Narrative:

Reported WX phl--thunderstorms, hail toward west and south flts in those directions held on ground. After takeoff departure control's first communication was, 'air carrier X, do you have clearance?', (which we did). He then cleared us to 5000' on an 060 degree heading. He eventually cleared us to 9000' on 060 degree heading. This heading kept us parallel to a line of thunderstorms to our right. We were kept on this heading and altitude for a few mins, then changed to ZNY who wanted us to turn right to a 220 degree heading. This would have put us into the line to thunderstorms (we were already in moderate turbulence). We told him we could give him a 140 degree heading--any more would put us too close to the storms. He wouldn't let us turn the other way (which was clear). He kept pressing us to turn toward the thunderstorms (we were climbing now to FL290), but we told him we couldn't and the best we could do was straight ahead (140 degree heading, moderate turbulence). He kept pressing us until he switched us over to ZNY, who didn't seem concerned with our 140 degree heading and rogered our climb to FL290. After level off, he called us 500' high. Our altimeter indicated 29000', but in all the confusion with the last controller and the thunderstorms and turbulence, we neglected to reset altimeters at FL180. The problem was discovered when the ZNY controller brought it to our attention. Correction: reset altimeters (29.47 to 29.92) and level aircraft at FL290. The problem arose at FL180 while climbing during a high workload period of time, during a period of moderate turbulence, lightning nearby, working with airborne radar to determine our safest flight path and constantly communicating with a controller who insisted that we turn into a line of thunderstorms. We tried our best to work with him, but in the interest of safety, I could not head right into a squall line. I feel my judgement was correct; I am responsible for the safety of my aircraft, crew and passenger. With so much traffic held on the ground, I feel that he could have coordinated with the next sector to help us out. He (the controller) added to the confusion of a difficult situation, keeping us unnecessarily close to the storms and turbulence. With less confusion, we might not have missed resetting the altimeters at FL180. Supplemental information from acn 107999: departure indicated there was a problem handing us off to ZNY, but the handoff was finally made. Upon contacting the center he replied with, 'ah, do you have clearance?' I was working the radios and radar and responded that we did. The controller indicated that he didn't know what he was going to do with us. He gave us a climb to 17000' and a turn from 060 degrees to 140 degrees, toward the WX. I indicated the WX was a problem and the heading wouldn't't work for long. We encountered heavy rain, moderate to severe turbulence and icing. We were given 2 changes in altitude and the controller insisted we continue turning into the line of WX or we'd 'be in conflict with the holding traffic.' we continued to climb to FL290 and to deviate as best we could to avoid WX. The turbulence continued to be moderate to severe and we had our hands full. We finally broke out into the clear and leveled off at FL290. We checked in the back and found that several passenger had been sick but no one was injured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FAILED TO RESET ALTIMETER CLIMBING THROUGH FL180 AND OVERSHOT THE MAINTAIN ALT.

Narrative: RPTED WX PHL--TSTMS, HAIL TOWARD W AND S FLTS IN THOSE DIRECTIONS HELD ON GND. AFTER TKOF DEP CTL'S FIRST COM WAS, 'ACR X, DO YOU HAVE CLRNC?', (WHICH WE DID). HE THEN CLRED US TO 5000' ON AN 060 DEG HDG. HE EVENTUALLY CLRED US TO 9000' ON 060 DEG HDG. THIS HDG KEPT US PARALLEL TO A LINE OF TSTMS TO OUR RIGHT. WE WERE KEPT ON THIS HDG AND ALT FOR A FEW MINS, THEN CHANGED TO ZNY WHO WANTED US TO TURN RIGHT TO A 220 DEG HDG. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT US INTO THE LINE TO TSTMS (WE WERE ALREADY IN MODERATE TURB). WE TOLD HIM WE COULD GIVE HIM A 140 DEG HDG--ANY MORE WOULD PUT US TOO CLOSE TO THE STORMS. HE WOULDN'T LET US TURN THE OTHER WAY (WHICH WAS CLR). HE KEPT PRESSING US TO TURN TOWARD THE TSTMS (WE WERE CLBING NOW TO FL290), BUT WE TOLD HIM WE COULDN'T AND THE BEST WE COULD DO WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD (140 DEG HDG, MODERATE TURB). HE KEPT PRESSING US UNTIL HE SWITCHED US OVER TO ZNY, WHO DIDN'T SEEM CONCERNED WITH OUR 140 DEG HDG AND ROGERED OUR CLB TO FL290. AFTER LEVEL OFF, HE CALLED US 500' HIGH. OUR ALTIMETER INDICATED 29000', BUT IN ALL THE CONFUSION WITH THE LAST CTLR AND THE TSTMS AND TURB, WE NEGLECTED TO RESET ALTIMETERS AT FL180. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE ZNY CTLR BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTN. CORRECTION: RESET ALTIMETERS (29.47 TO 29.92) AND LEVEL ACFT AT FL290. THE PROB AROSE AT FL180 WHILE CLBING DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD PERIOD OF TIME, DURING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TURB, LIGHTNING NEARBY, WORKING WITH AIRBORNE RADAR TO DETERMINE OUR SAFEST FLT PATH AND CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING WITH A CTLR WHO INSISTED THAT WE TURN INTO A LINE OF TSTMS. WE TRIED OUR BEST TO WORK WITH HIM, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I COULD NOT HEAD RIGHT INTO A SQUALL LINE. I FEEL MY JUDGEMENT WAS CORRECT; I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY ACFT, CREW AND PAX. WITH SO MUCH TFC HELD ON THE GND, I FEEL THAT HE COULD HAVE COORDINATED WITH THE NEXT SECTOR TO HELP US OUT. HE (THE CTLR) ADDED TO THE CONFUSION OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION, KEEPING US UNNECESSARILY CLOSE TO THE STORMS AND TURB. WITH LESS CONFUSION, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE MISSED RESETTING THE ALTIMETERS AT FL180. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 107999: DEP INDICATED THERE WAS A PROB HANDING US OFF TO ZNY, BUT THE HDOF WAS FINALLY MADE. UPON CONTACTING THE CENTER HE REPLIED WITH, 'AH, DO YOU HAVE CLRNC?' I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS AND RADAR AND RESPONDED THAT WE DID. THE CTLR INDICATED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH US. HE GAVE US A CLB TO 17000' AND A TURN FROM 060 DEGS TO 140 DEGS, TOWARD THE WX. I INDICATED THE WX WAS A PROB AND THE HDG WOULDN'T'T WORK FOR LONG. WE ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN, MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AND ICING. WE WERE GIVEN 2 CHANGES IN ALT AND THE CTLR INSISTED WE CONTINUE TURNING INTO THE LINE OF WX OR WE'D 'BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE HOLDING TFC.' WE CONTINUED TO CLB TO FL290 AND TO DEVIATE AS BEST WE COULD TO AVOID WX. THE TURB CONTINUED TO BE MODERATE TO SEVERE AND WE HAD OUR HANDS FULL. WE FINALLY BROKE OUT INTO THE CLR AND LEVELED OFF AT FL290. WE CHKED IN THE BACK AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL PAX HAD BEEN SICK BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED.

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.