Narrative:

We were descending to 6000 ft on a west heading. We were expecting the VOR approach to newburgh and had that set up. We were then given the ILS approach and we were busy setting that up. I called '7000 for 6000'. I was tuning in the NDB and having some difficulty receiving it. We have the old style NDB, where you have to tune the station in. It was very hazy, so I was also looking for traffic quite a bit. We have TCASII and I was also looking at that for targets. As per our company procedures, we had converted the captain's and first officer's altimeters over so that they would read 0 when we landed. The center altimeter was now where we would pick up the MSL altitude, which is not in the normal scan of instruments. I noticed we were 200 ft below our altitude. I pointed to the center altimeter and said '6000 ft'. The captain said 'oh, 6000 ft'. He added power and pulled back on the yoke. The ivsi was on an upward swing towards 0. Since we were low, I was really looking out for traffic now. The altitude dipped a little lower with the downward momentum. The captain also hesitated a little bit and I called out 6000 ft again and he started back up to 6000 ft. The controller reported 'traffic at 2 O'clock, 3 mi at 5000 ft', and gave us a turn to 150. He asked us our altitude and we were level at 6000 ft by this time. We never got to a 150 heading before he turned us back to a 270 heading. The other aircraft had altitude reporting capability and we never received a TA on TCASII. I think the contributing factors were: when the altitude alert went off, it makes the same sound if you are 200-300 ft off your altitude as it does for a warning that you have 700 ft to go. I think when it went off the captain at first thought we had 700 ft to go. I think there may have also been some confusion with the 2 different altimeters. Contributing factors on my part were: the old style NDB requiring too much attention and time spent on it, the hazy conditions requiring a constant vigilance for traffic, and having to pick up the MSL altitude from the center altimeter, out of the normal scan. Other contributing factors were: none of us had been to newburgh before and we had also been on duty for 10 hours and we were tired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEV BY FLC OF LGT ON APCH TO NEWBURGH, NY.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING TO 6000 FT ON A W HDG. WE WERE EXPECTING THE VOR APCH TO NEWBURGH AND HAD THAT SET UP. WE WERE THEN GIVEN THE ILS APCH AND WE WERE BUSY SETTING THAT UP. I CALLED '7000 FOR 6000'. I WAS TUNING IN THE NDB AND HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY RECEIVING IT. WE HAVE THE OLD STYLE NDB, WHERE YOU HAVE TO TUNE THE STATION IN. IT WAS VERY HAZY, SO I WAS ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC QUITE A BIT. WE HAVE TCASII AND I WAS ALSO LOOKING AT THAT FOR TARGETS. AS PER OUR COMPANY PROCS, WE HAD CONVERTED THE CAPT'S AND FO'S ALTIMETERS OVER SO THAT THEY WOULD READ 0 WHEN WE LANDED. THE CENTER ALTIMETER WAS NOW WHERE WE WOULD PICK UP THE MSL ALT, WHICH IS NOT IN THE NORMAL SCAN OF INSTS. I NOTICED WE WERE 200 FT BELOW OUR ALT. I POINTED TO THE CENTER ALTIMETER AND SAID '6000 FT'. THE CAPT SAID 'OH, 6000 FT'. HE ADDED PWR AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE. THE IVSI WAS ON AN UPWARD SWING TOWARDS 0. SINCE WE WERE LOW, I WAS REALLY LOOKING OUT FOR TFC NOW. THE ALT DIPPED A LITTLE LOWER WITH THE DOWNWARD MOMENTUM. THE CAPT ALSO HESITATED A LITTLE BIT AND I CALLED OUT 6000 FT AGAIN AND HE STARTED BACK UP TO 6000 FT. THE CTLR RPTED 'TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK, 3 MI AT 5000 FT', AND GAVE US A TURN TO 150. HE ASKED US OUR ALT AND WE WERE LEVEL AT 6000 FT BY THIS TIME. WE NEVER GOT TO A 150 HDG BEFORE HE TURNED US BACK TO A 270 HDG. THE OTHER ACFT HAD ALT RPTING CAPABILITY AND WE NEVER RECEIVED A TA ON TCASII. I THINK THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: WHEN THE ALT ALERT WENT OFF, IT MAKES THE SAME SOUND IF YOU ARE 200-300 FT OFF YOUR ALT AS IT DOES FOR A WARNING THAT YOU HAVE 700 FT TO GO. I THINK WHEN IT WENT OFF THE CAPT AT FIRST THOUGHT WE HAD 700 FT TO GO. I THINK THERE MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME CONFUSION WITH THE 2 DIFFERENT ALTIMETERS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ON MY PART WERE: THE OLD STYLE NDB REQUIRING TOO MUCH ATTN AND TIME SPENT ON IT, THE HAZY CONDITIONS REQUIRING A CONSTANT VIGILANCE FOR TFC, AND HAVING TO PICK UP THE MSL ALT FROM THE CENTER ALTIMETER, OUT OF THE NORMAL SCAN. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: NONE OF US HAD BEEN TO NEWBURGH BEFORE AND WE HAD ALSO BEEN ON DUTY FOR 10 HRS AND WE WERE TIRED.

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.