Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	295619
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16700 msl bound upper : 17000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	295619
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	295865
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just before we began descent, the #1 flight attendant brought up dinner for both of us at the same time. Started descent as started eating. Because of distraction we failed to reset altimeters at 18000 ft. Descended to 17000 ft with wrong altimeter setting. Resulted in leveloff 300 ft below assigned altitude. Received TA of traffic at 16000 ft. Controller suggested that we reset altimeters. No further action was taken. Altitude correction was initiated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: JUST BEFORE WE BEGAN DSCNT, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT UP DINNER FOR BOTH OF US AT THE SAME TIME. STARTED DSCNT AS STARTED EATING. BECAUSE OF DISTR WE FAILED TO RESET ALTIMETERS AT 18000 FT. DSNDED TO 17000 FT WITH WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING. RESULTED IN LEVELOFF 300 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. RECEIVED TA OF TFC AT 16000 FT. CTLR SUGGESTED THAT WE RESET ALTIMETERS. NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN. ALT CORRECTION WAS INITIATED.

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.