Narrative:

We were working with ord approach control on left downwind to runway 27L. We were in icing and had to maintain a higher power setting to supply the anti-ice equipment. Despite the fact that we had all available drag devices in use, we were not descending rapidly enough to suit the controller, so, he angrily snapped, 'get down to five thousand. I've got traffic.' we were maintaining 800 FPM at the time, which was the best we could do. At about the same time, we flew out of the cloud associated with the icing, so we were able to pull the power off and increase our descent rate. It clearly must have seemed that we were able to comply just because he told us to. A long explanation would have been as inappropriate as an angry retort, because he was very busy. It would have been a distraction to him, probably as distracting as his treatment of us was to me as I flew the rest of the approach and landing in challenging wind conditions. Anger results in anger or defensiveness, either of which are distractions. A little professional courtesy goes a long way. So does the lack of it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: no response from company about event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 APCH CTLR RESPONDS UNPROFESSIONALLY TO S80 FLC WHEN HE CHALLENGES ACFT 'SLOWER THAN EXPECTED' DSCNT RATE.

Narrative: WE WERE WORKING WITH ORD APCH CTL ON L DOWNWIND TO RWY 27L. WE WERE IN ICING AND HAD TO MAINTAIN A HIGHER PWR SETTING TO SUPPLY THE ANTI-ICE EQUIP. DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAD ALL AVAILABLE DRAG DEVICES IN USE, WE WERE NOT DSNDING RAPIDLY ENOUGH TO SUIT THE CTLR, SO, HE ANGRILY SNAPPED, 'GET DOWN TO FIVE THOUSAND. I'VE GOT TFC.' WE WERE MAINTAINING 800 FPM AT THE TIME, WHICH WAS THE BEST WE COULD DO. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, WE FLEW OUT OF THE CLOUD ASSOCIATED WITH THE ICING, SO WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THE PWR OFF AND INCREASE OUR DSCNT RATE. IT CLRLY MUST HAVE SEEMED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLY JUST BECAUSE HE TOLD US TO. A LONG EXPLANATION WOULD HAVE BEEN AS INAPPROPRIATE AS AN ANGRY RETORT, BECAUSE HE WAS VERY BUSY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISTR TO HIM, PROBABLY AS DISTRACTING AS HIS TREATMENT OF US WAS TO ME AS I FLEW THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG IN CHALLENGING WIND CONDITIONS. ANGER RESULTS IN ANGER OR DEFENSIVENESS, EITHER OF WHICH ARE DISTRACTIONS. A LITTLE PROFESSIONAL COURTESY GOES A LONG WAY. SO DOES THE LACK OF IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO RESPONSE FROM COMPANY ABOUT EVENT.

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.