Narrative:

On dec/xa/06; ord was landing on runways 22R/27L for the majority of the evening. At XA00Z the wind became steady at 350 degrees/25 KTS. At this time we changed runways and landed on runways 27L and 27R. At this point with the wind at an equal point between runways 9L/9R and 27L/27R and the availability of using runway 4R therefore allowing aircraft to land into the wind as near as possible; while also expediting the flow of traffic; it would have been logical sense for all parties involved to make the change from runway 27L/27R to runways 9L/9R/4R. However ord tower chose not to change the arrival confign from runways 27L/27R to runways 9L/9R/4R. This poor decision resulted in excessive delays to all ord arrival aircraft; the necessity of holdover overtime for controllers and massive xwinds at landing. This is a prime example of poor decisions and an inefficient use of manpower; airspace; money and runways. Ord tower's reluctance to use all runways available to the user continues to astound me. The delays and waste of money that the FAA created for the user is simply astounding. Oh yea and let's not forget about the unsafe landing conditions we forced the flying public to endure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ORD TWR'S RWY USE SELECTION DURING XWIND OPS.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/06; ORD WAS LNDG ON RWYS 22R/27L FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE EVENING. AT XA00Z THE WIND BECAME STEADY AT 350 DEGS/25 KTS. AT THIS TIME WE CHANGED RWYS AND LANDED ON RWYS 27L AND 27R. AT THIS POINT WITH THE WIND AT AN EQUAL POINT BTWN RWYS 9L/9R AND 27L/27R AND THE AVAILABILITY OF USING RWY 4R THEREFORE ALLOWING ACFT TO LAND INTO THE WIND AS NEAR AS POSSIBLE; WHILE ALSO EXPEDITING THE FLOW OF TFC; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LOGICAL SENSE FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED TO MAKE THE CHANGE FROM RWY 27L/27R TO RWYS 9L/9R/4R. HOWEVER ORD TWR CHOSE NOT TO CHANGE THE ARR CONFIGN FROM RWYS 27L/27R TO RWYS 9L/9R/4R. THIS POOR DECISION RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE DELAYS TO ALL ORD ARR ACFT; THE NECESSITY OF HOLDOVER OVERTIME FOR CTLRS AND MASSIVE XWINDS AT LNDG. THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF POOR DECISIONS AND AN INEFFICIENT USE OF MANPOWER; AIRSPACE; MONEY AND RWYS. ORD TWR'S RELUCTANCE TO USE ALL RWYS AVAILABLE TO THE USER CONTINUES TO ASTOUND ME. THE DELAYS AND WASTE OF MONEY THAT THE FAA CREATED FOR THE USER IS SIMPLY ASTOUNDING. OH YEA AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE UNSAFE LNDG CONDITIONS WE FORCED THE FLYING PUBLIC TO ENDURE.

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.