Narrative:

This is to inform you that during the approach to runway 4R at ord, cleared to land with instructions to exit the runway at taxiway Q below 1000 ft, we received this inquiry by the tower, 'aircraft X, can you make a left or right turn?' it was a very ambiguous question and we supposed that, due to the closeness of the preceding traffic, they wanted a 360 degree turn to either side. The first officer replied, 'we can make it' referring to continue the approach and landing. The reply was clear by the tower, 'unable aircraft X,' then we replied that by the right side would be better. I initiated a right turn, not a missed approach. At that time we were around 500 ft AGL. As we were passing through 100 degree heading, we received a reply from tower asking what we were doing. The first officer answered, 'a 360 degree right turn.' then tower instructed us to turn to a heading of 90 degrees and to climb to 4000 ft, a northwest approach pattern, and finally a landing with the same rollout instructions as in the previous approach. Once out of the runway, the tower asked us, 'aircraft X, do you know what is a right turn?' the first officer answered, 'affirmative.' no further talking about this matter. As a backgnd, during the descent, we were vectored almost directly to the ILS runway 4R, keeping us at 8000 ft. When the descent path was about 3000 ft below our altitude, approach control cleared us to intercept the ILS and to maintain 180 KTS. Until the final fix, as we were descending, I noticed that we were closer than usual to the preceding traffic and started lowering my speed. As my experience shows, ATC instructions in-flight are to be clear and understandable, not ambiguous as this one -- causing this type of communication error, increased by non native english speaking pilots.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 4R AT ORD IS ISSUED CONFUSING CLRNC BY ATC AND INITIATES A TURN AWAY FROM THE APCH COURSE.

Narrative: THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT DURING THE APCH TO RWY 4R AT ORD, CLRED TO LAND WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO EXIT THE RWY AT TXWY Q BELOW 1000 FT, WE RECEIVED THIS INQUIRY BY THE TWR, 'ACFT X, CAN YOU MAKE A L OR R TURN?' IT WAS A VERY AMBIGUOUS QUESTION AND WE SUPPOSED THAT, DUE TO THE CLOSENESS OF THE PRECEDING TFC, THEY WANTED A 360 DEG TURN TO EITHER SIDE. THE FO REPLIED, 'WE CAN MAKE IT' REFERRING TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND LNDG. THE REPLY WAS CLR BY THE TWR, 'UNABLE ACFT X,' THEN WE REPLIED THAT BY THE R SIDE WOULD BE BETTER. I INITIATED A R TURN, NOT A MISSED APCH. AT THAT TIME WE WERE AROUND 500 FT AGL. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 100 DEG HDG, WE RECEIVED A REPLY FROM TWR ASKING WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE FO ANSWERED, 'A 360 DEG R TURN.' THEN TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 90 DEGS AND TO CLB TO 4000 FT, A NW APCH PATTERN, AND FINALLY A LNDG WITH THE SAME ROLLOUT INSTRUCTIONS AS IN THE PREVIOUS APCH. ONCE OUT OF THE RWY, THE TWR ASKED US, 'ACFT X, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS A R TURN?' THE FO ANSWERED, 'AFFIRMATIVE.' NO FURTHER TALKING ABOUT THIS MATTER. AS A BACKGND, DURING THE DSCNT, WE WERE VECTORED ALMOST DIRECTLY TO THE ILS RWY 4R, KEEPING US AT 8000 FT. WHEN THE DSCNT PATH WAS ABOUT 3000 FT BELOW OUR ALT, APCH CTL CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE ILS AND TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS. UNTIL THE FINAL FIX, AS WE WERE DSNDING, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE CLOSER THAN USUAL TO THE PRECEDING TFC AND STARTED LOWERING MY SPD. AS MY EXPERIENCE SHOWS, ATC INSTRUCTIONS INFLT ARE TO BE CLR AND UNDERSTANDABLE, NOT AMBIGUOUS AS THIS ONE -- CAUSING THIS TYPE OF COM ERROR, INCREASED BY NON NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING PLTS.

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.