Flight crew descending to 16000 ft overshot to 15500 ft due to wrong altimeter setting of 29 pt 92.

Attributes
ACN	393160
Time
Date	199802
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fmg
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : ztl
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 other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	393160
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cruising at FL260, cleared to descend to 16000 ft on altimeter 29.45. ATIS from rno was unreadable until descent phase because of high terrain (sierra's). New captain in left seat on IOE. Line check airman in right seat acting as first officer. New captain had never been into rno before, was very aware of terrain and special engine out procedures. After receiving descent clearance and altimeter setting, captain puts new altimeter in standby altimeter as a reminder, two normal altimeters (captain and first officer's) remain at 29.92. Briefing of approach begins after ATIS received (no data link ATIS available) while descending. Briefing takes longer than average because of involved terrain and missed approach considerations. Briefing is completed as aircraft levels at 16000 ft. ZOA calls with clearance to 15000 ft. Crew reads back for confirmation. ZOA confirms 15000 ft and asks for present altitude. Crew reports 16000 ft descending now to 15000 ft. ZOA reports he is showing our altitude at 15500 ft. Both captain and first officer had failed to reset altimeters, passing through FL180. No conflict existed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DSNDING TO 16000 FT OVERSHOT TO 15500 FT DUE TO WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29 PT 92.

Narrative: CRUISING AT FL260, CLRED TO DSND TO 16000 FT ON ALTIMETER 29.45. ATIS FROM RNO WAS UNREADABLE UNTIL DSCNT PHASE BECAUSE OF HIGH TERRAIN (SIERRA'S). NEW CAPT IN L SEAT ON IOE. LINE CHK AIRMAN IN R SEAT ACTING AS FO. NEW CAPT HAD NEVER BEEN INTO RNO BEFORE, WAS VERY AWARE OF TERRAIN AND SPECIAL ENG OUT PROCS. AFTER RECEIVING DSCNT CLRNC AND ALTIMETER SETTING, CAPT PUTS NEW ALTIMETER IN STANDBY ALTIMETER AS A REMINDER, TWO NORMAL ALTIMETERS (CAPT AND FO'S) REMAIN AT 29.92. BRIEFING OF APCH BEGINS AFTER ATIS RECEIVED (NO DATA LINK ATIS AVAILABLE) WHILE DSNDING. BRIEFING TAKES LONGER THAN AVERAGE BECAUSE OF INVOLVED TERRAIN AND MISSED APCH CONSIDERATIONS. BRIEFING IS COMPLETED AS ACFT LEVELS AT 16000 FT. ZOA CALLS WITH CLRNC TO 15000 FT. CREW READS BACK FOR CONFIRMATION. ZOA CONFIRMS 15000 FT AND ASKS FOR PRESENT ALT. CREW RPTS 16000 FT DSNDING NOW TO 15000 FT. ZOA RPTS HE IS SHOWING OUR ALT AT 15500 FT. BOTH CAPT AND FO HAD FAILED TO RESET ALTIMETERS, PASSING THROUGH FL180. NO CONFLICT EXISTED.

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.