Air carrier medium large transport reports clearance to wrong runway at ord.

Attributes
ACN	81192
Time
Date	198801
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	81192
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Flight cvg to ord, was handed off from chicago center to chicago approach control. The approach controller was too busy to acknowledge our first 2 call-INS, but on the third, some 3+ mins later, acknowledged that he was very busy. Apparently he was working more than 1 frequency as we could only hear his side of the transmissions. Runway 27R was the only runway in use as 27L was closed for snow removal. This first approach controller assigned us runway 27R with the frequency of 110.5. Later we were handed off to the final controller who turned us to what appeared an intercept heading. The first officer noticed that aircraft coming on frequency were all being assigned 27L and our assigned altitude was 5000'. We questioned the controller twice as to our assigned runway before he asked who was calling about 27R. The suspicion was confirmed when approach turned us away from 27R and back to 27L from north of the 27L localizer. He also notified us that traffic inbound for 27R was at a different altitude. I feel the controllers were overloaded with the closing and opening of runway 27L and did not have time to listen to the readback of clrncs. In addition, the transition of control contributed to the final controller getting incomplete information pertinent to our flight. Thanks to the vigilance of the first officer, I feel a serious encroachment of 27R was averted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG REPORTS CLRNC TO WRONG RWY AT ORD.

Narrative: FLT CVG TO ORD, WAS HANDED OFF FROM CHICAGO CENTER TO CHICAGO APCH CTL. THE APCH CTLR WAS TOO BUSY TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FIRST 2 CALL-INS, BUT ON THE THIRD, SOME 3+ MINS LATER, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS VERY BUSY. APPARENTLY HE WAS WORKING MORE THAN 1 FREQ AS WE COULD ONLY HEAR HIS SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS. RWY 27R WAS THE ONLY RWY IN USE AS 27L WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. THIS FIRST APCH CTLR ASSIGNED US RWY 27R WITH THE FREQ OF 110.5. LATER WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE FINAL CTLR WHO TURNED US TO WHAT APPEARED AN INTERCEPT HDG. THE F/O NOTICED THAT ACFT COMING ON FREQ WERE ALL BEING ASSIGNED 27L AND OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS 5000'. WE QUESTIONED THE CTLR TWICE AS TO OUR ASSIGNED RWY BEFORE HE ASKED WHO WAS CALLING ABOUT 27R. THE SUSPICION WAS CONFIRMED WHEN APCH TURNED US AWAY FROM 27R AND BACK TO 27L FROM N OF THE 27L LOC. HE ALSO NOTIFIED US THAT TFC INBND FOR 27R WAS AT A DIFFERENT ALT. I FEEL THE CTLRS WERE OVERLOADED WITH THE CLOSING AND OPENING OF RWY 27L AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE READBACK OF CLRNCS. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSITION OF CTL CONTRIBUTED TO THE FINAL CTLR GETTING INCOMPLETE INFO PERTINENT TO OUR FLT. THANKS TO THE VIGILANCE OF THE F/O, I FEEL A SERIOUS ENCROACHMENT OF 27R WAS AVERTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.