Flight crew creates an intentional altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	299239
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	299239
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Busy ATC frequency. We requested lower altitude a couple of times to descend out of moderate turbulence, and icing. Center was short and terse with response to continue climb into unacceptable conditions. We advised that we were descending to 27000 ft. ZLC asked if we were declaring an emergency. We told them to call it what they liked and we descended to 27000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CREATES AN INTENTIONAL ALTDEV.

Narrative: BUSY ATC FREQ. WE REQUESTED LOWER ALT A COUPLE OF TIMES TO DSND OUT OF MODERATE TURB, AND ICING. CTR WAS SHORT AND TERSE WITH RESPONSE TO CONTINUE CLB INTO UNACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS. WE ADVISED THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO 27000 FT. ZLC ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. WE TOLD THEM TO CALL IT WHAT THEY LIKED AND WE DSNDED TO 27000 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.