Narrative:

Ord had 3 runways in use: runways 27L; 27R; and 22R lahso (land and hold short) runway 27R. When windshear occurs; you lose the lahso procedure on runway 22R. Due to windshear (which was forecast); we lost the third runway 27R. We also had a bird strike on runway 27L. The plano (southwest) and bearz (southeast) fixes were put in the hold. The runway 27L controller continued clearing aircraft to runway 27L; mainly because it is the safest thing to do. Ord tower gave approximately 5 aircraft missed approachs due to the bird strike and windshear. Because of these missed approach aircraft; the runway 27L controller had to vector aircraft outside of their airspace. While vectoring outside of their airspace and turning a 35 mi final (normal is 10-20 mi); the supervisor told me to take bearz out of the hold. When I questioned the supervisor about this potentially poor decision; I was ordered to take the bearz fix out of the hold. This poor decision perpetuated an already unsafe condition forcing the runway 27L controller to work more aircraft in an already saturated pattern. This poor decision also placed the user and the flying public in an extremely unsafe situation. The supervisor then told me to take the plano (southwest) fix out of the hold and start routing those aircraft to the third runway (27R) again. Sure enough; when our airspace was full; windshear became a factor and we lost the third runway. Aircraft had to be vectored all over C90 airspace and controllers had to scramble to fit enough aircraft for 3 runways to only 2 runways. The user and the flying public was yet again put in an unsafe situation because of poor management decisions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR DESCRIBED SECTOR SATURATION ALLEGING SUPVR DIRECTED EARLY CANCELLATION OF HOLDING.

Narrative: ORD HAD 3 RWYS IN USE: RWYS 27L; 27R; AND 22R LAHSO (LAND AND HOLD SHORT) RWY 27R. WHEN WINDSHEAR OCCURS; YOU LOSE THE LAHSO PROC ON RWY 22R. DUE TO WINDSHEAR (WHICH WAS FORECAST); WE LOST THE THIRD RWY 27R. WE ALSO HAD A BIRD STRIKE ON RWY 27L. THE PLANO (SW) AND BEARZ (SE) FIXES WERE PUT IN THE HOLD. THE RWY 27L CTLR CONTINUED CLRING ACFT TO RWY 27L; MAINLY BECAUSE IT IS THE SAFEST THING TO DO. ORD TWR GAVE APPROX 5 ACFT MISSED APCHS DUE TO THE BIRD STRIKE AND WINDSHEAR. BECAUSE OF THESE MISSED APCH ACFT; THE RWY 27L CTLR HAD TO VECTOR ACFT OUTSIDE OF THEIR AIRSPACE. WHILE VECTORING OUTSIDE OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND TURNING A 35 MI FINAL (NORMAL IS 10-20 MI); THE SUPVR TOLD ME TO TAKE BEARZ OUT OF THE HOLD. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE SUPVR ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY POOR DECISION; I WAS ORDERED TO TAKE THE BEARZ FIX OUT OF THE HOLD. THIS POOR DECISION PERPETUATED AN ALREADY UNSAFE CONDITION FORCING THE RWY 27L CTLR TO WORK MORE ACFT IN AN ALREADY SATURATED PATTERN. THIS POOR DECISION ALSO PLACED THE USER AND THE FLYING PUBLIC IN AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. THE SUPVR THEN TOLD ME TO TAKE THE PLANO (SW) FIX OUT OF THE HOLD AND START ROUTING THOSE ACFT TO THE THIRD RWY (27R) AGAIN. SURE ENOUGH; WHEN OUR AIRSPACE WAS FULL; WINDSHEAR BECAME A FACTOR AND WE LOST THE THIRD RWY. ACFT HAD TO BE VECTORED ALL OVER C90 AIRSPACE AND CTLRS HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO FIT ENOUGH ACFT FOR 3 RWYS TO ONLY 2 RWYS. THE USER AND THE FLYING PUBLIC WAS YET AGAIN PUT IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION BECAUSE OF POOR MGMNT DECISIONS.

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.