Narrative:

This report is to relay my concerns for aircraft safety at ord. Ord airport has one of the largest volumes of traffic in the world. In an effort to keep traffic flow at its maximum I am seeing a large increase in the use of parallel approachs in strong xwinds, low ceilings and visibility conditions. The use of land and hold short operations is also increasing. My concern is not that these are being used, but that as we do our part to accept these conditions, there should be more tools available to us for added safety. Specifically why does ord not have one VASI or PAPI on the airfield? These navaids help greatly in the transition from instrument to visual flight especially in night or low visibility conditions. If they cannot give us these simple inexpensive tools I will refuse the approach and begin requesting a runway more appropriate for the wind conditions. I understand VASI is not required for an ILS, but when GS are OTS or visual approachs are being conducted it seems negligent to have this shabby an operation at chicago. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a captain on the B727-200 for a major air carrier. He has been operating into ord during the last several months. He said that he has made a number of approachs during this period when the GS has been inoperative and the ceilings were less than 1000 ft and often there were strong xwinds present. He said that these approachs are often conducted as parallel approachs and the task of changing from an instrument guided approach to a visually guided approach without any vertical guidance is difficult in a simple environment and with one or more complications he feels that it is too easy to lose awareness of the vertical closure rate particularly at night. The captain feels that a VASI or PAPI system at the end of each runway is an effective and low cost way to provide the necessary visual vertical guidance at night or in low ceilings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 CAPT RPTS THAT HE HAS BEEN OPERATING INTO ORD AND NOTES THAT THERE ARE NO VASI OR PAPI SYS AVAILABLE AND THE GS'S HAVE OFTEN BEEN INOP AND THE TRANSITIONS AT NIGHT AND IN LOW CEILINGS ARE DIFFICULT WITHOUT VISUAL VERT GUIDANCE.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS TO RELAY MY CONCERNS FOR ACFT SAFETY AT ORD. ORD ARPT HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST VOLUMES OF TFC IN THE WORLD. IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP TFC FLOW AT ITS MAX I AM SEEING A LARGE INCREASE IN THE USE OF PARALLEL APCHS IN STRONG XWINDS, LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THE USE OF LAND AND HOLD SHORT OPS IS ALSO INCREASING. MY CONCERN IS NOT THAT THESE ARE BEING USED, BUT THAT AS WE DO OUR PART TO ACCEPT THESE CONDITIONS, THERE SHOULD BE MORE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US FOR ADDED SAFETY. SPECIFICALLY WHY DOES ORD NOT HAVE ONE VASI OR PAPI ON THE AIRFIELD? THESE NAVAIDS HELP GREATLY IN THE TRANSITION FROM INST TO VISUAL FLT ESPECIALLY IN NIGHT OR LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. IF THEY CANNOT GIVE US THESE SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE TOOLS I WILL REFUSE THE APCH AND BEGIN REQUESTING A RWY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS. I UNDERSTAND VASI IS NOT REQUIRED FOR AN ILS, BUT WHEN GS ARE OTS OR VISUAL APCHS ARE BEING CONDUCTED IT SEEMS NEGLIGENT TO HAVE THIS SHABBY AN OP AT CHICAGO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A CAPT ON THE B727-200 FOR A MAJOR ACR. HE HAS BEEN OPERATING INTO ORD DURING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. HE SAID THAT HE HAS MADE A NUMBER OF APCHS DURING THIS PERIOD WHEN THE GS HAS BEEN INOP AND THE CEILINGS WERE LESS THAN 1000 FT AND OFTEN THERE WERE STRONG XWINDS PRESENT. HE SAID THAT THESE APCHS ARE OFTEN CONDUCTED AS PARALLEL APCHS AND THE TASK OF CHANGING FROM AN INST GUIDED APCH TO A VISUALLY GUIDED APCH WITHOUT ANY VERT GUIDANCE IS DIFFICULT IN A SIMPLE ENVIRONMENT AND WITH ONE OR MORE COMPLICATIONS HE FEELS THAT IT IS TOO EASY TO LOSE AWARENESS OF THE VERT CLOSURE RATE PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT. THE CAPT FEELS THAT A VASI OR PAPI SYS AT THE END OF EACH RWY IS AN EFFECTIVE AND LOW COST WAY TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY VISUAL VERT GUIDANCE AT NIGHT OR IN LOW CEILINGS.

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.