Narrative:

Arriving from mia on the OKK1 arrival over bearz intersection. There was also a flight on the frequency flying the same arrival to ord. ATC descended us to FL180 and left us there until nearly over bearz intersection. At that time the controller instructed us to descend to 11000 ft. We knew it was a late descent and started an expeditious descent with speed brakes extended. Passing through 16300 ft the controller issued us an instruction to level off at 17000 ft. I reported we were already passing through 16000 ft and he assigned us 16000 ft and we climbed back to 16000 ft. At that point; inside bearz he gave us a turn to a 060; then 090 heading; followed by an additional heading of 140. Heading back toward bearz and then beyond; I informed the controller we were 'minimum fuel' and could not accept a heading away from ord any longer. (We were dispatched from mia with far fuel :45 mins and :15 of contingency fuel; which we had mostly used enroute from mia due to various operational inefficiencies.) at this point the controller angrily asked if we were declaring an emergency due to low fuel. I restated that we were not declaring an emergency at this point; but were declaring 'minimum fuel' and could not accept any delay. He did not respond and continued us on the southeasterly heading away from ord. At this point I sent dispatch a message describing our situation and asked him to get the ATC coordinator in the loop. It was apparent from TCAS that he intended to take us out until he found a hole he could put us back in on the arrival. At our current fuel state; that was unacceptable. Just as I was about to declare an emergency and turn myself back toward ord; he gave us the turn to rejoin the arrival. Before switching to approach control; I asked the controller to have the supervisor mark the tapes for our handling and to expect a call. As I checked onto approach control I reiterated that we were minimum fuel and could not accept any delay; the controller acknowledged; and since it was a nice VFR day in ord - sent us directly to the final approach fix for runway 27L. We arrived in ord with little more than four thousand pounds of fuel. This is below my personal minimum; and had we not made our fuel declaration; I don't know how much longer we would have been required to fly away from ord. I found the center controller's demeanor during the situation to be less than professional; he seemed overwhelmed and was taking it out on the traffic he was working. Within 30 minutes of blocking into ord; I contacted my dispatcher. After discussing the situation; he transferred me to a conference call consisting of myself and ATC coordinators. I explained to the coordinators that I found our handling unacceptable; and that I wanted to start a qar (quality assurance review) with the center. I asked him for the appropriate phone numbers; which he was reluctant to give me; saying that they have a policy of not giving them out. He indicated that he was afraid our company was culpable due to the similar sounding call signs. I acknowledged that the call signs contributed; but that the controllers handle similar call signs every day; and that I thought the controller's handling of the situation warranted a review. One coordinator said he would make some calls and asked me to get back to him. I called him back and he informed me he had spoken to chicago center. I told him I wanted to proceed with a qar and he conferenced me with the center and spoke to a supervisor. When I told the supervisor that I wanted to start a qar on our situation he transferred us to the quality assurance department. After explaining the situation to qa; they agreed to have the tapes pulled and start a review.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 DESCRIBED QUESTIONABLE HANDLING BY ZAU CTLR DURING DESCENT INTO ORD WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON FREQ AND MIN FUEL.

Narrative: ARRIVING FROM MIA ON THE OKK1 ARRIVAL OVER BEARZ INTERSECTION. THERE WAS ALSO A FLIGHT ON THE FREQUENCY FLYING THE SAME ARRIVAL TO ORD. ATC DESCENDED US TO FL180 AND LEFT US THERE UNTIL NEARLY OVER BEARZ INTERSECTION. AT THAT TIME THE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED US TO DESCEND TO 11000 FT. WE KNEW IT WAS A LATE DESCENT AND STARTED AN EXPEDITIOUS DESCENT WITH SPEED BRAKES EXTENDED. PASSING THROUGH 16300 FT THE CONTROLLER ISSUED US AN INSTRUCTION TO LEVEL OFF AT 17000 FT. I REPORTED WE WERE ALREADY PASSING THROUGH 16000 FT AND HE ASSIGNED US 16000 FT AND WE CLIMBED BACK TO 16000 FT. AT THAT POINT; INSIDE BEARZ HE GAVE US A TURN TO A 060; THEN 090 HEADING; FOLLOWED BY AN ADDITIONAL HEADING OF 140. HEADING BACK TOWARD BEARZ AND THEN BEYOND; I INFORMED THE CONTROLLER WE WERE 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND COULD NOT ACCEPT A HEADING AWAY FROM ORD ANY LONGER. (WE WERE DISPATCHED FROM MIA WITH FAR FUEL :45 MINS AND :15 OF CONTINGENCY FUEL; WHICH WE HAD MOSTLY USED ENROUTE FROM MIA DUE TO VARIOUS OPERATIONAL INEFFICIENCIES.) AT THIS POINT THE CONTROLLER ANGRILY ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY DUE TO LOW FUEL. I RESTATED THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AT THIS POINT; BUT WERE DECLARING 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY DELAY. HE DID NOT RESPOND AND CONTINUED US ON THE SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING AWAY FROM ORD. AT THIS POINT I SENT DISPATCH A MESSAGE DESCRIBING OUR SITUATION AND ASKED HIM TO GET THE ATC COORDINATOR IN THE LOOP. IT WAS APPARENT FROM TCAS THAT HE INTENDED TO TAKE US OUT UNTIL HE FOUND A HOLE HE COULD PUT US BACK IN ON THE ARRIVAL. AT OUR CURRENT FUEL STATE; THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND TURN MYSELF BACK TOWARD ORD; HE GAVE US THE TURN TO REJOIN THE ARRIVAL. BEFORE SWITCHING TO APPROACH CONTROL; I ASKED THE CONTROLLER TO HAVE THE SUPERVISOR MARK THE TAPES FOR OUR HANDLING AND TO EXPECT A CALL. AS I CHECKED ONTO APPROACH CONTROL I REITERATED THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL AND COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY DELAY; THE CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED; AND SINCE IT WAS A NICE VFR DAY IN ORD - SENT US DIRECTLY TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX FOR RWY 27L. WE ARRIVED IN ORD WITH LITTLE MORE THAN FOUR THOUSAND POUNDS OF FUEL. THIS IS BELOW MY PERSONAL MINIMUM; AND HAD WE NOT MADE OUR FUEL DECLARATION; I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO FLY AWAY FROM ORD. I FOUND THE CENTER CONTROLLER'S DEMEANOR DURING THE SITUATION TO BE LESS THAN PROFESSIONAL; HE SEEMED OVERWHELMED AND WAS TAKING IT OUT ON THE TRAFFIC HE WAS WORKING. WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF BLOCKING INTO ORD; I CONTACTED MY DISPATCHER. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION; HE TRANSFERRED ME TO A CONFERENCE CALL CONSISTING OF MYSELF AND ATC COORDINATORS. I EXPLAINED TO THE COORDINATORS THAT I FOUND OUR HANDLING UNACCEPTABLE; AND THAT I WANTED TO START A QAR (QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW) WITH THE CENTER. I ASKED HIM FOR THE APPROPRIATE PHONE NUMBERS; WHICH HE WAS RELUCTANT TO GIVE ME; SAYING THAT THEY HAVE A POLICY OF NOT GIVING THEM OUT. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS AFRAID OUR COMPANY WAS CULPABLE DUE TO THE SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CALL SIGNS CONTRIBUTED; BUT THAT THE CONTROLLERS HANDLE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS EVERY DAY; AND THAT I THOUGHT THE CONTROLLER'S HANDLING OF THE SITUATION WARRANTED A REVIEW. ONE COORDINATOR SAID HE WOULD MAKE SOME CALLS AND ASKED ME TO GET BACK TO HIM. I CALLED HIM BACK AND HE INFORMED ME HE HAD SPOKEN TO CHICAGO CENTER. I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO PROCEED WITH A QAR AND HE CONFERENCED ME WITH THE CENTER AND SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR. WHEN I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT I WANTED TO START A QAR ON OUR SITUATION HE TRANSFERRED US TO THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT. AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO QA; THEY AGREED TO HAVE THE TAPES PULLED AND START A REVIEW.

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.