Narrative:

WX at ord was dark; cloudy; rainy; and there were many delays (us included) to the east coast due to low visibility at our destination. We had held for approximately 1 hour; and then were instructed to taxi to runway 9R via txwys G; Z; and J. We were on taxiway J holding short of runway 9R on the north side of the runway. An air carrier Y aircraft was on the south side of runway 9R around taxiway J. ATC gave air carrier Y instructions to position and hold runway 9R; traffic 5 mi final runway 9R. Air carrier Y said that they needed to go back to the gate. ATC then asked air carrier X if we were ready; and my copilot acknowledged that we were ready. ATC then gave air carrier X instructions to position and hold runway 9R. As we entered the runway; an air carrier Z queried ATC as to who was supposed to be position and hold on runway 9R. ATC replied that air carrier Z was supposed to be in position and hold runway 9R. My copilot immediately told ATC that we were entering the runway position and hold. ATC then told us to exit the runway; and we taxied quickly down runway 9R and turned left onto taxiway east and exited the runway. The same ATC controller was working takeoffs on runways 32R; 4L; 9R; lndgs on runway 9R and crossing taxiing aircraft across runway 9R. He was obviously over-task saturated. I truly believe that ATC gave air carrier X the instructions to position and hold runway 9R and this was not a 'hearback/readback error.' I believe that because the ATC controller was over-tasked; he gave air carrier X the instructions to position and hold; thinking that he might have given the instructions to air carrier Z. After he realized that air carrier X was going into position and hold; he asked us to clear the runway. We taxied on txwys east; Z and J back on the north side of runway 9R and held short of the runway. After ATC gave us our instructions again to position and hold runway 9R; with traffic 5 mi final; we sat on the runway in position while he instructed traffic to depart runways 4L; 32R; and put another aircraft into position and hold runway 4L. It was very unnerving that we were in position and hold so long (well over 1 min) while traffic was behind us landing on the same runway that we were holding on. After traffic departed runway 32R; we were given our takeoff clearance; and departed safely. I understand that ord ATC controllers are the best in the business; but this evening; this controller was over-tasked by working so many different runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ATC SERVICE AT ORD WHEN LCL CTLR APPARENTLY CONFUSED TWO DEP ACFT AWAITING TKOF CLRNC.

Narrative: WX AT ORD WAS DARK; CLOUDY; RAINY; AND THERE WERE MANY DELAYS (US INCLUDED) TO THE E COAST DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY AT OUR DEST. WE HAD HELD FOR APPROX 1 HR; AND THEN WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 9R VIA TXWYS G; Z; AND J. WE WERE ON TXWY J HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9R ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY. AN ACR Y ACFT WAS ON THE S SIDE OF RWY 9R AROUND TXWY J. ATC GAVE ACR Y INSTRUCTIONS TO POS AND HOLD RWY 9R; TFC 5 MI FINAL RWY 9R. ACR Y SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO GO BACK TO THE GATE. ATC THEN ASKED ACR X IF WE WERE READY; AND MY COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE READY. ATC THEN GAVE ACR X INSTRUCTIONS TO POS AND HOLD RWY 9R. AS WE ENTERED THE RWY; AN ACR Z QUERIED ATC AS TO WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9R. ATC REPLIED THAT ACR Z WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN POS AND HOLD RWY 9R. MY COPLT IMMEDIATELY TOLD ATC THAT WE WERE ENTERING THE RWY POS AND HOLD. ATC THEN TOLD US TO EXIT THE RWY; AND WE TAXIED QUICKLY DOWN RWY 9R AND TURNED L ONTO TXWY E AND EXITED THE RWY. THE SAME ATC CTLR WAS WORKING TKOFS ON RWYS 32R; 4L; 9R; LNDGS ON RWY 9R AND XING TAXIING ACFT ACROSS RWY 9R. HE WAS OBVIOUSLY OVER-TASK SATURATED. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT ATC GAVE ACR X THE INSTRUCTIONS TO POS AND HOLD RWY 9R AND THIS WAS NOT A 'HEARBACK/READBACK ERROR.' I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THE ATC CTLR WAS OVER-TASKED; HE GAVE ACR X THE INSTRUCTIONS TO POS AND HOLD; THINKING THAT HE MIGHT HAVE GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO ACR Z. AFTER HE REALIZED THAT ACR X WAS GOING INTO POS AND HOLD; HE ASKED US TO CLR THE RWY. WE TAXIED ON TXWYS E; Z AND J BACK ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 9R AND HELD SHORT OF THE RWY. AFTER ATC GAVE US OUR INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN TO POS AND HOLD RWY 9R; WITH TFC 5 MI FINAL; WE SAT ON THE RWY IN POS WHILE HE INSTRUCTED TFC TO DEPART RWYS 4L; 32R; AND PUT ANOTHER ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 4L. IT WAS VERY UNNERVING THAT WE WERE IN POS AND HOLD SO LONG (WELL OVER 1 MIN) WHILE TFC WAS BEHIND US LNDG ON THE SAME RWY THAT WE WERE HOLDING ON. AFTER TFC DEPARTED RWY 32R; WE WERE GIVEN OUR TKOF CLRNC; AND DEPARTED SAFELY. I UNDERSTAND THAT ORD ATC CTLRS ARE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS; BUT THIS EVENING; THIS CTLR WAS OVER-TASKED BY WORKING SO MANY DIFFERENT RWYS.

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.