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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Wrong altimeter setting. Reporter captain didn't check setting against field elevation prior to departure. Leveled 700 ft high from assigned altitude, ATC intervened, provided correct setting and flight crew returned to assigned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 330500 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ctr |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : poc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zbw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 330500 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
WX at departure airport (owd) severe clear VFR at dusk, got ATIS. Altimeter had been very low previous day (29.82 I believe) and had gone extremely high next. ATIS reported altitude setting and I 'cranked it' way up. I apparently set 30.37 instead of actual 30.87! I mistook the .37 for .87, but didn't catch it because I hadn't checked the altimeter's altitude readout against field elevation! A simple glance would have caught error, but being 'severe clear' and late sunday night too, I skipped a lot of our predep IFR checklist, which demands such a simple xchk. Upon leveling at '14000 ft' ATC informed me of altitude setting and indicated he showed us at '14700 ft.' I dialed in correct altitude and ATC was (nearly) right, and I immediately descended. Moral: I'll always use all checklists, they take 30 seconds to a min tops. What's the rush? I'm not so 'professional' that every correct action just effortlessly exudes from my pores! I've had good training, that's not my excuse. It kind of scares me how complacency can sneak in unseen until something happens. This was, thankfully, a minor incident. I can thoroughly understand how a minor oversight could lead to a much worse scenario.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING. RPTR CAPT DIDN'T CHK SETTING AGAINST FIELD ELEVATION PRIOR TO DEP. LEVELED 700 FT HIGH FROM ASSIGNED ALT, ATC INTERVENED, PROVIDED CORRECT SETTING AND FLC RETURNED TO ASSIGNED.
Narrative: WX AT DEP ARPT (OWD) SEVERE CLR VFR AT DUSK, GOT ATIS. ALTIMETER HAD BEEN VERY LOW PREVIOUS DAY (29.82 I BELIEVE) AND HAD GONE EXTREMELY HIGH NEXT. ATIS RPTED ALT SETTING AND I 'CRANKED IT' WAY UP. I APPARENTLY SET 30.37 INSTEAD OF ACTUAL 30.87! I MISTOOK THE .37 FOR .87, BUT DIDN'T CATCH IT BECAUSE I HADN'T CHKED THE ALTIMETER'S ALT READOUT AGAINST FIELD ELEVATION! A SIMPLE GLANCE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ERROR, BUT BEING 'SEVERE CLR' AND LATE SUNDAY NIGHT TOO, I SKIPPED A LOT OF OUR PREDEP IFR CHKLIST, WHICH DEMANDS SUCH A SIMPLE XCHK. UPON LEVELING AT '14000 FT' ATC INFORMED ME OF ALT SETTING AND INDICATED HE SHOWED US AT '14700 FT.' I DIALED IN CORRECT ALT AND ATC WAS (NEARLY) RIGHT, AND I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED. MORAL: I'LL ALWAYS USE ALL CHKLISTS, THEY TAKE 30 SECONDS TO A MIN TOPS. WHAT'S THE RUSH? I'M NOT SO 'PROFESSIONAL' THAT EVERY CORRECT ACTION JUST EFFORTLESSLY EXUDES FROM MY PORES! I'VE HAD GOOD TRAINING, THAT'S NOT MY EXCUSE. IT KIND OF SCARES ME HOW COMPLACENCY CAN SNEAK IN UNSEEN UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. THIS WAS, THANKFULLY, A MINOR INCIDENT. I CAN THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND HOW A MINOR OVERSIGHT COULD LEAD TO A MUCH WORSE SCENARIO.
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.