Narrative:

We had been on duty for about 10 hours. It was night, about xx local. We were on an O'hare 8 departure, on an 180 degree heading, out of about 12000 climbing to 14000'. The controller was talking exceptionally fast and gave us the following clearance: 'you are cleared to turn to a 140 degree heading, intercept J30, resume normal navigation, climb to and maintain FL230 and expedite out of 15000'.' I read the clearance back as best I could based on what I thought I heard. The controller came back and chastised me on the air with the comment: 'that is correct, and expedite the readbacks also, I have 25 other aircraft to handle.' remarks: now I was born and raised in tx, so I talk in a cadence that is slightly slower than some people. And when it is late at night, I may even talk slower than I do at high noon, especially if I have been performing a high stress job like flying captain of a heavy jet export aircraft for the past 8 or 10 hours. Nonetheless, this type of rude, disrespectful communication style utilized by this particular controller, which is not uncommon, is doing the ATC system no good. In fact, I suggest it may be counterproductive. And, I will tell you, as a result of this incident, I will not accept any more speed speak clrncs, nor will I accept any more clrncs with more than 3 items in it. And, in the interest of safety, I intend to advocate to as many pilots as possible to do the same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC SPEED READ CLRNC, DEMAND EXPEDITE READBACK.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR ABOUT 10 HRS. IT WAS NIGHT, ABOUT XX LCL. WE WERE ON AN O'HARE 8 DEP, ON AN 180 DEG HDG, OUT OF ABOUT 12000 CLBING TO 14000'. THE CTLR WAS TALKING EXCEPTIONALLY FAST AND GAVE US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'YOU ARE CLRED TO TURN TO A 140 DEG HDG, INTERCEPT J30, RESUME NORMAL NAV, CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL230 AND EXPEDITE OUT OF 15000'.' I READ THE CLRNC BACK AS BEST I COULD BASED ON WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND CHASTISED ME ON THE AIR WITH THE COMMENT: 'THAT IS CORRECT, AND EXPEDITE THE READBACKS ALSO, I HAVE 25 OTHER ACFT TO HANDLE.' REMARKS: NOW I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN TX, SO I TALK IN A CADENCE THAT IS SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN SOME PEOPLE. AND WHEN IT IS LATE AT NIGHT, I MAY EVEN TALK SLOWER THAN I DO AT HIGH NOON, ESPECIALLY IF I HAVE BEEN PERFORMING A HIGH STRESS JOB LIKE FLYING CAPT OF A HEAVY JET EXPORT ACFT FOR THE PAST 8 OR 10 HRS. NONETHELESS, THIS TYPE OF RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL COM STYLE UTILIZED BY THIS PARTICULAR CTLR, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON, IS DOING THE ATC SYS NO GOOD. IN FACT, I SUGGEST IT MAY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. AND, I WILL TELL YOU, AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY MORE SPD SPEAK CLRNCS, NOR WILL I ACCEPT ANY MORE CLRNCS WITH MORE THAN 3 ITEMS IN IT. AND, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I INTEND TO ADVOCATE TO AS MANY PLTS AS POSSIBLE TO DO THE SAME.

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.