Narrative:

First officer flying the aircraft autothrottles inoperative for takeoff on runway 22L. Given takeoff clearance, 'company identify runway 22L, cleared for takeoff.' acknowledged clearance, throttles manually set for takeoff, first officer flying. Once airborne, both myself and first officer feel 'uncomfortable' with straight-out departure on runway 22L. Very experienced with O'hare operations and normally 22L departures have fairly quick turns left to south or further left to east. Tower controller quite busy and normal handoff to departure control was not made. First officer and I have already commented within the cockpit that the ATC handling this evening seems below PAR for O'hare. (We had just flown into ord with below average ATC services on approach and noticed taxiing back out for this takeoff unusual confusion on ground control and tower). With this 'gut feeling' at approximately 3 mi on departure leg at approximately 3800 ft I called tower to ask for a switch to departure control and confirm our 'runway heading.' we were instructed to turn left to 090 degree immediately and maintain 4000 ft (previously cleared to 5000 ft). At this point we had climbed to approximately 4600 ft, descended back down to 4000 ft while accomplishing the turn to 090 degree. A supervisor had come on the tower frequency to inform us we were overtaking a commuter-type aircraft. We showed an aircraft on our TCASII at 1 O'clock and approximately 8 mi (closed aircraft displayed). Then told to turn to 060 degree, maintain 4000 ft, and contact departure control. We contacted departure control and the remainder of the departure was normal. Both first officer and myself neither heard nor acknowledged a turn with the original takeoff clearance. Familiarity with O'hare's 'normal' operating procedures and that 'uncomfortable feeling' may have prevented this minor incident from becoming a serious event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FREQ CHANGED DELAYED AFTER TKOF FROM ORD MAINT RWY HDG.

Narrative: FO FLYING THE ACFT AUTOTHROTTLES INOPERATIVE FOR TKOF ON RWY 22L. GIVEN TKOF CLRNC, 'COMPANY IDENT RWY 22L, CLRED FOR TKOF.' ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC, THROTTLES MANUALLY SET FOR TKOF, FO FLYING. ONCE AIRBORNE, BOTH MYSELF AND FO FEEL 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WITH STRAIGHT-OUT DEP ON RWY 22L. VERY EXPERIENCED WITH O'HARE OPS AND NORMALLY 22L DEPS HAVE FAIRLY QUICK TURNS L TO S OR FURTHER L TO E. TWR CTLR QUITE BUSY AND NORMAL HDOF TO DEP CTL WAS NOT MADE. FO AND I HAVE ALREADY COMMENTED WITHIN THE COCKPIT THAT THE ATC HANDLING THIS EVENING SEEMS BELOW PAR FOR O'HARE. (WE HAD JUST FLOWN INTO ORD WITH BELOW AVERAGE ATC SVCS ON APCH AND NOTICED TAXIING BACK OUT FOR THIS TKOF UNUSUAL CONFUSION ON GND CTL AND TWR). WITH THIS 'GUT FEELING' AT APPROX 3 MI ON DEP LEG AT APPROX 3800 FT I CALLED TWR TO ASK FOR A SWITCH TO DEP CTL AND CONFIRM OUR 'RWY HDG.' WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L TO 090 DEG IMMEDIATELY AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT (PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 5000 FT). AT THIS POINT WE HAD CLBED TO APPROX 4600 FT, DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 4000 FT WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE TURN TO 090 DEG. A SUPVR HAD COME ON THE TWR FREQ TO INFORM US WE WERE OVERTAKING A COMMUTER-TYPE ACFT. WE SHOWED AN ACFT ON OUR TCASII AT 1 O'CLOCK AND APPROX 8 MI (CLOSED ACFT DISPLAYED). THEN TOLD TO TURN TO 060 DEG, MAINTAIN 4000 FT, AND CONTACT DEP CTL. WE CONTACTED DEP CTL AND THE REMAINDER OF THE DEP WAS NORMAL. BOTH FO AND MYSELF NEITHER HEARD NOR ACKNOWLEDGED A TURN WITH THE ORIGINAL TKOF CLRNC. FAMILIARITY WITH O'HARE'S 'NORMAL' OPERATING PROCS AND THAT 'UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING' MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS MINOR INCIDENT FROM BECOMING A SERIOUS EVENT.

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.