S80 FLC USES OMEGA BELOW FL180 OPPOSED TO COMPANY PROCS. HDG DEV RESULTS.

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ENRTE TO ORD AT OKK CLRED DIRECT TO OXI AND THEN CLRED DIRECT TO BEARS INTXN. PNF ACCEPT DIRECT; ACFT WAS AT FL280. THEN CLRED TO FL240 AND FINALLY TO 16000 FT. WHILE IN DSCNT CREW GOT BUSY WITH CHKLIST AND ALSO CHKING OUT LOC APCH TO RWY 27L WHICH WAS IN USE. THE USE OF THE OMEGA WAS FORGOTTEN TO BE NOT ALLOWED BELOW 18000 FT. AT 16000 FT GIVEN TO CROSS 5 MI SE OF BEARS AT 11000 FT. AT ABOUT 15000 FT REMEMBERED THAT OMEGA COULD NOT BE USED BELOW 18000 FT AND BEGAN TO NAV POINT TO POINT ON VOR RADIALS. WIND TOOK ACFT E OF DIRECT LINE TO BEARS AND INTERCEPTED OXI 297 DEG RADIAL BEFORE BEARS INTXN AT ABOUT 12 MI SE OF BEARS. LESSON LEARNED IS TO NOT ACCEPT ANY INTXN ON ARR OR DEP UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU WILL BE AT OR ABOVE 18000 FT. ALSO I WILL HAVE TO WATCH FIXES WHEN AT ALT AND ACCEPTING DIRECT FARTHER OUT. ALSO IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ADVISE ORD CTR THAT MD80 ACFT WILL BE UNABLE TO ACCEPT DIRECT TO INTXNS ON ARRS SO THEY CAN PLAN AHEAD. IT APPEARS THAT FLOW INTO CERTAIN CITIES ARE NOW PLANNED FOR DIRECT WHEN ALL ARE COMING FROM THE SAME DIRECTION AND MD80 IS FOLLOWING B757; B737 AND F100 TFC.