B733 flight crew receives conflicting C90 approach instructions.

Attributes
ACN	502770
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 27l ils other localizer other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	502770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

As we were approaching ord on our first contact with approach control on the arrival over bears intersection, we were told to expect runway 27L visual approach. After being cleared to a lower altitude and vectored and slowed, we were told we were now going to be going to runway 27R. Then we were handed over to the final approach controller who gave us a heading to intercept the final approach course, which we assumed was runway 27R, due to the instructions of the previous controller. We wre in a very high workload situation due to the previous runway change. Well, as it turned out, our new controllers know nothing about the previous controller's instructions. We queried the controller again and he said we had always been going to runway 27L (which was not true. At any rate, we corrected back to the centerline of runway 27L and continued an uneventful visual approach and landing. There were a number of factors here. Briefing and setting up for the new approach as previously instructed, visual approach and looking for traffic multiple controller and frequency changes and rapid fire clrncs. Also, there was an expectation that we were now going to runway 27R as instructed by the previous controller. Fortunately, there was no loss of separation and we were in VMC and able to correct for what we believe was an example of poor communication by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B733 FLC RECEIVES CONFLICTING C90 APCH INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AS WE WERE APCHING ORD ON OUR FIRST CONTACT WITH APCH CTL ON THE ARR OVER BEARS INTXN, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 27L VISUAL APCH. AFTER BEING CLRED TO A LOWER ALT AND VECTORED AND SLOWED, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOW GOING TO BE GOING TO RWY 27R. THEN WE WERE HANDED OVER TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR WHO GAVE US A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE, WHICH WE ASSUMED WAS RWY 27R, DUE TO THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE PREVIOUS CTLR. WE WRE IN A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD SIT DUE TO THE PREVIOUS RWY CHANGE. WELL, AS IT TURNED OUT, OUR NEW CTLRS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. WE QUERIED THE CTLR AGAIN AND HE SAID WE HAD ALWAYS BEEN GOING TO RWY 27L (WHICH WAS NOT TRUE. AT ANY RATE, WE CORRECTED BACK TO THE CTRLINE OF RWY 27L AND CONTINUED AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FACTORS HERE. BRIEFING AND SETTING UP FOR THE NEW APCH AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED, VISUAL APCH AND LOOKING FOR TFC MULTIPLE CTLR AND FREQ CHANGES AND RAPID FIRE CLRNCS. ALSO, THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT WE WERE NOW GOING TO RWY 27R AS INSTRUCTED BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION AND WE WERE IN VMC AND ABLE TO CORRECT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF POOR COM BY ATC.

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.