Narrative:

We were east of the airport, on a dog leg to final being vectored for a visibility approach to runway 22L at ord. Shortly after being cleared for the approach tower asked if we could circle to land on runway 27R and during the rollout hold short of runway 22R. I accepted that clearance and proceeded to locate the ILS runway 27R approach chart in order to obtain the frequency and inbound radial for back-up course guidance. While I was in the process of doing this the PF (copilot) informed me that he wasn't clear as to which runway he was looking for. I looked up to confirm our position informed him that it was slightly off to the right, and returned my attention to finding the approach chart. As I did so the copilot made a slight right turn in order to position the aircraft on an intercept heading to runway 27R. After finding the appropriate chart I returned my attention to the approach and noticed we were right of the runway 27R extended centerline. I subsequently called the tower and asked if they had visibility contact with us. I was then directed to make a left turn and reclred for a visibility approach to runway 27L which we did. My only concern was that our position north of the 27R extended centerline might have put us in conflict with an aircraft I observed 2-3 mi in front and to the right of us on final approach to runway 22R. After landing I called the tower shift supervisor and was informed that the tower controller had visibility contact with both of us and that no conflict existed. Corrections: don't accept a clearance unless both pilots are completely clear about it.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CFEW ACCEPTS VISUAL APCH BUT PF DOES NOT HAVE FIELD IN SIGHT. TURNS BEYOND RWY CENTERLINE. HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE WERE E OF THE ARPT, ON A DOG LEG TO FINAL BEING VECTORED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 22L AT ORD. SHORTLY AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH TWR ASKED IF WE COULD CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 27R AND DURING THE ROLLOUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22R. I ACCEPTED THAT CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO LOCATE THE ILS RWY 27R APCH CHART IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE FREQ AND INBND RADIAL FOR BACK-UP COURSE GUIDANCE. WHILE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS THE PF (COPLT) INFORMED ME THAT HE WASN'T CLR AS TO WHICH RWY HE WAS LOOKING FOR. I LOOKED UP TO CONFIRM OUR POS INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS SLIGHTLY OFF TO THE R, AND RETURNED MY ATTN TO FINDING THE APCH CHART. AS I DID SO THE COPLT MADE A SLIGHT R TURN IN ORDER TO POS THE ACFT ON AN INTERCEPT HDG TO RWY 27R. AFTER FINDING THE APPROPRIATE CHART I RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE APCH AND NOTICED WE WERE R OF THE RWY 27R EXTENDED CTRLINE. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF THEY HAD VIS CONTACT WITH US. I WAS THEN DIRECTED TO MAKE A L TURN AND RECLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 27L WHICH WE DID. MY ONLY CONCERN WAS THAT OUR POS N OF THE 27R EXTENDED CTRLINE MIGHT HAVE PUT US IN CONFLICT WITH AN ACFT I OBSERVED 2-3 MI IN FRONT AND TO THE R OF US ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 22R. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE TWR SHIFT SUPVR AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TWR CTLR HAD VIS CONTACT WITH BOTH OF US AND THAT NO CONFLICT EXISTED. CORRECTIONS: DON'T ACCEPT A CLRNC UNLESS BOTH PLTS ARE COMPLETELY CLR ABOUT IT.

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