Flight climbed through cleared altitude due to captain altimeter set wrong. Incident was due at leas...

Attributes
ACN	107901
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 23500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	107901
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The airline I work for recently bought another airline. As a result of the merger we acquired a number of additional aircraft. These newly acquired planes had been leased from several sources--which is to say there is virtually no standardization. These planes differ from one another in all aspects: different seating arrangements, emergency equipment, autoplts, airspeed indicators, altimeters, radar, fuel capacity, engines--every system is slightly different: different switches, different locations for a given switch. Climbing out of dfw, northbound, we were cleared to FL230. Passing 18000' both the captain and I called out 29.92 as we reset the altimeters. Prior to the merger we had one type altimeter. In the bottom left side the millibars window, bottom right window inches mercury, on the aircraft we were flying this day the captain's altimeter was a different type than mine, both our altimeters being different from our original fleet standard. Evidently passing 18000' the captain cranked in the digits 992 in the bottom right window, thinking he had set in 29.92. Only on this altimeter the bottom right window was millibars and the left window inches mercury. Passing FL220 I made our standard callout: '22 for 23,' which gives the PF a reminder that we were 1000' from level off. I then began looking at my chart. After putting the chart down I noticed we were at 23300'. Though I hesitated to say anything as I double-checked my altimeter, at 23500' I told the captain what I had and asked him to double-check his altimeter setting. His was showing FL230 and he confirmed '92 set' for 29.92. ZFW then called asking our altitude. We replied that we had a split on our altimeter and we began a rapid discussion on what might be wrong. I then noticed 29.92 was no set in the inches side on the captain's altimeter. Correcting that out altimeters agreed 23500', so we descended back to FL230. A few mins later the controller gave us a frequency change and we continued with no further incidents.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CLIMBED THROUGH CLEARED ALT DUE TO CAPT ALTIMETER SET WRONG. INCIDENT WAS DUE AT LEAST IN PART TO ACFT COCKPIT DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE SAME FLEET.

Narrative: THE AIRLINE I WORK FOR RECENTLY BOUGHT ANOTHER AIRLINE. AS A RESULT OF THE MERGER WE ACQUIRED A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL ACFT. THESE NEWLY ACQUIRED PLANES HAD BEEN LEASED FROM SEVERAL SOURCES--WHICH IS TO SAY THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO STANDARDIZATION. THESE PLANES DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER IN ALL ASPECTS: DIFFERENT SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, EMER EQUIPMENT, AUTOPLTS, AIRSPD INDICATORS, ALTIMETERS, RADAR, FUEL CAPACITY, ENGS--EVERY SYS IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT: DIFFERENT SWITCHES, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR A GIVEN SWITCH. CLBING OUT OF DFW, NBND, WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. PASSING 18000' BOTH THE CAPT AND I CALLED OUT 29.92 AS WE RESET THE ALTIMETERS. PRIOR TO THE MERGER WE HAD ONE TYPE ALTIMETER. IN THE BOTTOM LEFT SIDE THE MILLIBARS WINDOW, BOTTOM RIGHT WINDOW INCHES MERCURY, ON THE ACFT WE WERE FLYING THIS DAY THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER WAS A DIFFERENT TYPE THAN MINE, BOTH OUR ALTIMETERS BEING DIFFERENT FROM OUR ORIGINAL FLEET STANDARD. EVIDENTLY PASSING 18000' THE CAPT CRANKED IN THE DIGITS 992 IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT WINDOW, THINKING HE HAD SET IN 29.92. ONLY ON THIS ALTIMETER THE BOTTOM RIGHT WINDOW WAS MILLIBARS AND THE LEFT WINDOW INCHES MERCURY. PASSING FL220 I MADE OUR STANDARD CALLOUT: '22 FOR 23,' WHICH GIVES THE PF A REMINDER THAT WE WERE 1000' FROM LEVEL OFF. I THEN BEGAN LOOKING AT MY CHART. AFTER PUTTING THE CHART DOWN I NOTICED WE WERE AT 23300'. THOUGH I HESITATED TO SAY ANYTHING AS I DOUBLE-CHKED MY ALTIMETER, AT 23500' I TOLD THE CAPT WHAT I HAD AND ASKED HIM TO DOUBLE-CHK HIS ALTIMETER SETTING. HIS WAS SHOWING FL230 AND HE CONFIRMED '92 SET' FOR 29.92. ZFW THEN CALLED ASKING OUR ALT. WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD A SPLIT ON OUR ALTIMETER AND WE BEGAN A RAPID DISCUSSION ON WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG. I THEN NOTICED 29.92 WAS NO SET IN THE INCHES SIDE ON THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER. CORRECTING THAT OUT ALTIMETERS AGREED 23500', SO WE DSNDED BACK TO FL230. A FEW MINS LATER THE CTLR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE AND WE CONTINUED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS.

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.

Flight climbed through cleared altitude due to captain altimeter set wrong. Incident was due at least in part to aircraft cockpit differences within the same fleet.