Narrative:

Heavy jet arriving from northeast of ord. On initial contact; heavy jet is given a 210 degree heading and is already level at 7000 ft. Heading is to ensure aircraft does not pass over main bang of ord radar and go untracked as he is being vectored for runway 9R. B737 inbound to ord from southeast is being worked by 4R controller; level at 7000 ft and being delay-vectored well north of normal inbound route. Both aircraft came together approximately 4 mi south of ord VOR. What caused problem: 1) unfortunately; there are no procedures to ensure separation when traffic converges south of ord during this landing confign. 2 arrival controls share same arrival airspace. Altitudes vary and are never consistent. 'Over the top' is a term used to approve inbound traffic from northeast -- a way to get to runway 9R; right downwind. However; no definition as to what or where over the top is let alone predetermined altitudes to ensure separation will exist from 4R controller aircraft. 2) heavy aircraft or any aircraft from northeast should never be less than 8000 ft when landing this confign and proceeding 'over the top.' 3) no procedures to ensure separation. What can be done to correct the problem: 1) define an 'over the top' corridor which can be used by the runway 9R vector person. This airspace will ensure separation with 4R controllers and descent areas. 2) assign consistent altitudes to use: 7000 ft for aircraft landing third runway (since this runway is usually low side on simultaneous ILS's; they need to be lower); 8000 ft to all aircraft going to the dual runway; in this case runway 4R; 9000 ft or above to those going to high side or ILS runway as they are always pushed out farthest (runway 9R). 3) ensure aircraft are at assigned altitudes prior to 15 mi from ord VOR.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR DESCRIBES OPERROR DURING VECTOR PROCS WITH ACCEPTED; BUT UNPUBLISHED PROCS; IN SHARED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: HVY JET ARRIVING FROM NE OF ORD. ON INITIAL CONTACT; HVY JET IS GIVEN A 210 DEG HDG AND IS ALREADY LEVEL AT 7000 FT. HDG IS TO ENSURE ACFT DOES NOT PASS OVER MAIN BANG OF ORD RADAR AND GO UNTRACKED AS HE IS BEING VECTORED FOR RWY 9R. B737 INBOUND TO ORD FROM SE IS BEING WORKED BY 4R CTLR; LEVEL AT 7000 FT AND BEING DELAY-VECTORED WELL N OF NORMAL INBOUND RTE. BOTH ACFT CAME TOGETHER APPROX 4 MI S OF ORD VOR. WHAT CAUSED PROB: 1) UNFORTUNATELY; THERE ARE NO PROCS TO ENSURE SEPARATION WHEN TFC CONVERGES S OF ORD DURING THIS LNDG CONFIGN. 2 ARR CTLS SHARE SAME ARR AIRSPACE. ALTS VARY AND ARE NEVER CONSISTENT. 'OVER THE TOP' IS A TERM USED TO APPROVE INBOUND TFC FROM NE -- A WAY TO GET TO RWY 9R; R DOWNWIND. HOWEVER; NO DEFINITION AS TO WHAT OR WHERE OVER THE TOP IS LET ALONE PREDETERMINED ALTS TO ENSURE SEPARATION WILL EXIST FROM 4R CTLR ACFT. 2) HVY ACFT OR ANY ACFT FROM NE SHOULD NEVER BE LESS THAN 8000 FT WHEN LNDG THIS CONFIGN AND PROCEEDING 'OVER THE TOP.' 3) NO PROCS TO ENSURE SEPARATION. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB: 1) DEFINE AN 'OVER THE TOP' CORRIDOR WHICH CAN BE USED BY THE RWY 9R VECTOR PERSON. THIS AIRSPACE WILL ENSURE SEPARATION WITH 4R CTLRS AND DSCNT AREAS. 2) ASSIGN CONSISTENT ALTS TO USE: 7000 FT FOR ACFT LNDG THIRD RWY (SINCE THIS RWY IS USUALLY LOW SIDE ON SIMULTANEOUS ILS'S; THEY NEED TO BE LOWER); 8000 FT TO ALL ACFT GOING TO THE DUAL RWY; IN THIS CASE RWY 4R; 9000 FT OR ABOVE TO THOSE GOING TO HIGH SIDE OR ILS RWY AS THEY ARE ALWAYS PUSHED OUT FARTHEST (RWY 9R). 3) ENSURE ACFT ARE AT ASSIGNED ALTS PRIOR TO 15 MI FROM ORD VOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.