Narrative:

On final to runway 9L in lousy WX, at about 200', an aircraft was cleared for takeoff on runway 4L, a crossing runway. The first officer said, 'he's clearing.' I continued the approach and was in the flare and very nearly landed when the tower told us to go around. Only then did I notice who had really been 'clearing', another aircraft on our runway, down near the far end. The tower waited too long to issue the go around. Another split second and the automatic spoilers would have been deployed. There was no reason to issue a go around that late. In addition, there was so much traffic on the frequency that it took both of us in the cockpit several seconds, and a confirmation request before we figured out that the go around command really was for us! The whole thing was ridiculous. We proceeded to a normal landing. There was no incident. But there nearly was. Chicago ATC is a nightmare. I am based there and I still say it's a nightmare. Their seps are too small, they talk too fast, they don't confirm readbacks, they have cleared me for takeoff behind a heavy before that airplane was past the end of the runway and then became surly when I refused takeoff clearance! There is simply too much pressure and not enough people. The cliche applies: it's an accident waiting to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MLG STARTING TO FLARE FOR LNDG WAS GIVEN A GO AROUND CLRNC BY TWR. CAPT ELECTED TO LAND.

Narrative: ON FINAL TO RWY 9L IN LOUSY WX, AT ABOUT 200', AN ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 4L, A XING RWY. THE F/O SAID, 'HE'S CLRING.' I CONTINUED THE APCH AND WAS IN THE FLARE AND VERY NEARLY LANDED WHEN THE TWR TOLD US TO GO AROUND. ONLY THEN DID I NOTICE WHO HAD REALLY BEEN 'CLRING', ANOTHER ACFT ON OUR RWY, DOWN NEAR THE FAR END. THE TWR WAITED TOO LONG TO ISSUE THE GO AROUND. ANOTHER SPLIT SEC AND THE AUTOMATIC SPOILERS WOULD HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO REASON TO ISSUE A GO AROUND THAT LATE. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS SO MUCH TFC ON THE FREQ THAT IT TOOK BOTH OF US IN THE COCKPIT SEVERAL SECS, AND A CONFIRMATION REQUEST BEFORE WE FIGURED OUT THAT THE GO AROUND COMMAND REALLY WAS FOR US! THE WHOLE THING WAS RIDICULOUS. WE PROCEEDED TO A NORMAL LNDG. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT. BUT THERE NEARLY WAS. CHICAGO ATC IS A NIGHTMARE. I AM BASED THERE AND I STILL SAY IT'S A NIGHTMARE. THEIR SEPS ARE TOO SMALL, THEY TALK TOO FAST, THEY DON'T CONFIRM READBACKS, THEY HAVE CLRED ME FOR TKOF BEHIND A HVY BEFORE THAT AIRPLANE WAS PAST THE END OF THE RWY AND THEN BECAME SURLY WHEN I REFUSED TKOF CLRNC! THERE IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH PRESSURE AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE. THE CLICHE APPLIES: IT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

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.