BE58P aircraft with 1 altimeter. Reporter captain (safety pilot) reports the altimeter was difficult to see from his right seat and the other pilot misset it by 1000 ft too high. Consequently, they leveled off 1000 ft too low on initial cruise altitude assigned. Approach controller questioned the altitude, flight crew reset altimeter and climbed to correct altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	363110
Time
Date	199703
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psm
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mnt tower : abi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mht enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	363110
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

With wrong altimeter subscale set, aircraft leveled off at an altitude which was 1000 ft in error. I was acting as a safety pilot. With only 1 altimeter in the aircraft, which was of the type with 1 pointer only for 100's of ft and a counter to register 1000's of ft, I failed to notice that on the ground, the altimeter had been set to read 1100 ft instead of 100 ft. Had I been more observant, I would have noticed the 1000 ft error or had I leaned across the cockpit to confirm what subscale setting was being used. Manchester approach asked us to confirm our altitude and then to confirm altimeter setting. With correct setting set, aircraft was climbed an additional 1000 ft to conform to cleared altitude as per the clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58P ACFT WITH 1 ALTIMETER. RPTR CAPT (SAFETY PLT) RPTS THE ALTIMETER WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM HIS R SEAT AND THE OTHER PLT MISSET IT BY 1000 FT TOO HIGH. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY LEVELED OFF 1000 FT TOO LOW ON INITIAL CRUISE ALT ASSIGNED. APCH CTLR QUESTIONED THE ALT, FLC RESET ALTIMETER AND CLBED TO CORRECT ALT.

Narrative: WITH WRONG ALTIMETER SUBSCALE SET, ACFT LEVELED OFF AT AN ALT WHICH WAS 1000 FT IN ERROR. I WAS ACTING AS A SAFETY PLT. WITH ONLY 1 ALTIMETER IN THE ACFT, WHICH WAS OF THE TYPE WITH 1 POINTER ONLY FOR 100'S OF FT AND A COUNTER TO REGISTER 1000'S OF FT, I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT ON THE GND, THE ALTIMETER HAD BEEN SET TO READ 1100 FT INSTEAD OF 100 FT. HAD I BEEN MORE OBSERVANT, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE 1000 FT ERROR OR HAD I LEANED ACROSS THE COCKPIT TO CONFIRM WHAT SUBSCALE SETTING WAS BEING USED. MANCHESTER APCH ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT AND THEN TO CONFIRM ALTIMETER SETTING. WITH CORRECT SETTING SET, ACFT WAS CLBED AN ADDITIONAL 1000 FT TO CONFORM TO CLRED ALT AS PER THE CLRNC.

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.