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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A corporate jet's flight crew failed to reset their altimeters on descent, and descended below the clearance altitude. ATC queried, and the flight crew detected their error when TCASII alerted.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 302508 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bdf |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12400 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zau |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 302508 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On apr/tue/95 I was flying captain on a flight which departed decatur, il (dec) about XA00 local, for chicago (ord). We had only been level at our cruising altitude of FL210 for a short time and were cleared direct plano intersection direct (ord) (plano was on our filed route). The pilot in the right seat was off the center frequency getting the ATIS when ZAU cleared us for a descent and asked us to look up the bradford arrival to (ord) and find the benky intersection. I read back the instructions and began the descent. A short time later the pilot in the right seat was back on center and searching for benky. Chicago then cleared us to cross benky at 13000 ft and gave us holding instructions at benky. We were rushing to get down, slow down and set the radios up for the hold. All appeared to be coming together just fine as we entered the hold. At this time center asked to verify we were level at 13000 ft - we confirmed. Shortly thereafter we got a traffic alert on TCASII. I could see an airliner in the distance that also appeared to be in the hold - according to TCASII at 500 ft below us. At this point I noticed the altimeters were still set at 29.92. I quickly corrected our altitude and set in the proper altimeter setting of 29.33. In the future I will be more careful to check the altimeter passing through FL180 and also to call for the descent checklist.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CORPORATE JET'S FLC FAILED TO RESET THEIR ALTIMETERS ON DSCNT, AND DSNDED BELOW THE CLRNC ALT. ATC QUERIED, AND THE FLC DETECTED THEIR ERROR WHEN TCASII ALERTED.
Narrative: ON APR/TUE/95 I WAS FLYING CAPT ON A FLT WHICH DEPARTED DECATUR, IL (DEC) ABOUT XA00 LCL, FOR CHICAGO (ORD). WE HAD ONLY BEEN LEVEL AT OUR CRUISING ALT OF FL210 FOR A SHORT TIME AND WERE CLRED DIRECT PLANO INTXN DIRECT (ORD) (PLANO WAS ON OUR FILED RTE). THE PLT IN THE R SEAT WAS OFF THE CTR FREQ GETTING THE ATIS WHEN ZAU CLRED US FOR A DSCNT AND ASKED US TO LOOK UP THE BRADFORD ARR TO (ORD) AND FIND THE BENKY INTXN. I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS AND BEGAN THE DSCNT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PLT IN THE R SEAT WAS BACK ON CTR AND SEARCHING FOR BENKY. CHICAGO THEN CLRED US TO CROSS BENKY AT 13000 FT AND GAVE US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT BENKY. WE WERE RUSHING TO GET DOWN, SLOW DOWN AND SET THE RADIOS UP FOR THE HOLD. ALL APPEARED TO BE COMING TOGETHER JUST FINE AS WE ENTERED THE HOLD. AT THIS TIME CTR ASKED TO VERIFY WE WERE LEVEL AT 13000 FT - WE CONFIRMED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE GOT A TFC ALERT ON TCASII. I COULD SEE AN AIRLINER IN THE DISTANCE THAT ALSO APPEARED TO BE IN THE HOLD - ACCORDING TO TCASII AT 500 FT BELOW US. AT THIS POINT I NOTICED THE ALTIMETERS WERE STILL SET AT 29.92. I QUICKLY CORRECTED OUR ALT AND SET IN THE PROPER ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.33. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL TO CHK THE ALTIMETER PASSING THROUGH FL180 AND ALSO TO CALL FOR THE DSCNT CHKLIST.
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.