Narrative:

A scheduled departure from ord was assigned runway 32L intersection takeoff at taxi T1. Positioning of aircraft for departure was complicated by the front of the line aircraft not having their final weight and balance and the tower controller repositioning them and having other aircraft check their weights for alternate intxns. We were #3 in line but had our weights. Cleared into position and cleared for takeoff to fly 330 degree heading while climbing to 5000 ft. Normal takeoff and early climb. At approximately 500 ft heard our flight number in a broken transmission and then again our flight number with a left turn to 090 degree. ('Hearers' interpretation was that the tower controller's voice had an urgency to it and started an immediate left turn continuing the climb). First officer queried the tower as to instructions received and he repeated with further traffic advice to the right, 1 mi. We did not see the traffic. In the turn to the east we visually saw and climbed above and behind an aircraft landing on another runway. Established 090 degree at 5000 ft, still on tower control we again queried tower as to his intentions. (Flight was planned wbound). At this point tower stated, where are you? We replied overhead ord at 5000 ft, 090 degree heading. Don't remember exact sequence of xmissions from tower but we heard our flight cleared for takeoff and again asked where we were and the statement we were assigned heading 330 degree. At this point ATC established our position and we were vectored out of the area north and then west and transferred to departure control. After departing the area had our dispatch contact the tower chief for explanation of events. Their explanation was an aircraft had executed a missed approach from another runway causing a separation problem. From our limited position it seems the tower controller was put in a position of being overloaded. He was controling 2 departure runways, confusing at departure end of runway 32L (T1) and missed approach. It is difficult to blame anyone when you don't have the big picture but based on just being a listener to what was transpiring, one individual was doing too much. As it was everything worked out with no loss of separation but had the WX been IMC, I'm not sure the results would have been the same.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS BTWN ACR LGT ON TKOF FROM 32L AT ORD AND AN ACFT ON GAR FROM PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: A SCHEDULED DEP FROM ORD WAS ASSIGNED RWY 32L INTXN TKOF AT TAXI T1. POSITIONING OF ACFT FOR DEP WAS COMPLICATED BY THE FRONT OF THE LINE ACFT NOT HAVING THEIR FINAL WT AND BAL AND THE TWR CTLR REPOSITIONING THEM AND HAVING OTHER ACFT CHK THEIR WTS FOR ALTERNATE INTXNS. WE WERE #3 IN LINE BUT HAD OUR WTS. CLRED INTO POS AND CLRED FOR TKOF TO FLY 330 DEG HDG WHILE CLBING TO 5000 FT. NORMAL TKOF AND EARLY CLB. AT APPROX 500 FT HEARD OUR FLT NUMBER IN A BROKEN XMISSION AND THEN AGAIN OUR FLT NUMBER WITH A L TURN TO 090 DEG. ('HEARERS' INTERPRETATION WAS THAT THE TWR CTLR'S VOICE HAD AN URGENCY TO IT AND STARTED AN IMMEDIATE L TURN CONTINUING THE CLB). FO QUERIED THE TWR AS TO INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED AND HE REPEATED WITH FURTHER TFC ADVICE TO THE R, 1 MI. WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC. IN THE TURN TO THE E WE VISUALLY SAW AND CLBED ABOVE AND BEHIND AN ACFT LNDG ON ANOTHER RWY. ESTABLISHED 090 DEG AT 5000 FT, STILL ON TWR CTL WE AGAIN QUERIED TWR AS TO HIS INTENTIONS. (FLT WAS PLANNED WBOUND). AT THIS POINT TWR STATED, WHERE ARE YOU? WE REPLIED OVERHEAD ORD AT 5000 FT, 090 DEG HDG. DON'T REMEMBER EXACT SEQUENCE OF XMISSIONS FROM TWR BUT WE HEARD OUR FLT CLRED FOR TKOF AND AGAIN ASKED WHERE WE WERE AND THE STATEMENT WE WERE ASSIGNED HDG 330 DEG. AT THIS POINT ATC ESTABLISHED OUR POS AND WE WERE VECTORED OUT OF THE AREA N AND THEN W AND TRANSFERRED TO DEP CTL. AFTER DEPARTING THE AREA HAD OUR DISPATCH CONTACT THE TWR CHIEF FOR EXPLANATION OF EVENTS. THEIR EXPLANATION WAS AN ACFT HAD EXECUTED A MISSED APCH FROM ANOTHER RWY CAUSING A SEPARATION PROB. FROM OUR LIMITED POS IT SEEMS THE TWR CTLR WAS PUT IN A POS OF BEING OVERLOADED. HE WAS CTLING 2 DEP RWYS, CONFUSING AT DEP END OF RWY 32L (T1) AND MISSED APCH. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BLAME ANYONE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE BIG PICTURE BUT BASED ON JUST BEING A LISTENER TO WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING, ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS DOING TOO MUCH. AS IT WAS EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WITH NO LOSS OF SEPARATION BUT HAD THE WX BEEN IMC, I'M NOT SURE THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME.

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.