Narrative:

At the OM, runway 14R ord, aircraft (B757) initial contact to ord control tower, controller reported 'winds 230 degrees at 25 KTS gusting to 34 KTS.' flight XXX: 'I want another report at 300 ft. If gusts are over 30 KTS, we are going around.' controller's transmission (not exact words) 'everyone else has been landing with these winds for the past 1 hour.' flight XXX 'requesting runway 22R for landing.' go around accomplished, followed by landing on runway 22R. I feel the comment by the controller that others have been landing on this runway for the past hour was inappropriate. Looking back at the metar, reports show that the winds had been increasing. While a steady wind at 25 KTS is certainly within limits, it is the gusts over the limits that make the landing challenging and possibly a compromise to safety. As a captain responsible for the safety of passenger, crew, and aircraft, the controller's comment was inappropriate. Other pilots may feel pressured into accepting his comment and proceeding for landing, thus compromising safety. After our request for runway 22R, subsequent aircraft did gars. It was not until then that ord made the runway change to runway 22L and runway 22R for landing aircraft. All I ask is, give the pilot the information and let the pilot make the decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PIC CONCERNED WITH ORD CTLR'S COMMENTS WHEN PLT ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL WIND CHK.

Narrative: AT THE OM, RWY 14R ORD, ACFT (B757) INITIAL CONTACT TO ORD CTL TWR, CTLR RPTED 'WINDS 230 DEGS AT 25 KTS GUSTING TO 34 KTS.' FLT XXX: 'I WANT ANOTHER RPT AT 300 FT. IF GUSTS ARE OVER 30 KTS, WE ARE GOING AROUND.' CTLR'S XMISSION (NOT EXACT WORDS) 'EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN LNDG WITH THESE WINDS FOR THE PAST 1 HR.' FLT XXX 'REQUESTING RWY 22R FOR LNDG.' GAR ACCOMPLISHED, FOLLOWED BY LNDG ON RWY 22R. I FEEL THE COMMENT BY THE CTLR THAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN LNDG ON THIS RWY FOR THE PAST HR WAS INAPPROPRIATE. LOOKING BACK AT THE METAR, RPTS SHOW THAT THE WINDS HAD BEEN INCREASING. WHILE A STEADY WIND AT 25 KTS IS CERTAINLY WITHIN LIMITS, IT IS THE GUSTS OVER THE LIMITS THAT MAKE THE LNDG CHALLENGING AND POSSIBLY A COMPROMISE TO SAFETY. AS A CAPT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF PAX, CREW, AND ACFT, THE CTLR'S COMMENT WAS INAPPROPRIATE. OTHER PLTS MAY FEEL PRESSURED INTO ACCEPTING HIS COMMENT AND PROCEEDING FOR LNDG, THUS COMPROMISING SAFETY. AFTER OUR REQUEST FOR RWY 22R, SUBSEQUENT ACFT DID GARS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THEN THAT ORD MADE THE RWY CHANGE TO RWY 22L AND RWY 22R FOR LNDG ACFT. ALL I ASK IS, GIVE THE PLT THE INFO AND LET THE PLT MAKE THE DECISION.

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.