ATC advised flight crew of change to ATIS information including the new altimeter setting. That happened to coincide with the reporter flight number. He says that the novelty of the altimeter setting matching his call sign distracted him and apparently failed to reset the altitude correctly. After landing and noting their aircraft was showing 200 ft high, reporter recognized the serious potential that not setting the correct altitude could have.

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Attributes
ACN	333860
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 10800 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	333860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During lda approach ATC called with a change in the ATIS. The ceiling and visibility were slightly better and the altimeter rose from xx.xx to yy.yy. It happened that my flight number was YYYY. It (the altimeter setting) was read back as 'yy.yy for YYYY.' I thought it was my day for the lottery! Crossing skirt I noticed we were higher according to my altimeter than we should be and xrefed my radar altimeter. We then got ground references and then the runway. On the runway we were reading 200 ft high! Had the WX been worse it could have been nasty. The altimeter settings had been fluctuating all day and the novelty of the call sign and setting being a match distracted me enough that I didn't question it. I thought the possible outcome of this warranted a comment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC ADVISED FLC OF CHANGE TO ATIS INFO INCLUDING THE NEW ALTIMETER SETTING. THAT HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH THE RPTR FLT NUMBER. HE SAYS THAT THE NOVELTY OF THE ALTIMETER SETTING MATCHING HIS CALL SIGN DISTRACTED HIM AND APPARENTLY FAILED TO RESET THE ALT CORRECTLY. AFTER LNDG AND NOTING THEIR ACFT WAS SHOWING 200 FT HIGH, RPTR RECOGNIZED THE SERIOUS POTENTIAL THAT NOT SETTING THE CORRECT ALT COULD HAVE.

Narrative: DURING LDA APCH ATC CALLED WITH A CHANGE IN THE ATIS. THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY WERE SLIGHTLY BETTER AND THE ALTIMETER ROSE FROM XX.XX TO YY.YY. IT HAPPENED THAT MY FLT NUMBER WAS YYYY. IT (THE ALTIMETER SETTING) WAS READ BACK AS 'YY.YY FOR YYYY.' I THOUGHT IT WAS MY DAY FOR THE LOTTERY! XING SKIRT I NOTICED WE WERE HIGHER ACCORDING TO MY ALTIMETER THAN WE SHOULD BE AND XREFED MY RADAR ALTIMETER. WE THEN GOT GND REFS AND THEN THE RWY. ON THE RWY WE WERE READING 200 FT HIGH! HAD THE WX BEEN WORSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN NASTY. THE ALTIMETER SETTINGS HAD BEEN FLUCTUATING ALL DAY AND THE NOVELTY OF THE CALL SIGN AND SETTING BEING A MATCH DISTRACTED ME ENOUGH THAT I DIDN'T QUESTION IT. I THOUGHT THE POSSIBLE OUTCOME OF THIS WARRANTED A COMMENT.

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.