Narrative:

En route to adq, the first officer got WX from ena radio and copied an altimeter setting of 29.82. Just prior to descent, he picked up the adq ATIS. I was monitoring the #1 radio and did not hear the #2, on which the first officer got the ATIS. Passing FL180, the first officer called the transition, altimeters 28.82. I questioned that setting, and he recounted, stating the setting of 29.82. We executed the VOR runway 25 via the arc. Turning onto the inbound course, the minimum altitude is 800 ft, to which I started to descend. We had been in and out of clouds with a ragged ceiling and low light conditions. My focus was inside the cockpit. At about 1400 ft, out of the side of my eye, I noticed that the waves on the water looked awfully close. I looked out the window and got the immediate feeling something was horribly wrong. I told the first officer to verify altimeter setting, and tower came back with 28.84. We were actually at 400 ft, not 1400 ft! I added maximum power and climbed up to 800 ft and we continued to a landing on runway 36 without further incident. I thank god that conditions were not just a little worse, or there had been less light, because we would have descended into the water at 180 KTS. To help with this problem, only altimeter setting given which is less than 29.00 inches, should be read 'altimeter low, 28.xx.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT USING WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING ALMOST DSNDS INTO THE WATER DURING A VOR APCH.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ADQ, THE FO GOT WX FROM ENA RADIO AND COPIED AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.82. JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT, HE PICKED UP THE ADQ ATIS. I WAS MONITORING THE #1 RADIO AND DID NOT HEAR THE #2, ON WHICH THE FO GOT THE ATIS. PASSING FL180, THE FO CALLED THE TRANSITION, ALTIMETERS 28.82. I QUESTIONED THAT SETTING, AND HE RECOUNTED, STATING THE SETTING OF 29.82. WE EXECUTED THE VOR RWY 25 VIA THE ARC. TURNING ONTO THE INBOUND COURSE, THE MINIMUM ALT IS 800 FT, TO WHICH I STARTED TO DSND. WE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS WITH A RAGGED CEILING AND LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. MY FOCUS WAS INSIDE THE COCKPIT. AT ABOUT 1400 FT, OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY EYE, I NOTICED THAT THE WAVES ON THE WATER LOOKED AWFULLY CLOSE. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND GOT THE IMMEDIATE FEELING SOMETHING WAS HORRIBLY WRONG. I TOLD THE FO TO VERIFY ALTIMETER SETTING, AND TWR CAME BACK WITH 28.84. WE WERE ACTUALLY AT 400 FT, NOT 1400 FT! I ADDED MAX PWR AND CLBED UP TO 800 FT AND WE CONTINUED TO A LNDG ON RWY 36 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I THANK GOD THAT CONDITIONS WERE NOT JUST A LITTLE WORSE, OR THERE HAD BEEN LESS LIGHT, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE DSNDED INTO THE WATER AT 180 KTS. TO HELP WITH THIS PROB, ONLY ALTIMETER SETTING GIVEN WHICH IS LESS THAN 29.00 INCHES, SHOULD BE READ 'ALTIMETER LOW, 28.XX.'

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.