Narrative:

Established on the sbv 3 arrival from taber intersection inbound rdu. ATC instructed to hold at sbv with clearance to 14000 ft. Shortly after leveling and entering holding, the first officer noticed an altitude discrepancy on his altimeter and stated such. Captain and standby altimeters indicated 14000 ft. First officer altimeter was correct and immediate climb initiated. Simultaneously, TCASII alerted and commanded climb. Captain's and standby altimeter settings were reset and aircraft leveled at appropriate altitude. ATC requested assigned altitude confirmation. Severe WX, icing and turbulence were in the area. The first officer was directed to obtain WX and fuel for divert planning. We were experiencing turbulence and icing and were deviating for WX. Several other aircraft were in holding. All aircraft received alternate hold clearance due to encroaching WX. Radio traffic was extremely high and crew workload heavy. Communication with cabin crew created additional distrs. During descent, altimeters were reset but not properly crosschecked. Heavy workload and distrs caused a breakdown in the xchk. Preflight planning indicated possibility of adverse WX on arrival. En route checks of WX via ACARS indicated nothing serious. Timely information from dispatch while en route would have been extremely helpful and appropriate to reduce crew workload. This incident highlights the importance of strictly adhering to procedure. Extreme vigilance is paramount to prevent outside factors from causing distrs. The first officer and I thoroughly debriefed each other emphasizing the importance of adhering to procedure. Extreme vigilance is paramount to prevent outside factors from causing distrs. The first officer and I thoroughly debriefed each other emphasizing the importance of adhering to procedure. We discussed methods to employ to ensure compliance and prevent future incident. Supplemental information from acn 430377: on the south boston 3 arrival to rdu, ZDC advised us to hold on the sbv 220 degree radial, right turns, 10 NM legs, efc of XY00Z. Center was stepping us down by intermediate altitudes. Passing FL180, I called out the altimeter setting and reset my altimeter. Before we completed the altimeter xchk, center called with another stepdown altitude and the captain requested I get the WX at the alternates and compute the fuel we needed to depart holding for the alternates. Center called and changed the holding pattern to the sbv 270 degree radial with left turns. Center cleared us to 14000 ft. While I was completing the fuel computations, the captain advised, 1000 ft to go. When I looked at my altimeter, it was below 14000 ft already. I checked the altitude alert window to verify the altitude set and advised the captain we were below 14000 ft on my altimeter. After changing to raleigh approach, raleigh approach advised us to call ZDC when we landed. Contributing factors: we were in icing conditions. We were in the WX. Rdu WX changing rapidly. Non published holding pattern. Holding pattern moved. Orf does not have digital ATIS requiring additional ACARS entries. Excessive though required communications due to altitude stepdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT. WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING ON THE CAPT'S SIDE.

Narrative: ESTABLISHED ON THE SBV 3 ARR FROM TABER INTXN INBOUND RDU. ATC INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AT SBV WITH CLRNC TO 14000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AND ENTERING HOLDING, THE FO NOTICED AN ALT DISCREPANCY ON HIS ALTIMETER AND STATED SUCH. CAPT AND STANDBY ALTIMETERS INDICATED 14000 FT. FO ALTIMETER WAS CORRECT AND IMMEDIATE CLB INITIATED. SIMULTANEOUSLY, TCASII ALERTED AND COMMANDED CLB. CAPT'S AND STANDBY ALTIMETER SETTINGS WERE RESET AND ACFT LEVELED AT APPROPRIATE ALT. ATC REQUESTED ASSIGNED ALT CONFIRMATION. SEVERE WX, ICING AND TURB WERE IN THE AREA. THE FO WAS DIRECTED TO OBTAIN WX AND FUEL FOR DIVERT PLANNING. WE WERE EXPERIENCING TURB AND ICING AND WERE DEVIATING FOR WX. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT WERE IN HOLDING. ALL ACFT RECEIVED ALTERNATE HOLD CLRNC DUE TO ENCROACHING WX. RADIO TFC WAS EXTREMELY HIGH AND CREW WORKLOAD HVY. COM WITH CABIN CREW CREATED ADDITIONAL DISTRS. DURING DSCNT, ALTIMETERS WERE RESET BUT NOT PROPERLY XCHKED. HVY WORKLOAD AND DISTRS CAUSED A BREAKDOWN IN THE XCHK. PREFLT PLANNING INDICATED POSSIBILITY OF ADVERSE WX ON ARR. ENRTE CHKS OF WX VIA ACARS INDICATED NOTHING SERIOUS. TIMELY INFO FROM DISPATCH WHILE ENRTE WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND APPROPRIATE TO REDUCE CREW WORKLOAD. THIS INCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF STRICTLY ADHERING TO PROC. EXTREME VIGILANCE IS PARAMOUNT TO PREVENT OUTSIDE FACTORS FROM CAUSING DISTRS. THE FO AND I THOROUGHLY DEBRIEFED EACH OTHER EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO PROC. EXTREME VIGILANCE IS PARAMOUNT TO PREVENT OUTSIDE FACTORS FROM CAUSING DISTRS. THE FO AND I THOROUGHLY DEBRIEFED EACH OTHER EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO PROC. WE DISCUSSED METHODS TO EMPLOY TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430377: ON THE S BOSTON 3 ARR TO RDU, ZDC ADVISED US TO HOLD ON THE SBV 220 DEG RADIAL, R TURNS, 10 NM LEGS, EFC OF XY00Z. CTR WAS STEPPING US DOWN BY INTERMEDIATE ALTS. PASSING FL180, I CALLED OUT THE ALTIMETER SETTING AND RESET MY ALTIMETER. BEFORE WE COMPLETED THE ALTIMETER XCHK, CTR CALLED WITH ANOTHER STEPDOWN ALT AND THE CAPT REQUESTED I GET THE WX AT THE ALTERNATES AND COMPUTE THE FUEL WE NEEDED TO DEPART HOLDING FOR THE ALTERNATES. CTR CALLED AND CHANGED THE HOLDING PATTERN TO THE SBV 270 DEG RADIAL WITH L TURNS. CTR CLRED US TO 14000 FT. WHILE I WAS COMPLETING THE FUEL COMPUTATIONS, THE CAPT ADVISED, 1000 FT TO GO. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER, IT WAS BELOW 14000 FT ALREADY. I CHKED THE ALT ALERT WINDOW TO VERIFY THE ALT SET AND ADVISED THE CAPT WE WERE BELOW 14000 FT ON MY ALTIMETER. AFTER CHANGING TO RALEIGH APCH, RALEIGH APCH ADVISED US TO CALL ZDC WHEN WE LANDED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE WERE IN ICING CONDITIONS. WE WERE IN THE WX. RDU WX CHANGING RAPIDLY. NON PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN. HOLDING PATTERN MOVED. ORF DOES NOT HAVE DIGITAL ATIS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL ACARS ENTRIES. EXCESSIVE THOUGH REQUIRED COMS DUE TO ALT STEPDOWN.

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.