Flight crew failed to reset altimeter passing through 18000', overshot assigned altitude of FL220.

Attributes
ACN	133805
Time
Date	199001
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7300 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	133805
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying the aircraft from syr to pit and we were cleared to FL220 out of 17000'. It was turbulent and we were climbing through a cloud layer. The captain was adjusting the rdar, which was not familiar to us. The altimeter setting at the airport we had just left was 29.25, and due to the preoccupation with the radar, I did not reset the altimeter to 29.92 through 18000'. The autoplt was on, and as the aircraft started to level off, the captain informed me about the altimeter setting. I immediately reset the altimeter and returned to FL220. Nothing was said by ATC and we did not pass the assigned altitude by very much. One thing that might have prevented this situation is to have standardized radar in the same aircraft type. Also developing a new procedure that when an aircraft is assigned a flight level from an altitude below 18000', it is issued as: 'climb and maintain FL220, check altimeter.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO RESET ALTIMETER PASSING THROUGH 18000', OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT OF FL220.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM SYR TO PIT AND WE WERE CLRED TO FL220 OUT OF 17000'. IT WAS TURBULENT AND WE WERE CLBING THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER. THE CAPT WAS ADJUSTING THE RDAR, WHICH WAS NOT FAMILIAR TO US. THE ALTIMETER SETTING AT THE ARPT WE HAD JUST LEFT WAS 29.25, AND DUE TO THE PREOCCUPATION WITH THE RADAR, I DID NOT RESET THE ALTIMETER TO 29.92 THROUGH 18000'. THE AUTOPLT WAS ON, AND AS THE ACFT STARTED TO LEVEL OFF, THE CAPT INFORMED ME ABOUT THE ALTIMETER SETTING. I IMMEDIATELY RESET THE ALTIMETER AND RETURNED TO FL220. NOTHING WAS SAID BY ATC AND WE DID NOT PASS THE ASSIGNED ALT BY VERY MUCH. ONE THING THAT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS SITUATION IS TO HAVE STANDARDIZED RADAR IN THE SAME ACFT TYPE. ALSO DEVELOPING A NEW PROC THAT WHEN AN ACFT IS ASSIGNED A FLT LEVEL FROM AN ALT BELOW 18000', IT IS ISSUED AS: 'CLB AND MAINTAIN FL220, CHK ALTIMETER.'

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.