Altitude deviation as altimeter hands stick on climb out.

Attributes
ACN	169570
Time
Date	199101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : btr
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : btr
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 785 flight time type : 45
ASRS Report	169570
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

After performing a proper preflight inspection on the small aircraft I picked up my IFR clearance from baton rouge tower. I then proceeded to the runup area, and after completing that task, I requested and received takeoff clearance. The ceiling was 500' in baton rouge, which was slightly lower than the ceiling in ruston, la, my final destination. As I began the climb out, I entered the clouds almost immediately. Several mins later I remarked to my passenger that the plane was climbing to altitude very slowly. Not more than a min later, baton rouge departure informed me that my mode C indicated 7300'. This was 1300' higher than my assigned altitude of 6000'. Along with this information they inquired as to my altitude reading which I gave them as 4300', the altitude I read off of my altimeter. They also gave me the baton rouge local altimeter setting, which was almost the same as appeared in the window of my altimeter. As I moved the setting knob to adjust the one one-hundredth setting to match the number I had just received , the hands of the altimeter wound themselves wildly up and down. I moved the knob several additional times with the same result. While doing this, I leveled the plane. After moving the knob about 5 times in total the altimeter settled on an altitude and functioned normally. In addition, the number it settled on was 7300'. The same number that the mode C was indicating before departure asked me to stop altitude squawk. I descended to what the altimeter indicated to be 6000', and I timed the descent using the vsi and my watch. The time it took to descend to 6000' was the proper amount of time at a 500 FPM rate of descent. I turned the mode C back on and both the altimeter and the mode C were in concurrence for the duration of the flight. All dscnts were timed and every level off was confirmed and x-chked by use of the mode C and ctrs concurrence. In conclusion, I believe that the altimeter was just stuck. The flight concluded with a safe and uneventful landing in ruston. Upon landing I informed the renter of the problem and he had the altimeter removed and sent off for a static check. At present, I do not know the outcome, but in a few days from now, I expect that I will.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION AS ALTIMETER HANDS STICK ON CLIMB OUT.

Narrative: AFTER PERFORMING A PROPER PREFLT INSPECTION ON THE SMA I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC FROM BATON ROUGE TWR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE RUNUP AREA, AND AFTER COMPLETING THAT TASK, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC. THE CEILING WAS 500' IN BATON ROUGE, WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE CEILING IN RUSTON, LA, MY FINAL DEST. AS I BEGAN THE CLBOUT, I ENTERED THE CLOUDS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. SEVERAL MINS LATER I REMARKED TO MY PAX THAT THE PLANE WAS CLBING TO ALT VERY SLOWLY. NOT MORE THAN A MIN LATER, BATON ROUGE DEP INFORMED ME THAT MY MODE C INDICATED 7300'. THIS WAS 1300' HIGHER THAN MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000'. ALONG WITH THIS INFO THEY INQUIRED AS TO MY ALT READING WHICH I GAVE THEM AS 4300', THE ALT I READ OFF OF MY ALTIMETER. THEY ALSO GAVE ME THE BATON ROUGE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING, WHICH WAS ALMOST THE SAME AS APPEARED IN THE WINDOW OF MY ALTIMETER. AS I MOVED THE SETTING KNOB TO ADJUST THE ONE ONE-HUNDREDTH SETTING TO MATCH THE NUMBER I HAD JUST RECEIVED , THE HANDS OF THE ALTIMETER WOUND THEMSELVES WILDLY UP AND DOWN. I MOVED THE KNOB SEVERAL ADDITIONAL TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. WHILE DOING THIS, I LEVELED THE PLANE. AFTER MOVING THE KNOB ABOUT 5 TIMES IN TOTAL THE ALTIMETER SETTLED ON AN ALT AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. IN ADDITION, THE NUMBER IT SETTLED ON WAS 7300'. THE SAME NUMBER THAT THE MODE C WAS INDICATING BEFORE DEP ASKED ME TO STOP ALT SQUAWK. I DSNDED TO WHAT THE ALTIMETER INDICATED TO BE 6000', AND I TIMED THE DSNT USING THE VSI AND MY WATCH. THE TIME IT TOOK TO DSND TO 6000' WAS THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TIME AT A 500 FPM RATE OF DSNT. I TURNED THE MODE C BACK ON AND BOTH THE ALTIMETER AND THE MODE C WERE IN CONCURRENCE FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. ALL DSCNTS WERE TIMED AND EVERY LEVEL OFF WAS CONFIRMED AND X-CHKED BY USE OF THE MODE C AND CTRS CONCURRENCE. IN CONCLUSION, I BELIEVE THAT THE ALTIMETER WAS JUST STUCK. THE FLT CONCLUDED WITH A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN RUSTON. UPON LNDG I INFORMED THE RENTER OF THE PROB AND HE HAD THE ALTIMETER REMOVED AND SENT OFF FOR A STATIC CHK. AT PRESENT, I DO NOT KNOW THE OUTCOME, BUT IN A FEW DAYS FROM NOW, I EXPECT THAT I WILL.

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.