Wrong altimeter setting.

Attributes
ACN	292718
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 700 msl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tracon : sfo tower : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	292718
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was the last leg of a long 3 day trip with all night flight on first day. I had flown with the captain before and knew him to be highly competent. On this trip he was a little out of sorts and 'short' with the crew. We were inbound to sfo from pit, I was flying the aircraft. As is procedure, captain went off frequency at about 22000 ft to get ATIS and I flew and monitored the other radio with ATC. Captain came back on frequency and we ran 'preliminary checklist,' xchking altimeters at 30.22. This seemed a little odd to me at the time as sfo had a low front moving through, but we were busy and I did not press the issue. We were handed over to bay approach (I do not remember hearing an altimeter setting from center or bay, although I try to xchk altimeter with their call). Sfo was 2700 ft broken, 12 mi visibility and although the wind was 020 degrees, 18 KTS, they were landing on runway 10L&right. The only approach for these runways is a VOR-B with minimums of 1020 ft for our aircraft. We were given extensive vectors and slow-downs. Once on approach everything was normal until just before FAF when we broke out of the clouds and a ridge was looking very close. At same time approach or tower asked if we had turned off our transponder. Also GPWS went off as we passed over ridge. I checked our altitude and we were right on profile. Added power and climbed 200-300 ft to eliminate GPWS. Runway was in sight the whole time. I had captain check altitude with tower. Altimeter actually 29.22 not 30.22, putting us approximately 1000 ft too low on approach. We reset altimeter, held altitude until normal descent path and landed. Captain apologized for getting wrong altimeter setting. Know of no way to prevent this except listen up when altimeter given by ATC or have both crewmembers get ATIS. What surprises me is that we were level at 8000 ft and 10000 ft for long periods of time and approach did not question our being off altitude by about 1000 ft. I would suggest stressing to FAA the importance of saying the ATIS slowly and distinctly. I have heard many ATIS given in rapid fire fashion. Also, crew concerns about reduced fuel and fatigue could have contributed to this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A LONG 3 DAY TRIP WITH ALL NIGHT FLT ON FIRST DAY. I HAD FLOWN WITH THE CAPT BEFORE AND KNEW HIM TO BE HIGHLY COMPETENT. ON THIS TRIP HE WAS A LITTLE OUT OF SORTS AND 'SHORT' WITH THE CREW. WE WERE INBOUND TO SFO FROM PIT, I WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AS IS PROC, CAPT WENT OFF FREQ AT ABOUT 22000 FT TO GET ATIS AND I FLEW AND MONITORED THE OTHER RADIO WITH ATC. CAPT CAME BACK ON FREQ AND WE RAN 'PRELIMINARY CHKLIST,' XCHKING ALTIMETERS AT 30.22. THIS SEEMED A LITTLE ODD TO ME AT THE TIME AS SFO HAD A LOW FRONT MOVING THROUGH, BUT WE WERE BUSY AND I DID NOT PRESS THE ISSUE. WE WERE HANDED OVER TO BAY APCH (I DO NOT REMEMBER HEARING AN ALTIMETER SETTING FROM CTR OR BAY, ALTHOUGH I TRY TO XCHK ALTIMETER WITH THEIR CALL). SFO WAS 2700 FT BROKEN, 12 MI VISIBILITY AND ALTHOUGH THE WIND WAS 020 DEGS, 18 KTS, THEY WERE LNDG ON RWY 10L&R. THE ONLY APCH FOR THESE RWYS IS A VOR-B WITH MINIMUMS OF 1020 FT FOR OUR ACFT. WE WERE GIVEN EXTENSIVE VECTORS AND SLOW-DOWNS. ONCE ON APCH EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL JUST BEFORE FAF WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND A RIDGE WAS LOOKING VERY CLOSE. AT SAME TIME APCH OR TWR ASKED IF WE HAD TURNED OFF OUR XPONDER. ALSO GPWS WENT OFF AS WE PASSED OVER RIDGE. I CHKED OUR ALT AND WE WERE RIGHT ON PROFILE. ADDED PWR AND CLBED 200-300 FT TO ELIMINATE GPWS. RWY WAS IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. I HAD CAPT CHK ALT WITH TWR. ALTIMETER ACTUALLY 29.22 NOT 30.22, PUTTING US APPROX 1000 FT TOO LOW ON APCH. WE RESET ALTIMETER, HELD ALT UNTIL NORMAL DSCNT PATH AND LANDED. CAPT APOLOGIZED FOR GETTING WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING. KNOW OF NO WAY TO PREVENT THIS EXCEPT LISTEN UP WHEN ALTIMETER GIVEN BY ATC OR HAVE BOTH CREWMEMBERS GET ATIS. WHAT SURPRISES ME IS THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT AND 10000 FT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND APCH DID NOT QUESTION OUR BEING OFF ALT BY ABOUT 1000 FT. I WOULD SUGGEST STRESSING TO FAA THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING THE ATIS SLOWLY AND DISTINCTLY. I HAVE HEARD MANY ATIS GIVEN IN RAPID FIRE FASHION. ALSO, CREW CONCERNS ABOUT REDUCED FUEL AND FATIGUE COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.

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.