A B727 freighter flight overshoots its assigned altitude when the flight crew fails to set their altimeter to the local barometric setting, 970 millibars versus 1013 millibars east of essa, first officer.

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Attributes
ACN	456641
Time
Date	199912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : essa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1900 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Rain Snow Turbulence Windshear
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	456641
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	456639
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Last leg of 4 for night. All difficult conditions with high winds and turbulence. At least 2 autoplt anomalies with this aircraft on this trip. When cleared to descend to 2500 ft, the autoplt disengaged and the captain took control manually. While this was occurring, we passed through the transition altitude (6500 ft) and forgot to do the approach checklist. I didn't reset altimeters to the very low altimeter setting of 970 millibars. We descended to 1900 ft before correcting back to 2500 ft. Supplemental information from acn 456639: airport was in sight at the time. If transition levels were standard worldwide, it would be easier to remember when to reset to correct altimeter setting.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FREIGHTER FLT OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE FLC FAILS TO SET THEIR ALTIMETER TO THE LCL BAROMETRIC SETTING, 970 MILLIBARS VERSUS 1013 MILLIBARS E OF ESSA, FO.

Narrative: LAST LEG OF 4 FOR NIGHT. ALL DIFFICULT CONDITIONS WITH HIGH WINDS AND TURB. AT LEAST 2 AUTOPLT ANOMALIES WITH THIS ACFT ON THIS TRIP. WHEN CLRED TO DSND TO 2500 FT, THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND THE CAPT TOOK CTL MANUALLY. WHILE THIS WAS OCCURRING, WE PASSED THROUGH THE TRANSITION ALT (6500 FT) AND FORGOT TO DO THE APCH CHKLIST. I DIDN'T RESET ALTIMETERS TO THE VERY LOW ALTIMETER SETTING OF 970 MILLIBARS. WE DSNDED TO 1900 FT BEFORE CORRECTING BACK TO 2500 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456639: ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AT THE TIME. IF TRANSITION LEVELS WERE STANDARD WORLDWIDE, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO REMEMBER WHEN TO RESET TO CORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING.

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.