Narrative:

Descending into ord at FL240. No clearance for STAR descent. At 30 mi, still no descent. Inquired ATC several times, then finally handed to another frequency. Vectored to northwest with no conflict. ATC seemed very busy. Seemed to lose track of us. Since landing to south, thought they were holding us up intentionally, but not the case. Once questioned, they were surprised also. Supplemental information from acn 472337: chicago approach forgot/lost track of us on radar (okk 1 ord arrival). Descending into ord airspace, center handed us off to ord approach at FL240 (approximately 50 mi out of ord). We checked in and were told to expect runway 22R. At 30 mi from ord, I told first officer to expect a slam dunk since it appeared we were being held high on profile. The controller was extremely busy. At 20 mi out, I called approach and asked what their intentions were since we were still at FL240. Controller told me to stand by and called us n-abc, not air carrier-abc. She then told us to stay clear of airspace and call her back in 15-20 mins! I told her we were air carrier abc now 8 mi from ord at FL240! After a long pause, the controller asked how I got there and had no memory of us checking in with her 40-50 mi out. She handed us off to another set of controllers who vectored us to the northwest for descent and landing on runway 14R. We are sure we didn't miss any of her calls. We just think that she (controller) was busy, she lost track of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 FLC IS FORGOTTEN BY ORD APCH CTLR AND FINALLY, WHEN WITHIN 8 MI AT FL240 AND 3 CALLS LATER, THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR AND FLT WAS VECTORED INTO ORD, IL.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO ORD AT FL240. NO CLRNC FOR STAR DSCNT. AT 30 MI, STILL NO DSCNT. INQUIRED ATC SEVERAL TIMES, THEN FINALLY HANDED TO ANOTHER FREQ. VECTORED TO NW WITH NO CONFLICT. ATC SEEMED VERY BUSY. SEEMED TO LOSE TRACK OF US. SINCE LNDG TO S, THOUGHT THEY WERE HOLDING US UP INTENTIONALLY, BUT NOT THE CASE. ONCE QUESTIONED, THEY WERE SURPRISED ALSO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472337: CHICAGO APCH FORGOT/LOST TRACK OF US ON RADAR (OKK 1 ORD ARR). DSNDING INTO ORD AIRSPACE, CTR HANDED US OFF TO ORD APCH AT FL240 (APPROX 50 MI OUT OF ORD). WE CHKED IN AND WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 22R. AT 30 MI FROM ORD, I TOLD FO TO EXPECT A SLAM DUNK SINCE IT APPEARED WE WERE BEING HELD HIGH ON PROFILE. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. AT 20 MI OUT, I CALLED APCH AND ASKED WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE SINCE WE WERE STILL AT FL240. CTLR TOLD ME TO STAND BY AND CALLED US N-ABC, NOT ACR-ABC. SHE THEN TOLD US TO STAY CLEAR OF AIRSPACE AND CALL HER BACK IN 15-20 MINS! I TOLD HER WE WERE ACR ABC NOW 8 MI FROM ORD AT FL240! AFTER A LONG PAUSE, THE CTLR ASKED HOW I GOT THERE AND HAD NO MEMORY OF US CHKING IN WITH HER 40-50 MI OUT. SHE HANDED US OFF TO ANOTHER SET OF CTLRS WHO VECTORED US TO THE NW FOR DSCNT AND LNDG ON RWY 14R. WE ARE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS ANY OF HER CALLS. WE JUST THINK THAT SHE (CTLR) WAS BUSY, SHE LOST TRACK OF US.

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.