Narrative:

Cleared from cruise 7000' flight level to then to 3000' (transition altitude) altimeter setting 971 MB out of 4000' started to set altimeter. By the time I had set 971 MB I was 500' below assigned altitude. Leveled off then started to climb. Approach control noticed what had happened, cleared us to 2000' and heading vectors to ILS final and said, 'altimeter setting is pretty low, huh!' we said it sure is. Never having used MB before the significance of 971 MB wasn't apparent to me until I read the in hg equivalent 2868. I maintain good cockpit discipline and we were especially vigilant this day being unfamiliar with with the routes, airport, approachs transition altitudes, millibar altimeter setting and controller accents. Too much was new! I had originally requested a check pilot to ride along because I'd never flown to europe or on nat tracks before. This was arranged but later denied because the flight would be a random route and not a nat track. Remedies? Barring a world standard, transition altitude/level preferable something not so close to the ground, and altimeter measuring system MB or in hg. Better training or recent experience cockpit observers or at the very least a good telephone briefing covering these areas plus a well organized set of flight papers including a MB-in hg conversion chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT BECAUSE FLT CREW WAS SLOW SETTING ALTIMETERS TO STATION PRESSURE.

Narrative: CLRED FROM CRUISE 7000' FLT LEVEL TO THEN TO 3000' (TRANSITION ALT) ALTIMETER SETTING 971 MB OUT OF 4000' STARTED TO SET ALTIMETER. BY THE TIME I HAD SET 971 MB I WAS 500' BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. LEVELED OFF THEN STARTED TO CLB. APCH CTL NOTICED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, CLRED US TO 2000' AND HDG VECTORS TO ILS FINAL AND SAID, 'ALTIMETER SETTING IS PRETTY LOW, HUH!' WE SAID IT SURE IS. NEVER HAVING USED MB BEFORE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 971 MB WASN'T APPARENT TO ME UNTIL I READ THE IN HG EQUIVALENT 2868. I MAINTAIN GOOD COCKPIT DISCIPLINE AND WE WERE ESPECIALLY VIGILANT THIS DAY BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH WITH THE ROUTES, ARPT, APCHS TRANSITION ALTS, MILLIBAR ALTIMETER SETTING AND CTLR ACCENTS. TOO MUCH WAS NEW! I HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED A CHK PLT TO RIDE ALONG BECAUSE I'D NEVER FLOWN TO EUROPE OR ON NAT TRACKS BEFORE. THIS WAS ARRANGED BUT LATER DENIED BECAUSE THE FLT WOULD BE A RANDOM ROUTE AND NOT A NAT TRACK. REMEDIES? BARRING A WORLD STANDARD, TRANSITION ALT/LEVEL PREFERABLE SOMETHING NOT SO CLOSE TO THE GND, AND ALTIMETER MEASURING SYS MB OR IN HG. BETTER TRNING OR RECENT EXPERIENCE COCKPIT OBSERVERS OR AT THE VERY LEAST A GOOD TELEPHONE BRIEFING COVERING THESE AREAS PLUS A WELL ORGANIZED SET OF FLT PAPERS INCLUDING A MB-IN HG CONVERSION CHART.

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