Flight crew changed frequency before cleared by approach control.

Attributes
ACN	302750
Time
Date	199505
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	302750
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for visual approach by ord approach but told to maintain 250 KTS as long as possible. First officer switched to tower about 8 mi from marker for runway 22R. Tower frequency so busy that could not get word in. Approach meanwhile put a 737 ahead of us. We picked up traffic and tried to slow and maneuver to maintain distance with 737. Tower finally called us and told us to go back to approach. Approach control jumped all over us saying we should have stayed with them until crossing the marker even though cleared for visual approach. Controller stated they never switch anyone to tower until crossing the marker. I feel comment implied local knowledge that our crew could not have known as most of us fly into ord once a month or so. Plus, failure to inform us that they were going to put another aircraft in front of us while requesting us to go 250 KTS as long as possible is setting up a problem. A contributing factor was aircraft had a generator deferred requiring monitoring of electrical loads by myself and the automatic pressurization was erratic. So I had to manually pressurize aircraft, thus distracting me from more vigilant monitoring of approach. Finally, I feel ord approach needs to be aware of the rights implied with giving a visual approach with no restrs/clrncs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CHANGED FREQ BEFORE CLRED BY APCH CTL.

Narrative: CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH BY ORD APCH BUT TOLD TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. FO SWITCHED TO TWR ABOUT 8 MI FROM MARKER FOR RWY 22R. TWR FREQ SO BUSY THAT COULD NOT GET WORD IN. APCH MEANWHILE PUT A 737 AHEAD OF US. WE PICKED UP TFC AND TRIED TO SLOW AND MANEUVER TO MAINTAIN DISTANCE WITH 737. TWR FINALLY CALLED US AND TOLD US TO GO BACK TO APCH. APCH CTL JUMPED ALL OVER US SAYING WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH THEM UNTIL XING THE MARKER EVEN THOUGH CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH. CTLR STATED THEY NEVER SWITCH ANYONE TO TWR UNTIL XING THE MARKER. I FEEL COMMENT IMPLIED LCL KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR CREW COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN AS MOST OF US FLY INTO ORD ONCE A MONTH OR SO. PLUS, FAILURE TO INFORM US THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PUT ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US WHILE REQUESTING US TO GO 250 KTS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE IS SETTING UP A PROB. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS ACFT HAD A GENERATOR DEFERRED REQUIRING MONITORING OF ELECTRICAL LOADS BY MYSELF AND THE AUTO PRESSURIZATION WAS ERRATIC. SO I HAD TO MANUALLY PRESSURIZE ACFT, THUS DISTRACTING ME FROM MORE VIGILANT MONITORING OF APCH. FINALLY, I FEEL ORD APCH NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THE RIGHTS IMPLIED WITH GIVING A VISUAL APCH WITH NO RESTRS/CLRNCS.

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.