Narrative:

First officer flying. Cleared to cross 45 mi southwest ord at 11000 ft. Checklist through 18000 ft was not run until leveloff. Wrong altimeter setting in main altimeter and leveled off below 11000 ft. Climbed back to 11000 ft and approach gave clearance to 9000 ft with no comment as to our deviation. The rest of the flight was operations normal. Reason for distraction was ACARS message with printout on bottom showing crew going to roc when it was meant for the deadheading crew. Captain diverted attention to resolving miscellaneous message and first officer concerned about crossing restr and thunderstorms. Recommend that miscellaneous printouts in future not show deadheading crew gate information unless in true message format. We were confused as to whom the message was for and diverted our attention at the wrong time. Supplemental information from acn 302249: descent into ord, copied ATIS altimeter 29.39 inches. At FL180 controller gave us new altimeter of garbled 41. At the same time was entering the changeover in ACARS. I mistakenly entered 30.41 inches and we reset our altimeters to 30.41 inches. At leveloff, 11000 ft, I realized my mistake. We rechked altimeter with ATC, reset ours and returned to 11000 ft. No conflict noted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CONFUSING ACARS MESSAGE DISTRACTED A SUPER 80 FLC. THE CHKLIST PERFORMANCE WAS DELAYED, AND ALTIMETER WAS SET TO WRONG SETTING.

Narrative: FO FLYING. CLRED TO CROSS 45 MI SW ORD AT 11000 FT. CHKLIST THROUGH 18000 FT WAS NOT RUN UNTIL LEVELOFF. WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING IN MAIN ALTIMETER AND LEVELED OFF BELOW 11000 FT. CLBED BACK TO 11000 FT AND APCH GAVE CLRNC TO 9000 FT WITH NO COMMENT AS TO OUR DEV. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS OPS NORMAL. REASON FOR DISTR WAS ACARS MESSAGE WITH PRINTOUT ON BOTTOM SHOWING CREW GOING TO ROC WHEN IT WAS MEANT FOR THE DEADHEADING CREW. CAPT DIVERTED ATTN TO RESOLVING MISC MESSAGE AND FO CONCERNED ABOUT XING RESTR AND TSTMS. RECOMMEND THAT MISC PRINTOUTS IN FUTURE NOT SHOW DEADHEADING CREW GATE INFO UNLESS IN TRUE MESSAGE FORMAT. WE WERE CONFUSED AS TO WHOM THE MESSAGE WAS FOR AND DIVERTED OUR ATTN AT THE WRONG TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302249: DSCNT INTO ORD, COPIED ATIS ALTIMETER 29.39 INCHES. AT FL180 CTLR GAVE US NEW ALTIMETER OF GARBLED 41. AT THE SAME TIME WAS ENTERING THE CHANGEOVER IN ACARS. I MISTAKENLY ENTERED 30.41 INCHES AND WE RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 30.41 INCHES. AT LEVELOFF, 11000 FT, I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. WE RECHKED ALTIMETER WITH ATC, RESET OURS AND RETURNED TO 11000 FT. NO CONFLICT NOTED.

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.