROCS.

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.