Narrative:

We were on approach to runway 22R in ohare international. We were being vectored to the final approach course. Our heading was 310 degrees at an altitude of 3000 ft. The controller told us to turn to a heading of 250 degrees and intercept the final approach course to runway 22R. He was immediately answered by an air carrier Y aircraft that acknowledged the approach clearance. He did not correct the air carrier Y flight. We turned inbound to intercept the course and could not ask about the clearance because of the heavy volume on the radio. When we finally told the controller that we thought someone else had answered our call, air carrier Y answered again and said 'yes, we did, what do you want us to do about it?' before the controller could respond and blocking the controller. Finally the controller answered and asked us if we were 'turning back now?' we thought he meant back to the 310 degree heading, so we started to turn on the localizer course to that heading. He then said 'oh, I see what you are doing now, turn left to 210 degrees, maintain 2000 ft, cleared for the approach?' after we were again established on the localizer, he told us we were too close to the heavy behind us and vectored us around again for another approach. Far too much congestion on radio. Too many aircraft being controled on 1 frequency. 1 controller controling too many aircraft on 1 frequency. 3 runways for approach. Supplemental information from acn 540322: on the evening of 03/fri/02, I was first officer on flight XXX operating to chicago O'hare (ord). We were on a heading of 310 degrees at 3000 ft and being vectored by approach for the ILS runway 22R. We then heard the controller issue the following clearance, '...turn left heading 250 degrees to intercept the localizer runway 22R.' the captain who was flying began turning to 250 degrees to intercept. Before I could answer with the readback, an air carrier Y aircraft mistakenly read back our clearance. The controller never corrected the air carrier Y pilot, therefore, I called for confirmation that the clearance really was for us. The first call was blocked, however, on the second call, I stated that another aircraft answered our clearance and to confirm that 250 degree heading was for us. Before the controller could answer, air carrier Y stated, 'that was us, what would you like us to do now?' the next thing the controller said was to ask us if we were 'turning back now.' by this time, we had just intercepted the localizer, so we assumed he meant 'turning back' to the 310 degree heading and that the original clearance hadn't been for us. We initiated a turn to the right to go back to 310 degrees, and the controller said, 'I see what you're doing now, go back left to 210 degrees to intercept, 2000 ft until established and cleared for the ILS runway 22R. As we neared the localizer again, and started our descent from 3000 ft to 2000 ft, the controller stated that our separation was not adequate now for the heavy behind us, and turned us right to a north heading and maintain 3000 ft. He then sequenced us behind the heavy and we landed without further incident. I believe a contributing factor in this situation was frequency congestion since it was very difficult to confirm our clearance. Also, I believe the controller's workload was excessive for so many aircraft. He was the only approach controller we talked to from the arrival through the approach. At some airports, such as laguardia (lga), the approach controller working arrs switches you to a final approach controller working only approachs. I believe that solution would help if used in ord.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 HAD CLRNC CONFUSION IN ORD CLASS B BECAUSE OF TFC DENSITY AND APCH CTLR STAFFING.

Narrative: WE WERE ON APCH TO RWY 22R IN OHARE INTL. WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. OUR HEADING WAS 310 DEGS AT AN ALT OF 3000 FT. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO A HEADING OF 250 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 22R. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED BY AN ACR Y ACFT THAT ACKNOWLEDGED THE APCH CLRNC. HE DID NOT CORRECT THE ACR Y FLT. WE TURNED INBOUND TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE AND COULD NOT ASK ABOUT THE CLRNC BECAUSE OF THE HVY VOLUME ON THE RADIO. WHEN WE FINALLY TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE THOUGHT SOMEONE ELSE HAD ANSWERED OUR CALL, ACR Y ANSWERED AGAIN AND SAID 'YES, WE DID, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO ABOUT IT?' BEFORE THE CTLR COULD RESPOND AND BLOCKING THE CTLR. FINALLY THE CTLR ANSWERED AND ASKED US IF WE WERE 'TURNING BACK NOW?' WE THOUGHT HE MEANT BACK TO THE 310 DEG HDG, SO WE STARTED TO TURN ON THE LOC COURSE TO THAT HEADING. HE THEN SAID 'OH, I SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW, TURN L TO 210 DEGS, MAINTAIN 2000 FT, CLRED FOR THE APCH?' AFTER WE WERE AGAIN ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, HE TOLD US WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE HVY BEHIND US AND VECTORED US AROUND AGAIN FOR ANOTHER APCH. FAR TOO MUCH CONGESTION ON RADIO. TOO MANY ACFT BEING CTLED ON 1 FREQ. 1 CTLR CTLING TOO MANY ACFT ON 1 FREQ. 3 RWYS FOR APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540322: ON THE EVENING OF 03/FRI/02, I WAS FO ON FLT XXX OPERATING TO CHICAGO O'HARE (ORD). WE WERE ON A HEADING OF 310 DEGS AT 3000 FT AND BEING VECTORED BY APCH FOR THE ILS RWY 22R. WE THEN HEARD THE CTLR ISSUE THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, '...TURN L HEADING 250 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC RWY 22R.' THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING BEGAN TURNING TO 250 DEGS TO INTERCEPT. BEFORE I COULD ANSWER WITH THE READBACK, AN ACR Y ACFT MISTAKENLY READ BACK OUR CLRNC. THE CTLR NEVER CORRECTED THE ACR Y PLT, THEREFORE, I CALLED FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE CLRNC REALLY WAS FOR US. THE FIRST CALL WAS BLOCKED, HOWEVER, ON THE SECOND CALL, I STATED THAT ANOTHER ACFT ANSWERED OUR CLRNC AND TO CONFIRM THAT 250 DEG HDG WAS FOR US. BEFORE THE CTLR COULD ANSWER, ACR Y STATED, 'THAT WAS US, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO NOW?' THE NEXT THING THE CTLR SAID WAS TO ASK US IF WE WERE 'TURNING BACK NOW.' BY THIS TIME, WE HAD JUST INTERCEPTED THE LOC, SO WE ASSUMED HE MEANT 'TURNING BACK' TO THE 310 DEG HDG AND THAT THE ORIGINAL CLRNC HADN'T BEEN FOR US. WE INITIATED A TURN TO THE R TO GO BACK TO 310 DEGS, AND THE CTLR SAID, 'I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, GO BACK L TO 210 DEGS TO INTERCEPT, 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED AND CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22R. AS WE NEARED THE LOC AGAIN, AND STARTED OUR DSCNT FROM 3000 FT TO 2000 FT, THE CTLR STATED THAT OUR SEPARATION WAS NOT ADEQUATE NOW FOR THE HVY BEHIND US, AND TURNED US R TO A N HEADING AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. HE THEN SEQUENCED US BEHIND THE HVY AND WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS SIT WAS FREQ CONGESTION SINCE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC. ALSO, I BELIEVE THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD WAS EXCESSIVE FOR SO MANY ACFT. HE WAS THE ONLY APCH CTLR WE TALKED TO FROM THE ARR THROUGH THE APCH. AT SOME ARPTS, SUCH AS LAGUARDIA (LGA), THE APCH CTLR WORKING ARRS SWITCHES YOU TO A FINAL APCH CTLR WORKING ONLY APCHS. I BELIEVE THAT SOLUTION WOULD HELP IF USED IN ORD.

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.