Clearance confusion due to speech rate of TRACON departure controller.

Attributes
ACN	102532
Time
Date	198901
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : sbn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	102532
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This report is about a controller who didn't seem to understand that her job was to move and control traffic, but merely to say the words and it would happen by itself. The controller had a deliver so rapid that the words were hard to understand. When the words were understood, instructions were hard to comprehend because so much information came in such a short time. As a result, twice as many xmissions were being made in order to clarify instructions. As a result of this, xmissions were being blocked constantly. 2 airlines' flts were being controled and one asked whether a clearance and altitude was for him (it wasn't). He politely asked the controller to slow down her delivery. She snapped, 'I'll slow down when I have less traffic.' good grief!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC CONFUSION DUE TO SPEECH RATE OF TRACON DEP CTLR.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS ABOUT A CTLR WHO DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT HER JOB WAS TO MOVE AND CTL TFC, BUT MERELY TO SAY THE WORDS AND IT WOULD HAPPEN BY ITSELF. THE CTLR HAD A DELIVER SO RAPID THAT THE WORDS WERE HARD TO UNDERSTAND. WHEN THE WORDS WERE UNDERSTOOD, INSTRUCTIONS WERE HARD TO COMPREHEND BECAUSE SO MUCH INFO CAME IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. AS A RESULT, TWICE AS MANY XMISSIONS WERE BEING MADE IN ORDER TO CLARIFY INSTRUCTIONS. AS A RESULT OF THIS, XMISSIONS WERE BEING BLOCKED CONSTANTLY. 2 AIRLINES' FLTS WERE BEING CTLED AND ONE ASKED WHETHER A CLRNC AND ALT WAS FOR HIM (IT WASN'T). HE POLITELY ASKED THE CTLR TO SLOW DOWN HER DELIVERY. SHE SNAPPED, 'I'LL SLOW DOWN WHEN I HAVE LESS TFC.' GOOD GRIEF!

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.