Narrative:

Descending for arrival at anc, cleared to 10000 ft MSL, local altimeter 28.46 inches. After passing 18000 ft, initiated in-range checklist, which was interrupted by zan asking us to contact another air carrier flight on another frequency. This writer, the captain and PNF, tuned the other frequency in the #2 radio. It was a different frequency from the one zan requested we advise the air carrier to call them on, resulting in some additional conversation with ATC and within the cockpit. We could hear the air carrier talking with another aircraft. When appropriate, I interjected in the conversation to relay the message to contact zan on the requested frequency 10 mins from the time of our conversation. The air carrier acknowledged and I switched back to the zan frequency assigned to our flight. At that time we were leveling at 10000 ft. Zan called to advise that they were reading mode C as 8800 ft instead of the 10000 ft assigned. We quickly discovered that we had not completed the in-range checklist far enough to have reset the altimeters to the local setting, 28.46 inches, which was low enough to cause us to be 1200 ft low. We reset and climbed back to 10000 ft. No traffic conflicts occurred that we were aware of. We continued to anc landing on runway 6R. Supplemental information from acn 327230: when we did reset the altimeters we were in fact low and not at our assigned altitude. At this time the controller gave us another altitude assignment of 7000 ft. We at this time were reaching approximately 14 hours of duty time. We had started our flight out of tyn, china, with a stop in pek and experienced delays at both locations. Adding to the fatigue factor was the difficult nature of the flight over chinese and russian airspace, that required us to use metric altitudes and we experienced difficulty understanding the controller's language. I allowed myself to be distracted by the controller's request to help get the other air carrier flight over to the right frequency. I believe that the other crew members were also distracted because nobody called for the in-range checklist. It was my duty to do this as the PF but our procedures call for the other crew members to call for the checklist if it is omitted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING DSCNT A DC10-30 FLC FORGOT TO RESET ALTIMETERS RESULTING IN A 1200 FT TO 1600 FT ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT DURING DSCNT. THE FLC HAD BECOME DISTRACTED BY A CTLR'S REQUEST TO CONTACT ANOTHER ACFT WHILE THEY WERE COMPLETING THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST.

Narrative: DSNDING FOR ARR AT ANC, CLRED TO 10000 FT MSL, LCL ALTIMETER 28.46 INCHES. AFTER PASSING 18000 FT, INITIATED IN-RANGE CHKLIST, WHICH WAS INTERRUPTED BY ZAN ASKING US TO CONTACT ANOTHER ACR FLT ON ANOTHER FREQ. THIS WRITER, THE CAPT AND PNF, TUNED THE OTHER FREQ IN THE #2 RADIO. IT WAS A DIFFERENT FREQ FROM THE ONE ZAN REQUESTED WE ADVISE THE ACR TO CALL THEM ON, RESULTING IN SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION WITH ATC AND WITHIN THE COCKPIT. WE COULD HEAR THE ACR TALKING WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN APPROPRIATE, I INTERJECTED IN THE CONVERSATION TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO CONTACT ZAN ON THE REQUESTED FREQ 10 MINS FROM THE TIME OF OUR CONVERSATION. THE ACR ACKNOWLEDGED AND I SWITCHED BACK TO THE ZAN FREQ ASSIGNED TO OUR FLT. AT THAT TIME WE WERE LEVELING AT 10000 FT. ZAN CALLED TO ADVISE THAT THEY WERE READING MODE C AS 8800 FT INSTEAD OF THE 10000 FT ASSIGNED. WE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD NOT COMPLETED THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST FAR ENOUGH TO HAVE RESET THE ALTIMETERS TO THE LCL SETTING, 28.46 INCHES, WHICH WAS LOW ENOUGH TO CAUSE US TO BE 1200 FT LOW. WE RESET AND CLBED BACK TO 10000 FT. NO TFC CONFLICTS OCCURRED THAT WE WERE AWARE OF. WE CONTINUED TO ANC LNDG ON RWY 6R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 327230: WHEN WE DID RESET THE ALTIMETERS WE WERE IN FACT LOW AND NOT AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT. AT THIS TIME THE CTLR GAVE US ANOTHER ALT ASSIGNMENT OF 7000 FT. WE AT THIS TIME WERE REACHING APPROX 14 HRS OF DUTY TIME. WE HAD STARTED OUR FLT OUT OF TYN, CHINA, WITH A STOP IN PEK AND EXPERIENCED DELAYS AT BOTH LOCATIONS. ADDING TO THE FATIGUE FACTOR WAS THE DIFFICULT NATURE OF THE FLT OVER CHINESE AND RUSSIAN AIRSPACE, THAT REQUIRED US TO USE METRIC ALTS AND WE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR'S LANGUAGE. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE CTLR'S REQUEST TO HELP GET THE OTHER ACR FLT OVER TO THE RIGHT FREQ. I BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS WERE ALSO DISTRACTED BECAUSE NOBODY CALLED FOR THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST. IT WAS MY DUTY TO DO THIS AS THE PF BUT OUR PROCS CALL FOR THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS TO CALL FOR THE CHKLIST IF IT IS OMITTED.

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.