A descending B767-300 flight crew sets the wrong millibars in their altimeters and descends 800 ft b...

Attributes
ACN	407413
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mow
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 900 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mow
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 17514 flight time type : 840
ASRS Report	407413
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	407404
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

During descent the moscow airport ATIS was copied and understood to include the QFE altimeter setting of 0996 MB. When switched to final approach control with descent out of 'meters standard' to meters, QFE was heard to be and repeated back to approach as 0996 MB. During descent, approach said 'stop descent.' that caused us to check altitude readouts. We had already leveled off at our assigned altitude as indicated by our altimeters. We realized that we were approximately 800 ft too low according to our radar altimeters. We were on the localizer, level below the GS, intercepted the GS and landed. We did have visual contact with the ground while descending and being vectored. After landing we determined that the altimeter setting should have been 0966 MB. I guess that language, communications in russia, the meter altitudes, the QFE, the low transition altitude, checklists, FMS clean up, checking localizer intercept course on ILS mode, short vectors all contributed to the error. As an example of communication and language problems all 3 of us heard the tower frequency on ATIS and approach control to be 121.5 when according to the charts it is 131.5. Supplemental information from acn 407404: descending into moscow, russia, we briefed extensively the use of QFE altimetry and at what the transition level was for its employment. On ATIS I believe I heard a QFE altimeter setting of 996 MB. The first officer was advised by moscow approach of the QFE altimeter, he read back 'altimeter 996 MB QFE.' while on the runway I noticed the altimeters showed approximately 800 ft when they should have shown '0.' I asked the first officer to turn his altimeter setting down until it read 0 ft. The altimeter setting at 0 was 966 MB. We had set 996 MB instead. Because we only use QFE altimetry in russia, the setting of 996 MB did not strike us as odd.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B767-300 FLC SETS THE WRONG MILLIBARS IN THEIR ALTIMETERS AND DSNDS 800 FT BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED ALT ON APCH. THE MOSCOW APCH CTLR STOPS THEIR DSCNT AT 900 FT AGL. CREW CITES POOR ATIS AND APCH CTL INFO RELATED TO LANGUAGE BARRIER.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT THE MOSCOW ARPT ATIS WAS COPIED AND UNDERSTOOD TO INCLUDE THE QFE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 0996 MB. WHEN SWITCHED TO FINAL APCH CTL WITH DSCNT OUT OF 'METERS STANDARD' TO METERS, QFE WAS HEARD TO BE AND REPEATED BACK TO APCH AS 0996 MB. DURING DSCNT, APCH SAID 'STOP DSCNT.' THAT CAUSED US TO CHK ALT READOUTS. WE HAD ALREADY LEVELED OFF AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT AS INDICATED BY OUR ALTIMETERS. WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE APPROX 800 FT TOO LOW ACCORDING TO OUR RADAR ALTIMETERS. WE WERE ON THE LOC, LEVEL BELOW THE GS, INTERCEPTED THE GS AND LANDED. WE DID HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND WHILE DSNDING AND BEING VECTORED. AFTER LNDG WE DETERMINED THAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN 0966 MB. I GUESS THAT LANGUAGE, COMS IN RUSSIA, THE METER ALTS, THE QFE, THE LOW TRANSITION ALT, CHKLISTS, FMS CLEAN UP, CHKING LOC INTERCEPT COURSE ON ILS MODE, SHORT VECTORS ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. AS AN EXAMPLE OF COM AND LANGUAGE PROBS ALL 3 OF US HEARD THE TWR FREQ ON ATIS AND APCH CTL TO BE 121.5 WHEN ACCORDING TO THE CHARTS IT IS 131.5. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 407404: DSNDING INTO MOSCOW, RUSSIA, WE BRIEFED EXTENSIVELY THE USE OF QFE ALTIMETRY AND AT WHAT THE TRANSITION LEVEL WAS FOR ITS EMPLOYMENT. ON ATIS I BELIEVE I HEARD A QFE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 996 MB. THE FO WAS ADVISED BY MOSCOW APCH OF THE QFE ALTIMETER, HE READ BACK 'ALTIMETER 996 MB QFE.' WHILE ON THE RWY I NOTICED THE ALTIMETERS SHOWED APPROX 800 FT WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOWN '0.' I ASKED THE FO TO TURN HIS ALTIMETER SETTING DOWN UNTIL IT READ 0 FT. THE ALTIMETER SETTING AT 0 WAS 966 MB. WE HAD SET 996 MB INSTEAD. BECAUSE WE ONLY USE QFE ALTIMETRY IN RUSSIA, THE SETTING OF 996 MB DID NOT STRIKE US AS ODD.

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.

A descending B767-300 flight crew sets the wrong millibars in their altimeters and descends 800 ft below their assigned altitude on approach. The moscow approach controller stops their descent at 900 ft AGL. Crew cites poor ATIS and approach control information related to language barrier.