 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B757-200 undershoots its assigned altitude when the captain's altimeter is set to the wrong altimeter setting south of har, PA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 486980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200009 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : har.vortac |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34700 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout other cruise : level |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors enroute airway : j80.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 486980 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While climbing to cruise altitude of FL350, we were being given an extreme number of vectors, speed changes, and traffic callouts. Passing through approximately FL310 we experienced several short but severe cases of wake turbulence from preceding aircraft 12 NM ahead. The autoplt was on and the captain (PF) had his feet resting on lower instrument panel and apparently bumped his altimeter setting when the wake turbulence hit. This went unnoticed and the autoplt leveled at FL350 on the captain's altimeter. ATC continued its vectoring and speed changes and then shortly later queried our altitude. The first officer (myself) was in my navigation chart and explaining to the passenger the wake turbulence encounter -- another of which had just occurred after leveling at FL350. We then noticed that the captain's altimeter was showing FL350 with an incorrect altimeter setting, while the first officer's was showing approximately 300 ft low with 29.92 set. Altitude was quickly corrected with no conflict. We obviously had our attention diverted by possibly extraneous activities and should have been more aware of captain's feet in relation to instrument panel.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 UNDERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER IS SET TO THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING S OF HAR, PA.
Narrative: WHILE CLBING TO CRUISE ALT OF FL350, WE WERE BEING GIVEN AN EXTREME NUMBER OF VECTORS, SPD CHANGES, AND TFC CALLOUTS. PASSING THROUGH APPROX FL310 WE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL SHORT BUT SEVERE CASES OF WAKE TURB FROM PRECEDING ACFT 12 NM AHEAD. THE AUTOPLT WAS ON AND THE CAPT (PF) HAD HIS FEET RESTING ON LOWER INST PANEL AND APPARENTLY BUMPED HIS ALTIMETER SETTING WHEN THE WAKE TURB HIT. THIS WENT UNNOTICED AND THE AUTOPLT LEVELED AT FL350 ON THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER. ATC CONTINUED ITS VECTORING AND SPD CHANGES AND THEN SHORTLY LATER QUERIED OUR ALT. THE FO (MYSELF) WAS IN MY NAV CHART AND EXPLAINING TO THE PAX THE WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER -- ANOTHER OF WHICH HAD JUST OCCURRED AFTER LEVELING AT FL350. WE THEN NOTICED THAT THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER WAS SHOWING FL350 WITH AN INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING, WHILE THE FO'S WAS SHOWING APPROX 300 FT LOW WITH 29.92 SET. ALT WAS QUICKLY CORRECTED WITH NO CONFLICT. WE OBVIOUSLY HAD OUR ATTN DIVERTED BY POSSIBLY EXTRANEOUS ACTIVITIES AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF CAPT'S FEET IN RELATION TO INST PANEL.
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.