Narrative:

After being cleared for ILS runway 31C at mdw, we were asked by the approach controller to maintain 180 KTS to runts and contact the tower at runts. We acknowledged the request, but shortly thereafter, inadvertently began a deceleration to arrive at kedzi at vref +10, our normal approach speed. We contacted the tower at runts and were told to expect clearance to land 2 mi out. After intercepting the GS, in a descent, and just prior to kedzi, the tower operator asked us what our airspeed was. I responded with '127 KTS.' soon thereafter the tower operator told us to switch back to the approach controller. We had already loaded in tower and ground frequencys so it was necessary to ask for the assigned approach frequency and dial it into the rmu. The approach controller said that we had slowed below 180 KTS prior to runts. I said, no we hadn't, but immediately complied with his request to turn to a heading of 220 degrees. While in the turn, it was necessary to change aircraft confign from landing to gear up, flaps 5 degrees. The next instruction was to turn left to 220 degrees. Being already on an assigned 220 degrees, I asked for clarification. There was a pause, then 140 degrees was the instruction. At that time, I realized that we had probably slowed early on approach. After a box pattern, we reintercepted the localizer, switched to tower and were cleared to land. On landing rollout and while passing taxiway a at 60 KTS, the tower operator instructed us to turn off at taxiway a. I responded with 'unable' and said we would be going to the end. Turning off at the end, we were told to contact ground. We turned off, held at the hold short line of the approach end of runway 13R and called ground. We waited several seconds while the ground controller talked to another aircraft. We called again, and this time were given clearance to taxi to parking. Our inadvertent deceleration could have been remedied by a simple call from approach directing us to keep the speed up. Instead, for some reason, 3 controllers tried to make things as difficult as possible for us and for themselves. Unnecessary changes in confign and frequencys as well as wasted fuel was the result. Good CRM requires that all participants in a flight cooperate and work together. There was no mistake in this situation that 3 controllers were out to make it difficult for a flight crew. Instructions to return to approach, abandon the ILS, turn off at an unsafe speed and being baited to cross the hold short were inappropriate and unsafe. The flight crew performance was degraded because of fatigue. We had been on duty continuously for over 12 hours and were on the last leg of the last day of a 7 day tour. While I have been generally impressed over the yrs with the service given by midway controllers, this situation was the most unprofessional that I have seen anywhere.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C750 EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH ATC HANDLING ON ARR TO MDW FOR BEING VECTORED OFF THE FINAL DUE TO A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED SPD TO AN APPROX 7 MI FINAL.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR ILS RWY 31C AT MDW, WE WERE ASKED BY THE APCH CTLR TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS TO RUNTS AND CONTACT THE TWR AT RUNTS. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, INADVERTENTLY BEGAN A DECELERATION TO ARRIVE AT KEDZI AT VREF +10, OUR NORMAL APCH SPD. WE CONTACTED THE TWR AT RUNTS AND WERE TOLD TO EXPECT CLRNC TO LAND 2 MI OUT. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE GS, IN A DSCNT, AND JUST PRIOR TO KEDZI, THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED US WHAT OUR AIRSPD WAS. I RESPONDED WITH '127 KTS.' SOON THEREAFTER THE TWR OPERATOR TOLD US TO SWITCH BACK TO THE APCH CTLR. WE HAD ALREADY LOADED IN TWR AND GND FREQS SO IT WAS NECESSARY TO ASK FOR THE ASSIGNED APCH FREQ AND DIAL IT INTO THE RMU. THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD SLOWED BELOW 180 KTS PRIOR TO RUNTS. I SAID, NO WE HADN'T, BUT IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH HIS REQUEST TO TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS. WHILE IN THE TURN, IT WAS NECESSARY TO CHANGE ACFT CONFIGN FROM LNDG TO GEAR UP, FLAPS 5 DEGS. THE NEXT INSTRUCTION WAS TO TURN L TO 220 DEGS. BEING ALREADY ON AN ASSIGNED 220 DEGS, I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. THERE WAS A PAUSE, THEN 140 DEGS WAS THE INSTRUCTION. AT THAT TIME, I REALIZED THAT WE HAD PROBABLY SLOWED EARLY ON APCH. AFTER A BOX PATTERN, WE REINTERCEPTED THE LOC, SWITCHED TO TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. ON LNDG ROLLOUT AND WHILE PASSING TXWY A AT 60 KTS, THE TWR OPERATOR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN OFF AT TXWY A. I RESPONDED WITH 'UNABLE' AND SAID WE WOULD BE GOING TO THE END. TURNING OFF AT THE END, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT GND. WE TURNED OFF, HELD AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF THE APCH END OF RWY 13R AND CALLED GND. WE WAITED SEVERAL SECONDS WHILE THE GND CTLR TALKED TO ANOTHER ACFT. WE CALLED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO PARKING. OUR INADVERTENT DECELERATION COULD HAVE BEEN REMEDIED BY A SIMPLE CALL FROM APCH DIRECTING US TO KEEP THE SPD UP. INSTEAD, FOR SOME REASON, 3 CTLRS TRIED TO MAKE THINGS AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE FOR US AND FOR THEMSELVES. UNNECESSARY CHANGES IN CONFIGN AND FREQS AS WELL AS WASTED FUEL WAS THE RESULT. GOOD CRM REQUIRES THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS IN A FLT COOPERATE AND WORK TOGETHER. THERE WAS NO MISTAKE IN THIS SIT THAT 3 CTLRS WERE OUT TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR A FLT CREW. INSTRUCTIONS TO RETURN TO APCH, ABANDON THE ILS, TURN OFF AT AN UNSAFE SPD AND BEING BAITED TO CROSS THE HOLD SHORT WERE INAPPROPRIATE AND UNSAFE. THE FLT CREW PERFORMANCE WAS DEGRADED BECAUSE OF FATIGUE. WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY CONTINUOUSLY FOR OVER 12 HRS AND WERE ON THE LAST LEG OF THE LAST DAY OF A 7 DAY TOUR. WHILE I HAVE BEEN GENERALLY IMPRESSED OVER THE YRS WITH THE SVC GIVEN BY MIDWAY CTLRS, THIS SIT WAS THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL THAT I HAVE SEEN ANYWHERE.

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.