Narrative:

I taxied to runway 09L at ord. I held short and the tower controller was handling 3 runways, runway 32L T10, 09L and 04L. He cleared me into position and hold runway 09L. I read the clearance back and taxied into position. He then cleared air carrier Z into position and hold at runway 09L, plus there was an aircraft Y on final for runway 09L. I did not like what I was hearing so I questioned the controller and explained I was in position on runway 09L. He asked me to clear the runway and I did. He then read me the riot act. I told him to pull the tapes and air carrier Z also agreed with me that the controller had cleared me into position. The problem here is miscom between ATC and aircraft, but the problem lies in the tower controller not listening to what is being read back and him being overloaded because he is handling three runways at rush hour. The ord controller's are the best in the world, but I see the ATC system overloading them trying to move aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the local controller was so busy that he believes that he never took the time to ensure that the readbacks were correct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 PLT ALREADY IN POS ON RWY 09L AT ORD AND HOLDING FOR A TKOF CLRNC, OVERHEARS ATC CLR ACFT Y ON A SHORT FINAL, TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY, RESULTING IN THE BE36 EXITING THE RWY.

Narrative: I TAXIED TO RWY 09L AT ORD. I HELD SHORT AND THE TWR CTLR WAS HANDLING 3 RWYS, RWY 32L T10, 09L AND 04L. HE CLRED ME INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 09L. I READ THE CLRNC BACK AND TAXIED INTO POS. HE THEN CLRED ACR Z INTO POS AND HOLD AT RWY 09L, PLUS THERE WAS AN ACFT Y ON FINAL FOR RWY 09L. I DID NOT LIKE WHAT I WAS HEARING SO I QUESTIONED THE CTLR AND EXPLAINED I WAS IN POS ON RWY 09L. HE ASKED ME TO CLR THE RWY AND I DID. HE THEN READ ME THE RIOT ACT. I TOLD HIM TO PULL THE TAPES AND ACR Z ALSO AGREED WITH ME THAT THE CTLR HAD CLRED ME INTO POS. THE PROBLEM HERE IS MISCOM BETWEEN ATC AND ACFT, BUT THE PROB LIES IN THE TWR CTLR NOT LISTENING TO WHAT IS BEING READ BACK AND HIM BEING OVERLOADED BECAUSE HE IS HANDLING THREE RWYS AT RUSH HOUR. THE ORD CTLR'S ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD, BUT I SEE THE ATC SYSTEM OVERLOADING THEM TRYING TO MOVE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE LOCAL CTLR WAS SO BUSY THAT HE BELIEVES THAT HE NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO ENSURE THAT THE READBACKS WERE CORRECT.

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.