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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Wrong altimeter setting places air carrier medium large transport in position of jeopardy in descent towards occupied altitude. TCASII RA saves the day and prevents near midair collision. Evasive action climb.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 234397 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : air airport : pit |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15800 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 234397 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 234566 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Valuable lesson learned and TCASII works. We were flying flight from iah to pit. A major WX system was moving through the eastern part of the united states. While descending for pit, we were given holding instructions from a busy controller at ZOB. Pit had a thunderstorm on the field with golf ball size hail. Our holding instructions were given along with a descent to 16000 ft along with an altimeter setting. I was the PNF and wrote down this information. I misread the altimeter setting and wrote down just '.34' on my scratch pad in my haste to copy all the information. I then read back all the information to center. I am pretty sure I read back the altimeter as 30.34. However, in reality, it was 29.34. As we were approaching our holding fix and descending through 17000, our TCASII called a TA. This aircraft was obviously also in a hold, also at what appeared to be 16000 ft. The TCASII then changed to an RA. We followed TCASII commands and leveled off. The other aircraft passed and we started asking center 'what was going on?' it took a min or so to realize who was wrong. We were 1000 ft lower than our altimeters showed. I will never again just write down .34 and then assume it must be 30.34, no matter how much information there is to copy down!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING PLACES ACR MLG IN POS OF JEOPARDY IN DSCNT TOWARDS OCCUPIED ALT. TCASII RA SAVES THE DAY AND PREVENTS NMAC. EVASIVE ACTION CLB.
Narrative: VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED AND TCASII WORKS. WE WERE FLYING FLT FROM IAH TO PIT. A MAJOR WX SYS WAS MOVING THROUGH THE EASTERN PART OF THE UNITED STATES. WHILE DSNDING FOR PIT, WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS FROM A BUSY CTLR AT ZOB. PIT HAD A TSTM ON THE FIELD WITH GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. OUR HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN ALONG WITH A DSCNT TO 16000 FT ALONG WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING. I WAS THE PNF AND WROTE DOWN THIS INFO. I MISREAD THE ALTIMETER SETTING AND WROTE DOWN JUST '.34' ON MY SCRATCH PAD IN MY HASTE TO COPY ALL THE INFO. I THEN READ BACK ALL THE INFO TO CTR. I AM PRETTY SURE I READ BACK THE ALTIMETER AS 30.34. HOWEVER, IN REALITY, IT WAS 29.34. AS WE WERE APCHING OUR HOLDING FIX AND DSNDING THROUGH 17000, OUR TCASII CALLED A TA. THIS ACFT WAS OBVIOUSLY ALSO IN A HOLD, ALSO AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE 16000 FT. THE TCASII THEN CHANGED TO AN RA. WE FOLLOWED TCASII COMMANDS AND LEVELED OFF. THE OTHER ACFT PASSED AND WE STARTED ASKING CTR 'WHAT WAS GOING ON?' IT TOOK A MIN OR SO TO REALIZE WHO WAS WRONG. WE WERE 1000 FT LOWER THAN OUR ALTIMETERS SHOWED. I WILL NEVER AGAIN JUST WRITE DOWN .34 AND THEN ASSUME IT MUST BE 30.34, NO MATTER HOW MUCH INFO THERE IS TO COPY DOWN!
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.