Reporter's aircraft lost first officer's pitot heat, was given lower altitude by ATC. ATC did not respond for whatever reason to their request for a much lower altitude. Aircraft started descent to next lower altitude without clearance to avoid clouds.

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Attributes
ACN	436746
Time
Date	199905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : den.vor
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc tower : shv.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	436746
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1707
ASRS Report	436739
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight from lax to jfk, aircraft lost first officer pitot heat. Divert to den due to possible icing in jfk and ord. Descending into denver from the south. Controllers were extremely helpful as we were required to remain VMC. They usually answered with 'whatever you need.' altitudes and headings were approved as we requested. We checked in with controller at 17000 ft, and acknowledged. We needed 16000 ft due to clouds ahead. We made the request 2 to 3 times without an answer. After a few mins when we were forced to descend, we got the controller and told him we were passing 16500 ft. We were about to declare an emergency when he told us we were not cleared out of 17000 ft and he gave us a different frequency. The next controller knew our situation and pretty much gave us 'whatever we needed.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR'S ACFT LOST FO'S PITOT HEAT, WAS GIVEN LOWER ALT BY ATC. ATC DID NOT RESPOND FOR WHATEVER REASON TO THEIR REQUEST FOR A MUCH LOWER ALT. ACFT STARTED DSCNT TO NEXT LOWER ALT WITHOUT CLRNC TO AVOID CLOUDS.

Narrative: FLT FROM LAX TO JFK, ACFT LOST FO PITOT HEAT. DIVERT TO DEN DUE TO POSSIBLE ICING IN JFK AND ORD. DSNDING INTO DENVER FROM THE S. CTLRS WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS WE WERE REQUIRED TO REMAIN VMC. THEY USUALLY ANSWERED WITH 'WHATEVER YOU NEED.' ALTS AND HEADINGS WERE APPROVED AS WE REQUESTED. WE CHKED IN WITH CTLR AT 17000 FT, AND ACKNOWLEDGED. WE NEEDED 16000 FT DUE TO CLOUDS AHEAD. WE MADE THE REQUEST 2 TO 3 TIMES WITHOUT AN ANSWER. AFTER A FEW MINS WHEN WE WERE FORCED TO DSND, WE GOT THE CTLR AND TOLD HIM WE WERE PASSING 16500 FT. WE WERE ABOUT TO DECLARE AN EMER WHEN HE TOLD US WE WERE NOT CLRED OUT OF 17000 FT AND HE GAVE US A DIFFERENT FREQ. THE NEXT CTLR KNEW OUR SIT AND PRETTY MUCH GAVE US 'WHATEVER WE NEEDED.'

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.