Narrative:

Flight from msn direct ord, was the 4TH leg of a 5 leg day. It was the captain's leg, so I went off #1 communication about 20 mi north of krena intersection on the JVL4 arrival. The captain covered #1 communication while I spoke with company for gate assignment and new aircraft assignment for next and last leg to cos. I was off #1 communication for about 4 mins. Operations can be busy, slow, or both. They often don't hear you, and one must repeat himself to communicate. Anyway, it took more time than was necessary, and I was not monitoring #1 communication at all. When I went back to #1 communication, the captain didn't say that there were any changes. I noticed that even though we were at 11000 ft, 9000 ft was selected in the altitude pre-select. I made the comment that he, the captain, was anticipating 9000 ft at krena, in sort of a question-like manner because he hadn't told me ATC assigned 9000 ft at krena. Just at that moment ATC jumped in to tell us to descend to 9000 ft. The captain then tried to make krena at 9000 ft, but we were almost on top of krena. ATC then gave us speed 250 KTS then 9000 ft. We descended at 270 KTS. Once at 9000 ft, we were given 7000 ft and a heading of 180 degrees then speed 210 KTS. No runway had been assigned to us yet. We switched to approach and checked in at 7000 ft with ATIS. Approach then gave us 6000 ft and heading 190 degrees. The runway was not assigned yet and there was aircraft Y (same flight number) 2 aircraft ahead of us. Approach gave us a left turn to 110 degrees to intercept the localizer. I asked which localizer. Approach said runway 9R and gave the localizer frequency 111.1. While I was tuning and then confirming with the runway 9R chart, approach assigned 5000 ft at pratt, cleared ILS runway 9R, 180 KTS to pratt, tower 120.75. I may have missed the speed assignment, but even so, if the captain heard it, the speed bug remained at 210 KTS. I may have missed when to switch to tower, too, but I don't think so. They never said tower at deana (OM) and earlier that day we were switching to tower way out on the approach. Anyway, I thought I had gotten all of it. A few mi before pratt tower tells us to switch back to approach. Approach asked us if we had gotten the speed restr. I replied, 'was it 180?' just guessing. Approach said that we were overtaking the aircraft in front of us and approach had to break them off of the approach. In retrospect, here's what I think went wrong. Firstly, both of us, captain and first officer, were near the end of a long day. Secondly, the first error at krena sort of carried over to hurt us later as thinking about that tripped us up later by its very distraction, in ways I've not described, that left us mentally at krena. The distraction of thinking about krena slowed us a little. Thirdly, chicago approach never gave us a heads up on what runway to expect. Lastly, and most importantly, I should have asked approach to repeat their last set of instructions, if I had any doubt, which I did. I might add, here, that, while chicago approach, as good as they are, never advised us of the same call sign with aircraft Y.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON APCH TO ORD MISSED XING ALT AND SPD ASSIGNMENT RESULTING IN GAR OF PRECEDING TFC.

Narrative: FLT FROM MSN DIRECT ORD, WAS THE 4TH LEG OF A 5 LEG DAY. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG, SO I WENT OFF #1 COM ABOUT 20 MI N OF KRENA INTXN ON THE JVL4 ARR. THE CAPT COVERED #1 COM WHILE I SPOKE WITH COMPANY FOR GATE ASSIGNMENT AND NEW ACFT ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT AND LAST LEG TO COS. I WAS OFF #1 COM FOR ABOUT 4 MINS. OPS CAN BE BUSY, SLOW, OR BOTH. THEY OFTEN DON'T HEAR YOU, AND ONE MUST REPEAT HIMSELF TO COMMUNICATE. ANYWAY, IT TOOK MORE TIME THAN WAS NECESSARY, AND I WAS NOT MONITORING #1 COM AT ALL. WHEN I WENT BACK TO #1 COM, THE CAPT DIDN'T SAY THAT THERE WERE ANY CHANGES. I NOTICED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE AT 11000 FT, 9000 FT WAS SELECTED IN THE ALT PRE-SELECT. I MADE THE COMMENT THAT HE, THE CAPT, WAS ANTICIPATING 9000 FT AT KRENA, IN SORT OF A QUESTION-LIKE MANNER BECAUSE HE HADN'T TOLD ME ATC ASSIGNED 9000 FT AT KRENA. JUST AT THAT MOMENT ATC JUMPED IN TO TELL US TO DSND TO 9000 FT. THE CAPT THEN TRIED TO MAKE KRENA AT 9000 FT, BUT WE WERE ALMOST ON TOP OF KRENA. ATC THEN GAVE US SPD 250 KTS THEN 9000 FT. WE DSNDED AT 270 KTS. ONCE AT 9000 FT, WE WERE GIVEN 7000 FT AND A HDG OF 180 DEGS THEN SPD 210 KTS. NO RWY HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO US YET. WE SWITCHED TO APCH AND CHKED IN AT 7000 FT WITH ATIS. APCH THEN GAVE US 6000 FT AND HDG 190 DEGS. THE RWY WAS NOT ASSIGNED YET AND THERE WAS ACFT Y (SAME FLT NUMBER) 2 ACFT AHEAD OF US. APCH GAVE US A L TURN TO 110 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I ASKED WHICH LOC. APCH SAID RWY 9R AND GAVE THE LOC FREQ 111.1. WHILE I WAS TUNING AND THEN CONFIRMING WITH THE RWY 9R CHART, APCH ASSIGNED 5000 FT AT PRATT, CLRED ILS RWY 9R, 180 KTS TO PRATT, TWR 120.75. I MAY HAVE MISSED THE SPD ASSIGNMENT, BUT EVEN SO, IF THE CAPT HEARD IT, THE SPD BUG REMAINED AT 210 KTS. I MAY HAVE MISSED WHEN TO SWITCH TO TWR, TOO, BUT I DON'T THINK SO. THEY NEVER SAID TWR AT DEANA (OM) AND EARLIER THAT DAY WE WERE SWITCHING TO TWR WAY OUT ON THE APCH. ANYWAY, I THOUGHT I HAD GOTTEN ALL OF IT. A FEW MI BEFORE PRATT TWR TELLS US TO SWITCH BACK TO APCH. APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD GOTTEN THE SPD RESTR. I REPLIED, 'WAS IT 180?' JUST GUESSING. APCH SAID THAT WE WERE OVERTAKING THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US AND APCH HAD TO BREAK THEM OFF OF THE APCH. IN RETROSPECT, HERE'S WHAT I THINK WENT WRONG. FIRSTLY, BOTH OF US, CAPT AND FO, WERE NEAR THE END OF A LONG DAY. SECONDLY, THE FIRST ERROR AT KRENA SORT OF CARRIED OVER TO HURT US LATER AS THINKING ABOUT THAT TRIPPED US UP LATER BY ITS VERY DISTR, IN WAYS I'VE NOT DESCRIBED, THAT LEFT US MENTALLY AT KRENA. THE DISTR OF THINKING ABOUT KRENA SLOWED US A LITTLE. THIRDLY, CHICAGO APCH NEVER GAVE US A HEADS UP ON WHAT RWY TO EXPECT. LASTLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED APCH TO REPEAT THEIR LAST SET OF INSTRUCTIONS, IF I HAD ANY DOUBT, WHICH I DID. I MIGHT ADD, HERE, THAT, WHILE CHICAGO APCH, AS GOOD AS THEY ARE, NEVER ADVISED US OF THE SAME CALL SIGN WITH ACFT Y.

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.