Narrative:

I was being vectored by ord approach (119.0) for a landing on runway 9R. My first officer was flying and we were at 8000' heading 220 degrees as assigned. I suddenly saw an airlines widebody transport at my 8:30-9 O'clock position and approximately 100' higher than us. I called him to my first officer's attention and we watched as he leveled at our altitude approximately 1000-2000' off our left wing. He was then given a heading of 250 degrees and he turned directly across our path. We were rocked rather violently by his wake turbulence. I asked ord approach if he was aware how close the widebody transport heavy was and he replied no, he was not and asked how close it had been. When I informed him he gave us a turn to 250 degrees. I hesitated as this would have again put us in the heavy's wake turbulence and in trail of him by less than 1/2 mi. The controller apparently recognized this and quickly corrected himself by saying, 'no, you stay on your present heading of 220 degrees.' we stayed on a 220 degree heading. The controller was evidently then relieved by another controller and we continued on vectors to land on runway 9R. There was another nonreving captain on board my aircraft and he, as well as my F/a and several passenger, witnessed the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER-LTT ACR-WDB BOTH BEING VECTORED TOWARD ORD TCA.

Narrative: I WAS BEING VECTORED BY ORD APCH (119.0) FOR A LNDG ON RWY 9R. MY F/O WAS FLYING AND WE WERE AT 8000' HDG 220 DEGS AS ASSIGNED. I SUDDENLY SAW AN AIRLINES WDB AT MY 8:30-9 O'CLOCK POS AND APPROX 100' HIGHER THAN US. I CALLED HIM TO MY F/O'S ATTN AND WE WATCHED AS HE LEVELED AT OUR ALT APPROX 1000-2000' OFF OUR LEFT WING. HE WAS THEN GIVEN A HDG OF 250 DEGS AND HE TURNED DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR PATH. WE WERE ROCKED RATHER VIOLENTLY BY HIS WAKE TURB. I ASKED ORD APCH IF HE WAS AWARE HOW CLOSE THE WDB HVY WAS AND HE REPLIED NO, HE WAS NOT AND ASKED HOW CLOSE IT HAD BEEN. WHEN I INFORMED HIM HE GAVE US A TURN TO 250 DEGS. I HESITATED AS THIS WOULD HAVE AGAIN PUT US IN THE HVY'S WAKE TURB AND IN TRAIL OF HIM BY LESS THAN 1/2 MI. THE CTLR APPARENTLY RECOGNIZED THIS AND QUICKLY CORRECTED HIMSELF BY SAYING, 'NO, YOU STAY ON YOUR PRESENT HDG OF 220 DEGS.' WE STAYED ON A 220 DEG HDG. THE CTLR WAS EVIDENTLY THEN RELIEVED BY ANOTHER CTLR AND WE CONTINUED ON VECTORS TO LAND ON RWY 9R. THERE WAS ANOTHER NONREVING CAPT ON BOARD MY ACFT AND HE, AS WELL AS MY F/A AND SEVERAL PAX, WITNESSED THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.