Flight crew of a lear jet 35 overshot assigned altitude due to having the wrong altimeter setting ca...

Narrative:

We are a part 91 operation of the lear 35 involved. The owners wanted to go into a new eagle pass, tx, airport (5t9), which is VFR only with no services (jet fuel) provided. I believe this is the first time in the yr I've been with the company that we have gone into a VFR only airport with the lear. The company provides no VFR charts for the airplane. On this particular day the company hired a qualified pilot to be the sic, but he usually flies a different model learjet so he was a little awkward with where things are placed and procedures. The airport really has no airport advisories, as the unicom frequency is rarely answered. While taxiing out for takeoff, we tried to pick up our IFR clearance on the FSS recommended frequency, but was unable to reach anyone. We next tried the phone number the FSS briefer said to try, which was also unsuccessful. We then verified the airspace around us on a low en route (IFR) and took off VFR to pick up our clearance airborne. Here is where the problem occurred. A crew that doesn't usually work together, took off using procedures not normally used by them, after numerous attempts were made to contact ATC for a clearance. With no AWOS/ASOS available, an unmonitored unicom, and no ATC contact, the current altimeter setting was never set. We still had set 29.99 from the day before. As we became airborne, we picked up our clearance from del rio departure and they told us to level 6000 ft. After being level at 6000 ft for a few mins, they responded that the current altimeter is 30.42 what is your altitude, which we then showed 6400 ft and descended to 6000 ft. Obviously, when it comes down to it, it was pilot error. With a little searching, we could have found out field elevation and set the altimeter. This was overlooked by the crew when all the attempts to contact ATC failed and the hurried, not normal crew departed VFR using IFR charts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A LEAR JET 35 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO HAVING THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING CAUSED BY NO RADIO CONTACT ON THE GND AT A NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: WE ARE A PART 91 OP OF THE LEAR 35 INVOLVED. THE OWNERS WANTED TO GO INTO A NEW EAGLE PASS, TX, ARPT (5T9), WHICH IS VFR ONLY WITH NO SVCS (JET FUEL) PROVIDED. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE YR I'VE BEEN WITH THE COMPANY THAT WE HAVE GONE INTO A VFR ONLY ARPT WITH THE LEAR. THE COMPANY PROVIDES NO VFR CHARTS FOR THE AIRPLANE. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY THE COMPANY HIRED A QUALIFIED PLT TO BE THE SIC, BUT HE USUALLY FLIES A DIFFERENT MODEL LEARJET SO HE WAS A LITTLE AWKWARD WITH WHERE THINGS ARE PLACED AND PROCS. THE ARPT REALLY HAS NO ARPT ADVISORIES, AS THE UNICOM FREQ IS RARELY ANSWERED. WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF, WE TRIED TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC ON THE FSS RECOMMENDED FREQ, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE. WE NEXT TRIED THE PHONE NUMBER THE FSS BRIEFER SAID TO TRY, WHICH WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. WE THEN VERIFIED THE AIRSPACE AROUND US ON A LOW ENRTE (IFR) AND TOOK OFF VFR TO PICK UP OUR CLRNC AIRBORNE. HERE IS WHERE THE PROB OCCURRED. A CREW THAT DOESN'T USUALLY WORK TOGETHER, TOOK OFF USING PROCS NOT NORMALLY USED BY THEM, AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT ATC FOR A CLRNC. WITH NO AWOS/ASOS AVAILABLE, AN UNMONITORED UNICOM, AND NO ATC CONTACT, THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING WAS NEVER SET. WE STILL HAD SET 29.99 FROM THE DAY BEFORE. AS WE BECAME AIRBORNE, WE PICKED UP OUR CLRNC FROM DEL RIO DEP AND THEY TOLD US TO LEVEL 6000 FT. AFTER BEING LEVEL AT 6000 FT FOR A FEW MINS, THEY RESPONDED THAT THE CURRENT ALTIMETER IS 30.42 WHAT IS YOUR ALT, WHICH WE THEN SHOWED 6400 FT AND DSNDED TO 6000 FT. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT WAS PLT ERROR. WITH A LITTLE SEARCHING, WE COULD HAVE FOUND OUT FIELD ELEVATION AND SET THE ALTIMETER. THIS WAS OVERLOOKED BY THE CREW WHEN ALL THE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ATC FAILED AND THE HURRIED, NOT NORMAL CREW DEPARTED VFR USING IFR CHARTS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	422450
Time
Date	199812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5t9
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	422450
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Flight crew of a lear jet 35 overshot assigned altitude due to having the wrong altimeter setting caused by no radio contact on the ground at a non tower airport.