Narrative:

It has come to my attention through yrs of personal observation that O'hare international airport helicopter operations have become too liberal. On apr/xa/07 as the captain of a B767-300; while descending on the runway 27R ILS at 2 mi from taffs; I observed a target on my TCAS monitor approximately at taffs. The target was below my current altitude as I descended on the GS toward taffs. It was dawn; therefore dark and I could not see the target visually in the ground clutter of the city lights below. I asked approach if he had a target at taffs. The controller responded but did not answer my question. He did not seem concerned about the target. I asked him again and instead of sharing information and telling me it is a helicopter in hover or a helicopter moving left to right; the controller says it is a helicopter under tower control; switch to tower frequency. I do not remember exactly what the tower controller said about the helicopter; but it left me with the impression that the helicopter was clear of the runway 27R ILS corridor. This helicopter was an unexpected distraction during my approach and from the information I observed in the cockpit appeared to be legitimate concern. TCAS did not generate any TA or RA alerts. This would have been a good time for approach controller to give an unsolicited traffic call during a critical phase of flight well known for its dangers. I believe this cavalier work habit to helicopter operations led to my not getting a traffic call on my approach. I am not familiar with helicopter procedures in a class B. Certainly helicopter operations in any class B are necessary. As a minimum; a chart diagramming established helicopter corridors and altitudes should be added to the O'hare charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 ON ILS RWY 27R AT ORD AT APPROX 2200 FT OBSERVED TCAS HELI TFC; COMMENTING THAT ATC WAS LESS THAN INFORMATIVE REGARDING TFC INFO.

Narrative: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTN THROUGH YRS OF PERSONAL OBSERVATION THAT O'HARE INTL ARPT HELI OPS HAVE BECOME TOO LIBERAL. ON APR/XA/07 AS THE CAPT OF A B767-300; WHILE DSNDING ON THE RWY 27R ILS AT 2 MI FROM TAFFS; I OBSERVED A TARGET ON MY TCAS MONITOR APPROX AT TAFFS. THE TARGET WAS BELOW MY CURRENT ALT AS I DSNDED ON THE GS TOWARD TAFFS. IT WAS DAWN; THEREFORE DARK AND I COULD NOT SEE THE TARGET VISUALLY IN THE GND CLUTTER OF THE CITY LIGHTS BELOW. I ASKED APCH IF HE HAD A TARGET AT TAFFS. THE CTLR RESPONDED BUT DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION. HE DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT THE TARGET. I ASKED HIM AGAIN AND INSTEAD OF SHARING INFO AND TELLING ME IT IS A HELI IN HOVER OR A HELI MOVING L TO R; THE CTLR SAYS IT IS A HELI UNDER TWR CTL; SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. I DO NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE TWR CTLR SAID ABOUT THE HELI; BUT IT LEFT ME WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THE HELI WAS CLR OF THE RWY 27R ILS CORRIDOR. THIS HELI WAS AN UNEXPECTED DISTR DURING MY APCH AND FROM THE INFO I OBSERVED IN THE COCKPIT APPEARED TO BE LEGITIMATE CONCERN. TCAS DID NOT GENERATE ANY TA OR RA ALERTS. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD TIME FOR APCH CTLR TO GIVE AN UNSOLICITED TFC CALL DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT WELL KNOWN FOR ITS DANGERS. I BELIEVE THIS CAVALIER WORK HABIT TO HELI OPS LED TO MY NOT GETTING A TFC CALL ON MY APCH. I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH HELI PROCS IN A CLASS B. CERTAINLY HELI OPS IN ANY CLASS B ARE NECESSARY. AS A MINIMUM; A CHART DIAGRAMMING ESTABLISHED HELI CORRIDORS AND ALTS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE O'HARE CHARTS.

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.