Narrative:

Captain was flying our medium large transport aircraft. Captain was in a rush to takeoff so we rushed the checklists. When captain arrived at aircraft for ferry flight he wanted to takeoff early due to company's request for an early departure. As captain was hanging up his coat he instructed me to get the clearance while he was hanging up his coat. Per company policy, captain should have monitored clearance which had a level off of 3000' vice the published departure which depicted 4000'. Took off from dulles after performing all checklists. Note: it is our airlines policy to set the altimeter to read zero (QFE) prior to takeoff. After airborne the center altimeter is the only one reading qnh. Captain failed to reset qnh altimeter setting in his altimeter, thus he attempted to level off a 3400' which registered 3000' on his altimeter. Departure called and asked us what altitude we were given to level off at in our initial clearance. There was moderate turbulence from the surface to 3000'. Captain was working a navy desk job (reserve) for the previous two weeks. It appears he was rusty and the aircraft got ahead of him. I made a 1000' prior to level off advisory to the captain but to no avail. For informational purposes, qnh was 29.90 and wfe set in pilots and first officer's altimeter was 29.56 approximately a 350' difference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT FLYING MLG OVERSHOT INITIAL ASSIGNED ALT 3000' DUE TO MISSET ALTIMETER.

Narrative: CAPT WAS FLYING OUR MLG ACFT. CAPT WAS IN A RUSH TO TKOF SO WE RUSHED THE CHKLISTS. WHEN CAPT ARRIVED AT ACFT FOR FERRY FLT HE WANTED TO TKOF EARLY DUE TO COMPANY'S REQUEST FOR AN EARLY DEP. AS CAPT WAS HANGING UP HIS COAT HE INSTRUCTED ME TO GET THE CLRNC WHILE HE WAS HANGING UP HIS COAT. PER COMPANY POLICY, CAPT SHOULD HAVE MONITORED CLRNC WHICH HAD A LEVEL OFF OF 3000' VICE THE PUBLISHED DEP WHICH DEPICTED 4000'. TOOK OFF FROM DULLES AFTER PERFORMING ALL CHKLISTS. NOTE: IT IS OUR AIRLINES POLICY TO SET THE ALTIMETER TO READ ZERO (QFE) PRIOR TO TKOF. AFTER AIRBORNE THE CTR ALTIMETER IS THE ONLY ONE READING QNH. CAPT FAILED TO RESET QNH ALTIMETER SETTING IN HIS ALTIMETER, THUS HE ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL OFF A 3400' WHICH REGISTERED 3000' ON HIS ALTIMETER. DEP CALLED AND ASKED US WHAT ALT WE WERE GIVEN TO LEVEL OFF AT IN OUR INITIAL CLRNC. THERE WAS MODERATE TURB FROM THE SURFACE TO 3000'. CAPT WAS WORKING A NAVY DESK JOB (RESERVE) FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO WKS. IT APPEARS HE WAS RUSTY AND THE ACFT GOT AHEAD OF HIM. I MADE A 1000' PRIOR TO LEVEL OFF ADVISORY TO THE CAPT BUT TO NO AVAIL. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, QNH WAS 29.90 AND WFE SET IN PLTS AND F/O'S ALTIMETER WAS 29.56 APPROX A 350' DIFFERENCE.

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.