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MD88 flight crew descends below cleared to altitude with wrong altitude setting. Crew had obtained altitude setting from ATIS prior to descent from FL180 with no other verification being made later. Flight crew distraction with arrival changes.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 364471 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : msp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2300 |
| ASRS Report | 364471 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 14 |
| ASRS Report | 364470 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
On arrival (kaspr 1) to msp, approach descended us to 7000 ft. After we leveled at 7000 ft, approach asked us our assigned altitude. We answered 7000 ft and we were level. They said we showed 6000 ft. They informed us the altimeter was 29.36. We had copied and set 30.36 off of ATIS (msp). We started to climb to 7000 ft, but approach descended us to 4000 ft. There, fortunately, had not been a conflict. We (I) had gotten 30.36 off of msp ATIS. Either it had been wrong, or I had misheard the altimeter. On the ground, the ATIS had already been changed, so we never determined which. Unfortunately, on our arrival into msp, ZMP had not given us an altimeter in our descent below 18000 ft. Since we had msp ATIS altimeter, we never questioned them for an altimeter, missing our chance to catch and correct the discrepancy. Getting an altimeter verification from center on descent, is a xchk on ATIS altimeter I will no longer forego. Supplemental information from acn 364470: my descent to 7000 ft was almost continuous with stepdowns assigned prior to or just as we reached our previously assigned altitude. An updated altimeter setting was not provided or requested when we were cleared below FL180. I believe we missed this opportunity to catch the wrong setting by preoccupation with simultaneous frequency change and/or one of two route changes at 'direct to' points closer in on the arrival being flown.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 FLC DSNDS BELOW CLRED TO ALT WITH WRONG ALT SETTING. CREW HAD OBTAINED ALT SETTING FROM ATIS PRIOR TO DSCNT FROM FL180 WITH NO OTHER VERIFICATION BEING MADE LATER. FLC DISTR WITH ARR CHANGES.
Narrative: ON ARR (KASPR 1) TO MSP, APCH DSNDED US TO 7000 FT. AFTER WE LEVELED AT 7000 FT, APCH ASKED US OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WE ANSWERED 7000 FT AND WE WERE LEVEL. THEY SAID WE SHOWED 6000 FT. THEY INFORMED US THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.36. WE HAD COPIED AND SET 30.36 OFF OF ATIS (MSP). WE STARTED TO CLB TO 7000 FT, BUT APCH DSNDED US TO 4000 FT. THERE, FORTUNATELY, HAD NOT BEEN A CONFLICT. WE (I) HAD GOTTEN 30.36 OFF OF MSP ATIS. EITHER IT HAD BEEN WRONG, OR I HAD MISHEARD THE ALTIMETER. ON THE GND, THE ATIS HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED, SO WE NEVER DETERMINED WHICH. UNFORTUNATELY, ON OUR ARR INTO MSP, ZMP HAD NOT GIVEN US AN ALTIMETER IN OUR DSCNT BELOW 18000 FT. SINCE WE HAD MSP ATIS ALTIMETER, WE NEVER QUESTIONED THEM FOR AN ALTIMETER, MISSING OUR CHANCE TO CATCH AND CORRECT THE DISCREPANCY. GETTING AN ALTIMETER VERIFICATION FROM CTR ON DSCNT, IS A XCHK ON ATIS ALTIMETER I WILL NO LONGER FOREGO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 364470: MY DSCNT TO 7000 FT WAS ALMOST CONTINUOUS WITH STEPDOWNS ASSIGNED PRIOR TO OR JUST AS WE REACHED OUR PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT. AN UPDATED ALTIMETER SETTING WAS NOT PROVIDED OR REQUESTED WHEN WE WERE CLRED BELOW FL180. I BELIEVE WE MISSED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH THE WRONG SETTING BY PREOCCUPATION WITH SIMULTANEOUS FREQ CHANGE AND/OR ONE OF TWO RTE CHANGES AT 'DIRECT TO' POINTS CLOSER IN ON THE ARR BEING FLOWN.
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.