Narrative:

We were making an approach to runway 27R at ord. The first officer was flying. Heading east at 6000' at 210 KTS (assigned). Northeast of ord we observed traffic to our right (1 O'clock) over lake michigan wbound. Our next clearance was to 4000', followed by a turn to 160 degrees. As we were turning and descending we went through some scattered clouds and I lost sight of the traffic. Once below the clouds the traffic was sighted immediately, but did not appear to be a factor. We were then cleared to 3000' and cleared to turn right to 270 degrees. The turn took us through the runway 27R localizer and close to the wbound traffic. No evasive action was taken, nor were we ever advised that there was conflicting traffic. We were then cleared to a 290 degree heading, told to slow to 170 KTS, asked if we had the field in sight, and cleared for a visual to runway 27R. I believe our assigned speed of 210 KTS and a strong north wind (30-40 KTS between 4000-6000' per pilot reports) made our turn radius too great. The controller also had another aircraft descend to the wrong altitude, so he was trying to correct that problem and was late in turning, slowing and descending us. I could not tell if the other aircraft was climbing or descending, but he was moving to the rear of my side window so I felt we were not going to collide.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH ORD.

Narrative: WE WERE MAKING AN APCH TO RWY 27R AT ORD. THE F/O WAS FLYING. HDG E AT 6000' AT 210 KTS (ASSIGNED). NE OF ORD WE OBSERVED TFC TO OUR RIGHT (1 O'CLOCK) OVER LAKE MICHIGAN WBOUND. OUR NEXT CLRNC WAS TO 4000', FOLLOWED BY A TURN TO 160 DEGS. AS WE WERE TURNING AND DSNDING WE WENT THROUGH SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS AND I LOST SIGHT OF THE TFC. ONCE BELOW THE CLOUDS THE TFC WAS SIGHTED IMMEDIATELY, BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A FACTOR. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 3000' AND CLRED TO TURN RIGHT TO 270 DEGS. THE TURN TOOK US THROUGH THE RWY 27R LOC AND CLOSE TO THE WBOUND TFC. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN, NOR WERE WE EVER ADVISED THAT THERE WAS CONFLICTING TFC. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO A 290 DEG HDG, TOLD TO SLOW TO 170 KTS, ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT, AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 27R. I BELIEVE OUR ASSIGNED SPD OF 210 KTS AND A STRONG N WIND (30-40 KTS BTWN 4000-6000' PER PLT RPTS) MADE OUR TURN RADIUS TOO GREAT. THE CTLR ALSO HAD ANOTHER ACFT DSND TO THE WRONG ALT, SO HE WAS TRYING TO CORRECT THAT PROB AND WAS LATE IN TURNING, SLOWING AND DSNDING US. I COULD NOT TELL IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLBING OR DSNDING, BUT HE WAS MOVING TO THE REAR OF MY SIDE WINDOW SO I FELT WE WERE NOT GOING TO COLLIDE.

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.