Narrative:

We were flying IFR at 9000' skimming the tops (in and out). There were numerous small cumulus build-ups protruding from the cloud tops and we were deviating gently right and left to go around the roughest looking ones to try to keep the ride as smooth as possible. The aircraft was loaded with the cg well within limits, but toward the aft end of the range. With the small transport, this can lead to an annoying tendency for the aircraft to 'hunt' a little bit in pitch when in choppy air. We were handed off to bdl approach a few mi southeast of canan intersection, and I have no recollection of being given the bdl altimeter, so I had alb's altimeter setting on the captain's altimeter (which drives the mode C). A few mins later we heard bdl issue a traffic advisory to a military flight using the call sign of the fgt squadron at bdl, calling their traffic as, '...an small transport, 500 below you, level 9000; you're slowly overtaking.' approach then called our traffic, '...a flight of fgt's in your 6 O'clock, 9500', 6 mi, slowly overtaking.' I replied that we couldn't see 'our 6,' but would notify the tail gunner. At this point the first officer and I both began making frequent glances overhead. The approach controller again called us as traffic to the fgt's when the range was inside 2 mi, as they seemed to be having trouble seeing us. (We could only hear the controller's side of that conversation, as the fgt's were on UHF.) after a short pause, the controller, replying to an unheard transmission, said, 'that's approved,' and after a few seconds the lead fgt came into sight, but not 500' overhead as expected; he was much higher (1500 or 2000'). Eventually the wing man came into view and he was higher still and 1/2-1 mi off to our right. We were scanning the sky for the other pair (they normally operate in flts of 4). When approach said, 'flight, check your altitude; I show you 200' high, bdl altimeter 29.88!', I glanced down and saw my altimeter showing approximately 9130', and the old alb altimeter setting. My first officer (PF) was showing less than 9100' with the same setting. I set 29.88 and told the first officer to fly my altimeter, then confessed to bdl that we still had alb's altimeter. I surmise that when the lead fgt finally saw us, he was startled by the proximity and abruptly climbed, reporting his altitude change after initiating it, and initiating a C/a. Lessons: 1) always have the altimeter setting of the controling facility in your mode C (us). 2) never let both pilots focus on the same outside distraction with nobody monitoring altitude (us). 3) if you're VFR close to the cloud tops, and you can't see called traffic when you should be able to, don't continue to close with it (fgt's).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHICH CAUSED AN NMAC WITH 4 FGT'S.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING IFR AT 9000' SKIMMING THE TOPS (IN AND OUT). THERE WERE NUMEROUS SMALL CUMULUS BUILD-UPS PROTRUDING FROM THE CLOUD TOPS AND WE WERE DEVIATING GENTLY RIGHT AND LEFT TO GO AROUND THE ROUGHEST LOOKING ONES TO TRY TO KEEP THE RIDE AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. THE ACFT WAS LOADED WITH THE CG WELL WITHIN LIMITS, BUT TOWARD THE AFT END OF THE RANGE. WITH THE SMT, THIS CAN LEAD TO AN ANNOYING TENDENCY FOR THE ACFT TO 'HUNT' A LITTLE BIT IN PITCH WHEN IN CHOPPY AIR. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO BDL APCH A FEW MI SE OF CANAN INTXN, AND I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF BEING GIVEN THE BDL ALTIMETER, SO I HAD ALB'S ALTIMETER SETTING ON THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER (WHICH DRIVES THE MODE C). A FEW MINS LATER WE HEARD BDL ISSUE A TFC ADVISORY TO A MIL FLT USING THE CALL SIGN OF THE FGT SQUADRON AT BDL, CALLING THEIR TFC AS, '...AN SMT, 500 BELOW YOU, LEVEL 9000; YOU'RE SLOWLY OVERTAKING.' APCH THEN CALLED OUR TFC, '...A FLT OF FGT'S IN YOUR 6 O'CLOCK, 9500', 6 MI, SLOWLY OVERTAKING.' I REPLIED THAT WE COULDN'T SEE 'OUR 6,' BUT WOULD NOTIFY THE TAIL GUNNER. AT THIS POINT THE F/O AND I BOTH BEGAN MAKING FREQUENT GLANCES OVERHEAD. THE APCH CTLR AGAIN CALLED US AS TFC TO THE FGT'S WHEN THE RANGE WAS INSIDE 2 MI, AS THEY SEEMED TO BE HAVING TROUBLE SEEING US. (WE COULD ONLY HEAR THE CTLR'S SIDE OF THAT CONVERSATION, AS THE FGT'S WERE ON UHF.) AFTER A SHORT PAUSE, THE CTLR, REPLYING TO AN UNHEARD XMISSION, SAID, 'THAT'S APPROVED,' AND AFTER A FEW SECS THE LEAD FGT CAME INTO SIGHT, BUT NOT 500' OVERHEAD AS EXPECTED; HE WAS MUCH HIGHER (1500 OR 2000'). EVENTUALLY THE WING MAN CAME INTO VIEW AND HE WAS HIGHER STILL AND 1/2-1 MI OFF TO OUR RIGHT. WE WERE SCANNING THE SKY FOR THE OTHER PAIR (THEY NORMALLY OPERATE IN FLTS OF 4). WHEN APCH SAID, 'FLT, CHK YOUR ALT; I SHOW YOU 200' HIGH, BDL ALTIMETER 29.88!', I GLANCED DOWN AND SAW MY ALTIMETER SHOWING APPROX 9130', AND THE OLD ALB ALTIMETER SETTING. MY F/O (PF) WAS SHOWING LESS THAN 9100' WITH THE SAME SETTING. I SET 29.88 AND TOLD THE F/O TO FLY MY ALTIMETER, THEN CONFESSED TO BDL THAT WE STILL HAD ALB'S ALTIMETER. I SURMISE THAT WHEN THE LEAD FGT FINALLY SAW US, HE WAS STARTLED BY THE PROX AND ABRUPTLY CLBED, RPTING HIS ALT CHANGE AFTER INITIATING IT, AND INITIATING A C/A. LESSONS: 1) ALWAYS HAVE THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF THE CTLING FAC IN YOUR MODE C (US). 2) NEVER LET BOTH PLTS FOCUS ON THE SAME OUTSIDE DISTR WITH NOBODY MONITORING ALT (US). 3) IF YOU'RE VFR CLOSE TO THE CLOUD TOPS, AND YOU CAN'T SEE CALLED TFC WHEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, DON'T CONTINUE TO CLOSE WITH IT (FGT'S).

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.