Narrative:

Inbound to ord on approach control, descending and receiving vectors for approach to runway 14R, approaching ord from southeast. Approach control was very busy and at times giving continuous clrncs with no opportunity for acknowledgement. Checking on the frequency from en route control was nearly impossible and approach at 1 time made a blind broadcast for aircraft waiting to check on to identify and he would know our position. During this rush period, 2 controllers were giving instructions. We received a clearance from 11000 to 8000' from a male voice as well as turn to the west. While descending to 8000' a female voice cleared us to 7000' and a turn to 320 degrees for downwind. Descending through 7400' the male voice advised us we were only cleared to 8000' and should turn to 320 degrees. We returned to 8000' and advised we had received clearance to 7000'. The male voice (evidently a trner) said he had missed the female giving us 7000'. We continued uneventfully to landing. At the gate, F/a's asked us how close we had come to a commuter aircraft; they thought they could see into the cockpit. We had not been advised of nor saw the other aircraft. A call to approach control yielded their admission of a trnee making an error on the descent clearance and claimed the other aircraft had us visibility with no traffic conflict. It sounded as if approach control was too busy to be conducting training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT COMMUTER-MDT ON VECTORED DESCENT INTO ORD TCA.

Narrative: INBND TO ORD ON APCH CTL, DSNDING AND RECEIVING VECTORS FOR APCH TO RWY 14R, APCHING ORD FROM SE. APCH CTL WAS VERY BUSY AND AT TIMES GIVING CONTINUOUS CLRNCS WITH NO OPPORTUNITY FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. CHKING ON THE FREQ FROM ENRTE CTL WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AND APCH AT 1 TIME MADE A BLIND BROADCAST FOR ACFT WAITING TO CHK ON TO IDENT AND HE WOULD KNOW OUR POS. DURING THIS RUSH PERIOD, 2 CTLRS WERE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM 11000 TO 8000' FROM A MALE VOICE AS WELL AS TURN TO THE W. WHILE DSNDING TO 8000' A FEMALE VOICE CLRED US TO 7000' AND A TURN TO 320 DEGS FOR DOWNWIND. DSNDING THROUGH 7400' THE MALE VOICE ADVISED US WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 8000' AND SHOULD TURN TO 320 DEGS. WE RETURNED TO 8000' AND ADVISED WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO 7000'. THE MALE VOICE (EVIDENTLY A TRNER) SAID HE HAD MISSED THE FEMALE GIVING US 7000'. WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO LNDG. AT THE GATE, F/A'S ASKED US HOW CLOSE WE HAD COME TO A COMMUTER ACFT; THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD SEE INTO THE COCKPIT. WE HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED OF NOR SAW THE OTHER ACFT. A CALL TO APCH CTL YIELDED THEIR ADMISSION OF A TRNEE MAKING AN ERROR ON THE DSNT CLRNC AND CLAIMED THE OTHER ACFT HAD US VIS WITH NO TFC CONFLICT. IT SOUNDED AS IF APCH CTL WAS TOO BUSY TO BE CONDUCTING TRNING.

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.