Air carrier medium large transport vectored too close to runway for visual approach to ord.

Attributes
ACN	122985
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 13800 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	122985
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Approaching O'hare int'l airport from southeast approximately 10-15 NM out, given heading of 285 degree, speed 250 KTS and clearance to descend to 2500'. Soon afterward, cleared to approximately 315 degree heading and speed at pilot's discretion. Began slowing and requested to advise when airport in sight. Responded 'company identification, roger'. We were also advised that we were #1 for approach and asked if we had the field in sight yet. The first officer, who was PF, and I simultaneously spotted the runway off our right side 90 degree to our heading. Our position was inside the outer marker and approximately 2500'. I advised approach that we had the field in sight. Approach control then cleared us for a visual approach to 41. I responded that we would not be able to land safely from our present position and that we were executing a missed approach. He acknowledged and instructed us to switch to tower frequency and advise them. He also commented that we would talk about it later. Switched to tower and made 2 calls before they responded. Finally, he asked if we had runway 32L in sight, and if so, we could bend it around and land on 32L. I said, 'no, we did not' and requested vectors to it. He responded, never mind, and gave us clearance to a downwind heading for 4R. Completed the approach and landed on 4R with no further problems. After landing, I called the tower to discuss the matter. I talked to a supervisor who said he saw everything and that we had said we had the field 6-7 NM out and that it appeared we were lined up on the wrong runway. If we were lined up on the wrong runway, their vectors and controling had put us in that position. We never called the field in sight until it was too late to make a safe landing from that position. The only safe thing to do was to miss. I feel that this was the poorest job of controling that I have witnessed and that the controller was overly eager to have us commit to a visual approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG VECTORED TOO CLOSE TO RWY FOR VISUAL APCH TO ORD.

Narrative: APCHING O'HARE INT'L ARPT FROM SE APPROX 10-15 NM OUT, GIVEN HDG OF 285 DEG, SPEED 250 KTS AND CLRNC TO DSND TO 2500'. SOON AFTERWARD, CLRED TO APPROX 315 DEG HDG AND SPEED AT PLT'S DISCRETION. BEGAN SLOWING AND REQUESTED TO ADVISE WHEN ARPT IN SIGHT. RESPONDED 'COMPANY ID, ROGER'. WE WERE ALSO ADVISED THAT WE WERE #1 FOR APCH AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT YET. THE F/O, WHO WAS PF, AND I SIMULTANEOUSLY SPOTTED THE RWY OFF OUR RIGHT SIDE 90 DEG TO OUR HDG. OUR POSITION WAS INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER AND APPROX 2500'. I ADVISED APCH THAT WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. APCH CTL THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 41. I RESPONDED THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY FROM OUR PRESENT POSITION AND THAT WE WERE EXECUTING A MISSED APCH. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND INSTRUCTED US TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ AND ADVISE THEM. HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT LATER. SWITCHED TO TWR AND MADE 2 CALLS BEFORE THEY RESPONDED. FINALLY, HE ASKED IF WE HAD RWY 32L IN SIGHT, AND IF SO, WE COULD BEND IT AROUND AND LAND ON 32L. I SAID, 'NO, WE DID NOT' AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO IT. HE RESPONDED, NEVER MIND, AND GAVE US CLRNC TO A DOWNWIND HDG FOR 4R. COMPLETED THE APCH AND LANDED ON 4R WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE TWR TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. I TALKED TO A SUPVR WHO SAID HE SAW EVERYTHING AND THAT WE HAD SAID WE HAD THE FIELD 6-7 NM OUT AND THAT IT APPEARED WE WERE LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. IF WE WERE LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY, THEIR VECTORS AND CTLING HAD PUT US IN THAT POSITION. WE NEVER CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG FROM THAT POSITION. THE ONLY SAFE THING TO DO WAS TO MISS. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS THE POOREST JOB OF CTLING THAT I HAVE WITNESSED AND THAT THE CTLR WAS OVERLY EAGER TO HAVE US COMMIT TO A VISUAL APCH.

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.