Narrative:

Ord ground advised, air carrier X to taxi to runway 32L for departure from t- 10 intersection. As flight approached departure position, ground control that gave us our taxi clearance, advised us to monitor tower frequency, they would call us for departure clearance. Tower frequency was selected and the tower cleared us into position to hold. All instructions were read back in full. After being in position and holding for approximately 20 seconds without any communications on the frequency, I requested a radio check by transmitting, ord tower air carrier X request radio check. The controller indicated that we were on departure control and requested our position. I advised of our position and asked if this was ord tower. The controller asked if we were told to contact tower. I replied, yes we were, you gave us clearance into position to hold runway 32L at intersection T-10 and I read the clearance back to you. The controller gave us a new frequency and told us to contact ord tower immediately. We did so. The 'new' tower frequency controller asked if we were having radio trouble. I responded no, and that the ground controller had given us to tower, and tower had cleared us into position. This 'new' tower controller cleared us for takeoff and no further problems developed. After arriving at destination airport, I called ord tower to discuss the frequency problem. The controller's explanation of how we were cleared onto the runway by tower/departure was unclr. The controller said there was no conflict and that this type of situation evolved daily at ord on multiple occasions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION. ACR X UNAUTH RWY ENTRY.

Narrative: ORD GND ADVISED, ACR X TO TAXI TO RWY 32L FOR DEP FROM T- 10 INTXN. AS FLT APCHED DEP POS, GND CTL THAT GAVE US OUR TAXI CLRNC, ADVISED US TO MONITOR TWR FREQ, THEY WOULD CALL US FOR DEP CLRNC. TWR FREQ WAS SELECTED AND THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS TO HOLD. ALL INSTRUCTIONS WERE READ BACK IN FULL. AFTER BEING IN POS AND HOLDING FOR APPROX 20 SECONDS WITHOUT ANY COMS ON THE FREQ, I REQUESTED A RADIO CHK BY XMITTING, ORD TWR ACR X REQUEST RADIO CHK. THE CTLR INDICATED THAT WE WERE ON DEP CTL AND REQUESTED OUR POS. I ADVISED OF OUR POS AND ASKED IF THIS WAS ORD TWR. THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. I REPLIED, YES WE WERE, YOU GAVE US CLRNC INTO POS TO HOLD RWY 32L AT INTXN T-10 AND I READ THE CLRNC BACK TO YOU. THE CTLR GAVE US A NEW FREQ AND TOLD US TO CONTACT ORD TWR IMMEDIATELY. WE DID SO. THE 'NEW' TWR FREQ CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE HAVING RADIO TROUBLE. I RESPONDED NO, AND THAT THE GND CTLR HAD GIVEN US TO TWR, AND TWR HAD CLRED US INTO POS. THIS 'NEW' TWR CTLR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND NO FURTHER PROBS DEVELOPED. AFTER ARRIVING AT DEST ARPT, I CALLED ORD TWR TO DISCUSS THE FREQ PROB. THE CTLR'S EXPLANATION OF HOW WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY BY TWR/DEP WAS UNCLR. THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND THAT THIS TYPE OF SIT EVOLVED DAILY AT ORD ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.

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.