Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan from ptk to pwk in an aerostar 600. Pilot and 3 passenger, a 600 hour sel/IFR pilot in copilot's seat, my wife, with 8 yrs and 200+ hours in GA aircraft (she fully understands aviation radio communications), and the other pilot's wife. After being handed off to chicago approach, I confirmed I had the ATIS and then was advised to 'expect the ILS runway 16 with a circle to land to runway 34.' we were vectored to the airport. About 9 mi east of field, I advised approach I 'had pwk in sight.' I was then vectored on a 340 degree heading while another aircraft landed. I was turned back to the field, and then, as is customary and desired by ATC, I canceled IFR. I was given the pwk tower frequency, advised to squawk VFR, and told to contact pwk tower. We were approximately 5 mi northeast of pwk. I contacted pwk tower, announced I was '4.5 east' and had the ATIS. Tower responded, 'make right traffic for runway 34 -- clear to land.' a cpr jet was evidently waiting to depart. We heard the tower clear the jet to 'take position and hold on runway 34.' I assumed the jet would be given an immediate departure clearance and there would be plenty of time for us to land. I 'dirtied up the aircraft' in an attempt to slow down, lowering flaps and gear. I am very aware, however, that pwk is close to ord to the south, and that ATC desires that you stay as close as possible to pwk if you are south of the field, so a '360 degree turn' or 'south-turns' aren't possible. I turned final and the jet still had not departed. Several calls to pwk tower advising I was 'on short final' were not acknowledged. The jet was then 'cleared for takeoff.' the jet, after several moments, began its takeoff run. We were 1/4 mi from touchdown. I did not want to fly over the jet so I advised tower I was 'going around,' broke off the approach, and turned east, resuming an (abbreviated) entry onto right traffic. This placed me roughly over runway 6, in a very 'dirty' (ie, slow) confign, but aircraft control was not an issue. A C172 or C182 had been cleared for takeoff from runway 6. After 30 seconds with no communications, the tower advised me to 'keep heading east' and resume right traffic. A passenger then yelled 'traffic' and I turned to see the cessna 200-300 ft to my right. I held course (I may have also climbed) and the cessna descended and passed under me. We re-entered the pattern and landed without incident. I have never felt any need to place blame in on anyone in any of the reports I've filed before, but I must, unfortunately, conclude that pwk tower controller made several potentially disastrous mistakes. I think he may have been overtaxed, and, for whatever the reason, his total attention appeared to be fixed on the jet departure. I fly to pwk often and strongly suspect there may have been the usual 'bickering' with ord for an IFR release for the jet. Whatever the reason, it appears the controller simply forgot about our arrival. Radio calls were not responded to (as though he was talking to ord on a phone) and it is obvious he just forgot about us, for whatever the reason. When we did have to abort the landing, he at first failed to respond, and then failed to inform me of the departing cessna traffic. This almost led to a midair collision. I was trying to control a very 'dirty' aircraft in a steep climb, while turning, looking for traffic, and trying to contact the tower with my intentions. I had my hands full and the tower controller was absolutely no assistance. I have been flying to pwk for yrs and the only recommendation I can strongly make is that the IFR departure procedures for pwk really may need to be re-examined. The only conclusion I can come to is that the pwk tower controller was overwhelmed with the 'negotiations' to get the jet released (he sounded like he was alone and subsequent phone calls to the tower from me went unanswered). 20-30 min waits for an IFR release aren't uncommon, and even on a saturday night, which this was, O'hare can be very busy. But a disaster almost occurred because of the current system. I suspect O'hare constantly 'pushes' pwk to get aircraft ready to go and then, on a moment's notice, releases them for 'instant takeoff.' my guess is that the pwk tower controller was being 'harassed' by ord, who may have delayed the jet release,and then suddenly was told to get the jet ready to depart. He may have forgotten about our arrival while this 'dance' was going on. This was his error, but I can understand why it occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA60 ON SHORT FINAL TO PWK RWY 34 IS FORCED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE OF A SLOW DEPARTING CPR JET. WHILE CIRCLING E TO RE-ENTER THE RWY 34 PATTERN, THE PA60 PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A CESSNA THAT HAD DEPARTED RWY 6 TO THE E.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PTK TO PWK IN AN AEROSTAR 600. PLT AND 3 PAX, A 600 HR SEL/IFR PLT IN COPLT'S SEAT, MY WIFE, WITH 8 YRS AND 200+ HRS IN GA ACFT (SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS AVIATION RADIO COMS), AND THE OTHER PLT'S WIFE. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO CHICAGO APCH, I CONFIRMED I HAD THE ATIS AND THEN WAS ADVISED TO 'EXPECT THE ILS RWY 16 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND TO RWY 34.' WE WERE VECTORED TO THE ARPT. ABOUT 9 MI E OF FIELD, I ADVISED APCH I 'HAD PWK IN SIGHT.' I WAS THEN VECTORED ON A 340 DEG HDG WHILE ANOTHER ACFT LANDED. I WAS TURNED BACK TO THE FIELD, AND THEN, AS IS CUSTOMARY AND DESIRED BY ATC, I CANCELED IFR. I WAS GIVEN THE PWK TWR FREQ, ADVISED TO SQUAWK VFR, AND TOLD TO CONTACT PWK TWR. WE WERE APPROX 5 MI NE OF PWK. I CONTACTED PWK TWR, ANNOUNCED I WAS '4.5 E' AND HAD THE ATIS. TWR RESPONDED, 'MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 34 -- CLR TO LAND.' A CPR JET WAS EVIDENTLY WAITING TO DEPART. WE HEARD THE TWR CLR THE JET TO 'TAKE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 34.' I ASSUMED THE JET WOULD BE GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE DEP CLRNC AND THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR US TO LAND. I 'DIRTIED UP THE ACFT' IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN, LOWERING FLAPS AND GEAR. I AM VERY AWARE, HOWEVER, THAT PWK IS CLOSE TO ORD TO THE S, AND THAT ATC DESIRES THAT YOU STAY AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO PWK IF YOU ARE S OF THE FIELD, SO A '360 DEG TURN' OR 'S-TURNS' AREN'T POSSIBLE. I TURNED FINAL AND THE JET STILL HAD NOT DEPARTED. SEVERAL CALLS TO PWK TWR ADVISING I WAS 'ON SHORT FINAL' WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE JET WAS THEN 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE JET, AFTER SEVERAL MOMENTS, BEGAN ITS TKOF RUN. WE WERE 1/4 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN. I DID NOT WANT TO FLY OVER THE JET SO I ADVISED TWR I WAS 'GOING AROUND,' BROKE OFF THE APCH, AND TURNED E, RESUMING AN (ABBREVIATED) ENTRY ONTO R TFC. THIS PLACED ME ROUGHLY OVER RWY 6, IN A VERY 'DIRTY' (IE, SLOW) CONFIGN, BUT ACFT CTL WAS NOT AN ISSUE. A C172 OR C182 HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 6. AFTER 30 SECONDS WITH NO COMS, THE TWR ADVISED ME TO 'KEEP HDG E' AND RESUME R TFC. A PAX THEN YELLED 'TFC' AND I TURNED TO SEE THE CESSNA 200-300 FT TO MY R. I HELD COURSE (I MAY HAVE ALSO CLBED) AND THE CESSNA DSNDED AND PASSED UNDER ME. WE RE-ENTERED THE PATTERN AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE NEVER FELT ANY NEED TO PLACE BLAME IN ON ANYONE IN ANY OF THE RPTS I'VE FILED BEFORE, BUT I MUST, UNFORTUNATELY, CONCLUDE THAT PWK TWR CTLR MADE SEVERAL POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS MISTAKES. I THINK HE MAY HAVE BEEN OVERTAXED, AND, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON, HIS TOTAL ATTN APPEARED TO BE FIXED ON THE JET DEP. I FLY TO PWK OFTEN AND STRONGLY SUSPECT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN THE USUAL 'BICKERING' WITH ORD FOR AN IFR RELEASE FOR THE JET. WHATEVER THE REASON, IT APPEARS THE CTLR SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT OUR ARR. RADIO CALLS WERE NOT RESPONDED TO (AS THOUGH HE WAS TALKING TO ORD ON A PHONE) AND IT IS OBVIOUS HE JUST FORGOT ABOUT US, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON. WHEN WE DID HAVE TO ABORT THE LNDG, HE AT FIRST FAILED TO RESPOND, AND THEN FAILED TO INFORM ME OF THE DEPARTING CESSNA TFC. THIS ALMOST LED TO A MIDAIR COLLISION. I WAS TRYING TO CTL A VERY 'DIRTY' ACFT IN A STEEP CLB, WHILE TURNING, LOOKING FOR TFC, AND TRYING TO CONTACT THE TWR WITH MY INTENTIONS. I HAD MY HANDS FULL AND THE TWR CTLR WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ASSISTANCE. I HAVE BEEN FLYING TO PWK FOR YRS AND THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I CAN STRONGLY MAKE IS THAT THE IFR DEP PROCS FOR PWK REALLY MAY NEED TO BE RE-EXAMINED. THE ONLY CONCLUSION I CAN COME TO IS THAT THE PWK TWR CTLR WAS OVERWHELMED WITH THE 'NEGOTIATIONS' TO GET THE JET RELEASED (HE SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS ALONE AND SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALLS TO THE TWR FROM ME WENT UNANSWERED). 20-30 MIN WAITS FOR AN IFR RELEASE AREN'T UNCOMMON, AND EVEN ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, WHICH THIS WAS, O'HARE CAN BE VERY BUSY. BUT A DISASTER ALMOST OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT SYS. I SUSPECT O'HARE CONSTANTLY 'PUSHES' PWK TO GET ACFT READY TO GO AND THEN, ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE, RELEASES THEM FOR 'INSTANT TKOF.' MY GUESS IS THAT THE PWK TWR CTLR WAS BEING 'HARASSED' BY ORD, WHO MAY HAVE DELAYED THE JET RELEASE,AND THEN SUDDENLY WAS TOLD TO GET THE JET READY TO DEPART. HE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT OUR ARR WHILE THIS 'DANCE' WAS GOING ON. THIS WAS HIS ERROR, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT OCCURRED.

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.