Narrative:

Mdw was busier than normal; following ground stop delays due to WX in the chicago area; many aircraft that were held for departure were all arriving at once with mdw playing catch-up. This was evident by a last min landing runway change; requiring us to sidestep from our previously assigned landing runway to the parallel runway. This led us to believe that the communication between the various controller stations in the chain was weak at best regarding advanced planning. We reluctantly accepted the sidestep clearance as it was obvious to us that another aircraft was being cleared into position for takeoff on our landing runway; therefore; the controller put us into a position to accept the sidestep or face a go around scenario. We were stabilized; in VMC; right at the point where we felt we would still be able to safely accept the newly assigned runway rather than go around; we landed without incident. However; in hindsight; via our postflt crew debrief; we both agreed that there still were too many variables to be addressed; in too short of a timeframe; that could pose a potential problem with accepting a last min runway change; we 'will' just go around in the future (this 'accepted policy' at mdw really has to stop before another accident occurs due to pushing tin!).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A PARTICULARLY BUSY PERIOD CAUSED BY WX DELAYS; AN ACFT WAS ISSUED A RWY CHANGE ON SHORT FINAL AND SIDESTEPPED TO THE PARALLEL RWY. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGES COULD CAUSE COMS BREAKDOWN BTWN CTLRS.

Narrative: MDW WAS BUSIER THAN NORMAL; FOLLOWING GND STOP DELAYS DUE TO WX IN THE CHICAGO AREA; MANY ACFT THAT WERE HELD FOR DEP WERE ALL ARRIVING AT ONCE WITH MDW PLAYING CATCH-UP. THIS WAS EVIDENT BY A LAST MIN LNDG RWY CHANGE; REQUIRING US TO SIDESTEP FROM OUR PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED LNDG RWY TO THE PARALLEL RWY. THIS LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THE COM BTWN THE VARIOUS CTLR STATIONS IN THE CHAIN WAS WEAK AT BEST REGARDING ADVANCED PLANNING. WE RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THE SIDESTEP CLRNC AS IT WAS OBVIOUS TO US THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS BEING CLRED INTO POS FOR TKOF ON OUR LNDG RWY; THEREFORE; THE CTLR PUT US INTO A POS TO ACCEPT THE SIDESTEP OR FACE A GAR SCENARIO. WE WERE STABILIZED; IN VMC; RIGHT AT THE POINT WHERE WE FELT WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO SAFELY ACCEPT THE NEWLY ASSIGNED RWY RATHER THAN GAR; WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER; IN HINDSIGHT; VIA OUR POSTFLT CREW DEBRIEF; WE BOTH AGREED THAT THERE STILL WERE TOO MANY VARIABLES TO BE ADDRESSED; IN TOO SHORT OF A TIMEFRAME; THAT COULD POSE A POTENTIAL PROB WITH ACCEPTING A LAST MIN RWY CHANGE; WE 'WILL' JUST GO AROUND IN THE FUTURE (THIS 'ACCEPTED POLICY' AT MDW REALLY HAS TO STOP BEFORE ANOTHER ACCIDENT OCCURS DUE TO PUSHING TIN!).

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.