Narrative:

First officer said center gave us 30.11 altimeter. I set that, and before I had a chance to verify that with ATIS, cmh approach said they showed us 300 ft low (traffic 2 mi, 10 O'clock, 9500 ft. I had to turn altitude window up to 10300 ft to get vertical speed to start us up). They issued altimeter of 29.67, or roughly 500 ft off. In the attempt to climb, we then overshot just as we entered a cell and updraft. Got the altitude under control, and vectored to ILS. They cleared us to intercept too late, VOR/localizer didn't capture. I gave it a couple of seconds, and then turned off autoplt and hand flew back to capture and flew on in by hand. I should have started hand flying earlier, when I first had trouble getting aircraft to climb back up to correct altitude when we reset altimeters. Prior to that even, I was behind, catching up with rerte and flurry of altitude changes and trusted first officer too much when he gave me the altimeter setting. I knew I should xchk the number when I set it, but we got a flurry of revised routings and vectors that kept me very busy, and we reached leveloff before I got the xchk complete. Also, it was the first leg with a new first officer, and while most are very strong and methodical, and I tend to trust them until proven wrong, this first officer has proven to be lackadaisical and sloppy in his thinking and procedures. This was a wake-up call for me to keep a closer xchk, and to very methodically xchk critical data every time -- even if very busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING B737-300 TO CMH INCORRECTLY SET THEIR ALTIMETERS RESULTING IN AN ALTDEV FROM THAT ASSIGNED.

Narrative: FO SAID CTR GAVE US 30.11 ALTIMETER. I SET THAT, AND BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO VERIFY THAT WITH ATIS, CMH APCH SAID THEY SHOWED US 300 FT LOW (TFC 2 MI, 10 O'CLOCK, 9500 FT. I HAD TO TURN ALT WINDOW UP TO 10300 FT TO GET VERT SPD TO START US UP). THEY ISSUED ALTIMETER OF 29.67, OR ROUGHLY 500 FT OFF. IN THE ATTEMPT TO CLB, WE THEN OVERSHOT JUST AS WE ENTERED A CELL AND UPDRAFT. GOT THE ALT UNDER CTL, AND VECTORED TO ILS. THEY CLRED US TO INTERCEPT TOO LATE, VOR/LOC DIDN'T CAPTURE. I GAVE IT A COUPLE OF SECONDS, AND THEN TURNED OFF AUTOPLT AND HAND FLEW BACK TO CAPTURE AND FLEW ON IN BY HAND. I SHOULD HAVE STARTED HAND FLYING EARLIER, WHEN I FIRST HAD TROUBLE GETTING ACFT TO CLB BACK UP TO CORRECT ALT WHEN WE RESET ALTIMETERS. PRIOR TO THAT EVEN, I WAS BEHIND, CATCHING UP WITH RERTE AND FLURRY OF ALT CHANGES AND TRUSTED FO TOO MUCH WHEN HE GAVE ME THE ALTIMETER SETTING. I KNEW I SHOULD XCHK THE NUMBER WHEN I SET IT, BUT WE GOT A FLURRY OF REVISED ROUTINGS AND VECTORS THAT KEPT ME VERY BUSY, AND WE REACHED LEVELOFF BEFORE I GOT THE XCHK COMPLETE. ALSO, IT WAS THE FIRST LEG WITH A NEW FO, AND WHILE MOST ARE VERY STRONG AND METHODICAL, AND I TEND TO TRUST THEM UNTIL PROVEN WRONG, THIS FO HAS PROVEN TO BE LACKADAISICAL AND SLOPPY IN HIS THINKING AND PROCS. THIS WAS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR ME TO KEEP A CLOSER XCHK, AND TO VERY METHODICALLY XCHK CRITICAL DATA EVERY TIME -- EVEN IF VERY BUSY.

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.