MD80 crew experienced excessive speech rate and controller problem in C90 class B.

Attributes
ACN	491068
Time
Date	200011
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ord.vor
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	491068
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : c90.tracon

Narrative:

ATC communications. On approach, approach control was talking so fast he was slurring the words so badly the message was unintelligible. At least 1 aircraft got it wrong so much that the controller sarcastically asked the pilot if he was ready to copy clearance. Controller then resumed even faster. Science will tell you it is possible to talk faster than you can hear. This was the case. The only thing pilots can do is assume what the clearance is by the form and your aircraft location. I believe this is dangerous. Even though this is ord, they should not do this and then put pressure on us pilots by using sarcastic comments to ridicule pilots. This is the means that psychological and psychosocial pressure will cause an incident where the pilot will be blamed. We have reached the limit on speed talking clrncs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE SPEECH RATE AND CTLR PROB IN C90 CLASS B.

Narrative: ATC COMS. ON APCH, APCH CTL WAS TALKING SO FAST HE WAS SLURRING THE WORDS SO BADLY THE MESSAGE WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. AT LEAST 1 ACFT GOT IT WRONG SO MUCH THAT THE CTLR SARCASTICALLY ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS READY TO COPY CLRNC. CTLR THEN RESUMED EVEN FASTER. SCIENCE WILL TELL YOU IT IS POSSIBLE TO TALK FASTER THAN YOU CAN HEAR. THIS WAS THE CASE. THE ONLY THING PLTS CAN DO IS ASSUME WHAT THE CLRNC IS BY THE FORM AND YOUR ACFT LOCATION. I BELIEVE THIS IS DANGEROUS. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS ORD, THEY SHOULD NOT DO THIS AND THEN PUT PRESSURE ON US PLTS BY USING SARCASTIC COMMENTS TO RIDICULE PLTS. THIS IS THE MEANS THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL PRESSURE WILL CAUSE AN INCIDENT WHERE THE PLT WILL BE BLAMED. WE HAVE REACHED THE LIMIT ON SPD TALKING CLRNCS.

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.