Narrative:

I was working west departure at ord TRACON (C90). An air carrier X crj jet departed ord on a 330 degree heading. I was working 3 or 4 other west departures at this time. Ord tower transmitted a strip to me -- a departure strip for air carrier X. Ord tower then launched another departure behind air carrier X on a 350 degree diverging heading. Also a wbound. I did not have a strip on the second jet and did not know he was diverging. It looked like just another departure. The problem was air carrier X was not accelerating. He was departing and climbing out at 200 KTS. I asked air carrier X his speed and he told me 200 KTS. The second jet looked to be catching him; however; he was diverging and it was VFR. I didn't know it at the time; so I accelerated air carrier X! I asked air carrier X if they were climbing out slowly and they said yes; that's what they are to do. The problem: air carrier X is implementing a program to climb out at 200 KTS to save fuel. Some are doing it; some aren't. We were briefed on this the first week of august. This will not work in ord's environment when everyone else is climbing of the ground accelerating to 250 KTS. This is going to cause someone to get run over if the controllers don't catch it. It could cause a midair on departure. I can't believe the FAA is allowing this problem to be implemented at the busy airports. We were told we need to catch them and instruct them to accelerate; if we don't see it we will have errors! This is not a good policy by air carrier X in a heavy traffic environment. Something needs to be done. We don't even know if it's to be implemented. Some air carrier X's are doing it; some aren't. As of today; we controllers have not been [advised as] to when or if it's going to be in effect. This is dangerous!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING AN AIRLINE'S POLICY TO RESTRICT DEP SPD AND ITS EFFECT ON OTHER DEP ACFT AND CTLR WORKLOAD.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING W DEP AT ORD TRACON (C90). AN ACR X CRJ JET DEPARTED ORD ON A 330 DEG HDG. I WAS WORKING 3 OR 4 OTHER W DEPS AT THIS TIME. ORD TWR XMITTED A STRIP TO ME -- A DEP STRIP FOR ACR X. ORD TWR THEN LAUNCHED ANOTHER DEP BEHIND ACR X ON A 350 DEG DIVERGING HDG. ALSO A WBOUND. I DID NOT HAVE A STRIP ON THE SECOND JET AND DID NOT KNOW HE WAS DIVERGING. IT LOOKED LIKE JUST ANOTHER DEP. THE PROB WAS ACR X WAS NOT ACCELERATING. HE WAS DEPARTING AND CLBING OUT AT 200 KTS. I ASKED ACR X HIS SPD AND HE TOLD ME 200 KTS. THE SECOND JET LOOKED TO BE CATCHING HIM; HOWEVER; HE WAS DIVERGING AND IT WAS VFR. I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME; SO I ACCELERATED ACR X! I ASKED ACR X IF THEY WERE CLBING OUT SLOWLY AND THEY SAID YES; THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE TO DO. THE PROB: ACR X IS IMPLEMENTING A PROGRAM TO CLB OUT AT 200 KTS TO SAVE FUEL. SOME ARE DOING IT; SOME AREN'T. WE WERE BRIEFED ON THIS THE FIRST WK OF AUGUST. THIS WILL NOT WORK IN ORD'S ENVIRONMENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS CLBING OF THE GND ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO GET RUN OVER IF THE CTLRS DON'T CATCH IT. IT COULD CAUSE A MIDAIR ON DEP. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FAA IS ALLOWING THIS PROB TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT THE BUSY ARPTS. WE WERE TOLD WE NEED TO CATCH THEM AND INSTRUCT THEM TO ACCELERATE; IF WE DON'T SEE IT WE WILL HAVE ERRORS! THIS IS NOT A GOOD POLICY BY ACR X IN A HVY TFC ENVIRONMENT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S TO BE IMPLEMENTED. SOME ACR X'S ARE DOING IT; SOME AREN'T. AS OF TODAY; WE CTLRS HAVE NOT BEEN [ADVISED AS] TO WHEN OR IF IT'S GOING TO BE IN EFFECT. THIS IS DANGEROUS!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.