Narrative:

We had been given holding instructions from ZAU to hold at the benky fix on the bradford arrival into ord. After receiving the holding clearance, we were given a frequency change to chicago approach control. After checking in, approach control told us to expect radar vectors to runway 9R at ord. Upon arriving at benky, we entered holding but could not make the entering holding radio call due to heavy radio congestion. About 1/2 way through the right turn, we received a TA on the TCASII. We saw the traffic. At about that time approach control asked us if we were proceeding to ord. We told them that we had entered holding as instructed. We then received an RA to climb. At the same time approach control told us to descend to 10000 ft. I had been level at 11000 ft but when I saw the traffic and received the RA to climb, I disconnected the autoplt and autothrottles and started to climb. But then I could see that this was going to bring me too close to the traffic and I elected to maintain visual separation from the traffic on my own. Approach control seemed to be a little upset with us and told us to go back to ZAU. We maintained visual separation with the traffic and descended down to 10000 ft. I believe this incident would not have happened had we been able to tell approach control we were entering holding at benky. Supplemental information from acn 489319: it appeared the other aircraft initiated a climb. Approach said 'descend immediately to 10000 ft' and that we should have received a clearance direct ord. I said 'the only clearance we had received or acknowledged was holding at benky.' approach said 'I don't do holding, contact center.' I don't know who was supposed to have given us clearance past benky, but it was not received.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII RA AND TFC CONFLICT IN HOLDING PATTERN AT BENKY INTXN ON AN ARR TO ORD, IL.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FROM ZAU TO HOLD AT THE BENKY FIX ON THE BRADFORD ARR INTO ORD. AFTER RECEIVING THE HOLDING CLRNC, WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO CHICAGO APCH CTL. AFTER CHKING IN, APCH CTL TOLD US TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO RWY 9R AT ORD. UPON ARRIVING AT BENKY, WE ENTERED HOLDING BUT COULD NOT MAKE THE ENTERING HOLDING RADIO CALL DUE TO HVY RADIO CONGESTION. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE R TURN, WE RECEIVED A TA ON THE TCASII. WE SAW THE TFC. AT ABOUT THAT TIME APCH CTL ASKED US IF WE WERE PROCEEDING TO ORD. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD ENTERED HOLDING AS INSTRUCTED. WE THEN RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB. AT THE SAME TIME APCH CTL TOLD US TO DSND TO 10000 FT. I HAD BEEN LEVEL AT 11000 FT BUT WHEN I SAW THE TFC AND RECEIVED THE RA TO CLB, I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND STARTED TO CLB. BUT THEN I COULD SEE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BRING ME TOO CLOSE TO THE TFC AND I ELECTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE TFC ON MY OWN. APCH CTL SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE UPSET WITH US AND TOLD US TO GO BACK TO ZAU. WE MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE TFC AND DSNDED DOWN TO 10000 FT. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO TELL APCH CTL WE WERE ENTERING HOLDING AT BENKY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 489319: IT APPEARED THE OTHER ACFT INITIATED A CLB. APCH SAID 'DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 10000 FT' AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A CLRNC DIRECT ORD. I SAID 'THE ONLY CLRNC WE HAD RECEIVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED WAS HOLDING AT BENKY.' APCH SAID 'I DON'T DO HOLDING, CONTACT CTR.' I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GIVEN US CLRNC PAST BENKY, BUT IT WAS NOT RECEIVED.

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.