Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
On approach into Chicago; I was briefing my First Officer on the approach to Runway 28 at ORD. ATC notified us of traffic about 2:00 from our position. We were at 14;000 FT at the time. The other aircraft was also at 14;000 FT and climbing slowly. We received a RA on the TCAS to descend. I did notice that the other aircraft was only 200 FT above. We were so close that we actually saw parachutist bailing out of the aircraft. We ended up leveling at 12;300 FT. Reported it to ATC and asked if they want us back at 14;000 FT or descend to 12;000 FT. We ended up descending down to 10;000 FT. After landing; Dispatch had me call the ATC duty manager about the RA. They pretty much said that it was their fault. He also wanted to make sure that nobody was injured in the descent; nobody was. I don't remember what frequency we were on but it was on one of the Approach frequencies into Chicago. The ATC Manager told me that the Controller working that frequency was new. He was also doing a report to help teach his new controllers from doing this again.
EMB170 Captain arriving ORD from the south describes a TCAS RA to descend generated by a skydiving aircraft at 14;000 FT; just as the skydivers exit the aircraft. ATC took responsibility for the close call; citing a new Controller on the position.