Narrative:

Scheduled flight dtw to mdw, first officer flying. It was his second time into mdw, less than a yr with airline. About 80 mi out I copied the ATIS as 250 scattered, 15 mi 22 degree/2 degree wind 260/15 altitude 30.47 ILS approach 31C. NOTAM runway 22L-4R closed.' this ATIS was about an hour old but I had to get it then because we were soon to be switched to approach control. I reported ATIS information along with altitude etc on initial contact with chicago approach with no unusual response. I did hear some flts going to runway 22L and assumed it was recently opened for the commuter planes. Because of frequency congestion, we were probably 30 second inside the OM before we could contact the tower. Their first reply was something like 'break right now' or 'start your right turn immediately.' that was our first clue that we were going to a base leg that put us too close behind a commuter plane and we had to go around and start over. Not on initial contact or after did approach ever mention the circle to runway 22L or advise that ATIS was not current. It appears to me that they are trying to handle too many flts with the controllers and frequencys available. Radio traffic was so high that it was becoming a one way flow from the controllers. Readbacks were few and just not listened to. This situation is not unusual around chicago and it needs to improve before people get hurt! The above is my recollection of the event. We may have been told of the circle to runway 22L but it was either blocked or missed. I think regular users of mdw (and ord too) may get by by hearing what they expect and noticing changes but that doesn't work for occasional visitors. I've had similar comm problems around chicago before but this is about the worst. Atlanta has about the same traffic volume but I've never had problems like this there even though they speak southern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RECEIVED RWY CHANGE INSIDE THE OM RESULTING IN A GO AROUND.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT DTW TO MDW, F/O FLYING. IT WAS HIS SEC TIME INTO MDW, LESS THAN A YR WITH AIRLINE. ABOUT 80 MI OUT I COPIED THE ATIS AS 250 SCATTERED, 15 MI 22 DEG/2 DEG WIND 260/15 ALT 30.47 ILS APCH 31C. NOTAM RWY 22L-4R CLOSED.' THIS ATIS WAS ABOUT AN HR OLD BUT I HAD TO GET IT THEN BECAUSE WE WERE SOON TO BE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL. I RPTED ATIS INFO ALONG WITH ALT ETC ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH CHICAGO APCH WITH NO UNUSUAL RESPONSE. I DID HEAR SOME FLTS GOING TO RWY 22L AND ASSUMED IT WAS RECENTLY OPENED FOR THE COMMUTER PLANES. BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, WE WERE PROBABLY 30 SEC INSIDE THE OM BEFORE WE COULD CONTACT THE TWR. THEIR FIRST REPLY WAS SOMETHING LIKE 'BREAK R NOW' OR 'START YOUR R TURN IMMEDIATELY.' THAT WAS OUR FIRST CLUE THAT WE WERE GOING TO A BASE LEG THAT PUT US TOO CLOSE BEHIND A COMMUTER PLANE AND WE HAD TO GO AROUND AND START OVER. NOT ON INITIAL CONTACT OR AFTER DID APCH EVER MENTION THE CIRCLE TO RWY 22L OR ADVISE THAT ATIS WAS NOT CURRENT. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO HANDLE TOO MANY FLTS WITH THE CTLRS AND FREQS AVAILABLE. RADIO TFC WAS SO HIGH THAT IT WAS BECOMING A ONE WAY FLOW FROM THE CTLRS. READBACKS WERE FEW AND JUST NOT LISTENED TO. THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNUSUAL AROUND CHICAGO AND IT NEEDS TO IMPROVE BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT! THE ABOVE IS MY RECOLLECTION OF THE EVENT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN TOLD OF THE CIRCLE TO RWY 22L BUT IT WAS EITHER BLOCKED OR MISSED. I THINK REGULAR USERS OF MDW (AND ORD TOO) MAY GET BY BY HEARING WHAT THEY EXPECT AND NOTICING CHANGES BUT THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR OCCASIONAL VISITORS. I'VE HAD SIMILAR COMM PROBS AROUND CHICAGO BEFORE BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE WORST. ATLANTA HAS ABOUT THE SAME TFC VOLUME BUT I'VE NEVER HAD PROBS LIKE THIS THERE EVEN THOUGH THEY SPEAK SOUTHERN.

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.