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Airbus crew does not set altimeter to qnh on descent near baltimore.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 464090 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200002 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bwi.airport |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 270 |
| ASRS Report | 464090 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 15750 flight time type : 120 |
| ASRS Report | 464207 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllerb other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Air carrier flight. In descent phase we were given clearance to cross trish intersection (24 mi northeast of bwi VOR) at 12000 ft. Captain was PF. Captain neglected to change his altimeter setting to local altimeter of 30.42 descending through FL180. I did not verify this (proper xchk) after setting my altimeter. I was distracted, busy getting dca ATIS and setting up FMS for approach. I noticed that we were still rather high (about 12700 ft) approaching trish and I neglected to say anything to captain as this is not that unusual with this particular aircraft. I was also fixated on our FMS progress page showing us below our managed vertical flight path when we were clearly coming in too steep. By trish we were level at 12700 ft (by my altimeter) and no longer descending. I was about to say something to captain when ATC queried us as to our altitude. At that moment captain realized his altimeter was still set at standard (29.92). He corrected this and he promptly descended us to 12000 ft. The biggest factor in this event was improper crew coordination in proper resetting of altimeters at transition altitude. We were both distracted by other tasks (captain busy making close restr, me accessing arrival ATIS from ACARS). Supplemental information from acn 464207: our distance to trish required use of the speed brakes in order to meet the altitude crossing restr. I did not reset my altimeter setting out of 18000 ft due to the concern of trying to meet the tight crossing restr. The copilot reset his altimeter but failed to announce the reset from 29.92 to 30.40. He was preoccupied with acquiring a new ATIS report. If I do not reset my altimeter setting, the qnh setting (at 18000 ft) will flash on my pfd (primary flight display). Unfortunately, if either pilot resets his altimeter the opposite side with the incorrect altimeter setting will stop flashing. Both sides of each pfd should continue to flash until both altimeters are reset. I feel we lost an important altimeter setting reminder.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AIRBUS CREW DOES NOT SET ALTIMETER TO QNH ON DSCNT NEAR BALTIMORE.
Narrative: ACR FLT. IN DSCNT PHASE WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS TRISH INTXN (24 MI NE OF BWI VOR) AT 12000 FT. CAPT WAS PF. CAPT NEGLECTED TO CHANGE HIS ALTIMETER SETTING TO LCL ALTIMETER OF 30.42 DSNDING THROUGH FL180. I DID NOT VERIFY THIS (PROPER XCHK) AFTER SETTING MY ALTIMETER. I WAS DISTRACTED, BUSY GETTING DCA ATIS AND SETTING UP FMS FOR APCH. I NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL RATHER HIGH (ABOUT 12700 FT) APCHING TRISH AND I NEGLECTED TO SAY ANYTHING TO CAPT AS THIS IS NOT THAT UNUSUAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. I WAS ALSO FIXATED ON OUR FMS PROGRESS PAGE SHOWING US BELOW OUR MANAGED VERT FLT PATH WHEN WE WERE CLRLY COMING IN TOO STEEP. BY TRISH WE WERE LEVEL AT 12700 FT (BY MY ALTIMETER) AND NO LONGER DSNDING. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING TO CAPT WHEN ATC QUERIED US AS TO OUR ALT. AT THAT MOMENT CAPT REALIZED HIS ALTIMETER WAS STILL SET AT STANDARD (29.92). HE CORRECTED THIS AND HE PROMPTLY DSNDED US TO 12000 FT. THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN THIS EVENT WAS IMPROPER CREW COORD IN PROPER RESETTING OF ALTIMETERS AT TRANSITION ALT. WE WERE BOTH DISTRACTED BY OTHER TASKS (CAPT BUSY MAKING CLOSE RESTR, ME ACCESSING ARR ATIS FROM ACARS). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 464207: OUR DISTANCE TO TRISH REQUIRED USE OF THE SPD BRAKES IN ORDER TO MEET THE ALT XING RESTR. I DID NOT RESET MY ALTIMETER SETTING OUT OF 18000 FT DUE TO THE CONCERN OF TRYING TO MEET THE TIGHT XING RESTR. THE COPLT RESET HIS ALTIMETER BUT FAILED TO ANNOUNCE THE RESET FROM 29.92 TO 30.40. HE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH ACQUIRING A NEW ATIS RPT. IF I DO NOT RESET MY ALTIMETER SETTING, THE QNH SETTING (AT 18000 FT) WILL FLASH ON MY PFD (PRIMARY FLT DISPLAY). UNFORTUNATELY, IF EITHER PLT RESETS HIS ALTIMETER THE OPPOSITE SIDE WITH THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING WILL STOP FLASHING. BOTH SIDES OF EACH PFD SHOULD CONTINUE TO FLASH UNTIL BOTH ALTIMETERS ARE RESET. I FEEL WE LOST AN IMPORTANT ALTIMETER SETTING REMINDER.
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.