Air carrier aircraft has captain altim fail resulting in altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	196320
Time
Date	199112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : anc
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	196320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Captain altimeter (lh) (electric) failed during flight causing altitude variance of plus 500 ft from cruise altitude (22000). This also disabled altitude alert. Variance was noticed by pilot in right hand seat and corrected. Balance of flight into anchorage was completed with right hand altimeter and xchk with center from mode C read out. This altimeter system is inherently dangerous for transport category.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT HAS CAPT ALTIM FAIL RESULTING IN ALTDEV.

Narrative: CAPT ALTIMETER (LH) (ELECTRIC) FAILED DURING FLT CAUSING ALT VARIANCE OF PLUS 500 FT FROM CRUISE ALT (22000). THIS ALSO DISABLED ALT ALERT. VARIANCE WAS NOTICED BY PLT IN R HAND SEAT AND CORRECTED. BAL OF FLT INTO ANCHORAGE WAS COMPLETED WITH R HAND ALTIMETER AND XCHK WITH CENTER FROM MODE C READ OUT. THIS ALTIMETER SYS IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS FOR TRANSPORT CATEGORY.

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.