Narrative:

Declared emergency for ATC priority handling. We had a tail anti-ice failure. Talking with dispatch to check for clear WX we were advised we would have to let down over ord. The dispatcher was excellent. He told us to let down over the lake where the WX was better. It was a thin layer about 1000 ft thick. No problem. But when I told approach of the problem 50 mi out, they were of no help. They kept trying to descend us into the clouds. After 2 or 3 times of explaining to ATC what we needed and they just kept giving me the same clearance, I had to declare an emergency for priority handling. Then it all worked out just as the dispatcher and I planned. Encountered no ice with the plan and a normal landing. Dispatch was a big help to us, ATC was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO FORCE C90 APCH CTLR COOPERATION AFTER A TAIL ANTI-ICE FAILURE.

Narrative: DECLARED EMER FOR ATC PRIORITY HANDLING. WE HAD A TAIL ANTI-ICE FAILURE. TALKING WITH DISPATCH TO CHK FOR CLR WX WE WERE ADVISED WE WOULD HAVE TO LET DOWN OVER ORD. THE DISPATCHER WAS EXCELLENT. HE TOLD US TO LET DOWN OVER THE LAKE WHERE THE WX WAS BETTER. IT WAS A THIN LAYER ABOUT 1000 FT THICK. NO PROBLEM. BUT WHEN I TOLD APCH OF THE PROB 50 MI OUT, THEY WERE OF NO HELP. THEY KEPT TRYING TO DSND US INTO THE CLOUDS. AFTER 2 OR 3 TIMES OF EXPLAINING TO ATC WHAT WE NEEDED AND THEY JUST KEPT GIVING ME THE SAME CLRNC, I HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. THEN IT ALL WORKED OUT JUST AS THE DISPATCHER AND I PLANNED. ENCOUNTERED NO ICE WITH THE PLAN AND A NORMAL LNDG. DISPATCH WAS A BIG HELP TO US, ATC WAS NOT.

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.