Narrative:

To start, we had planned and briefed a mount vernon visual approach to runway 1 with strong winds out of the northwest. We were given a descent to 16000 ft on the irons 4 arrival. It was just after the hour and we received a new ATIS which showed ILS approachs and winds that were right at the crosswind limit for our jet. Altimeter on ATIS was 29.41. We started looking at company procedures for accepting runway 33 at dca, which is very short (5204 ft) and required numerous conditions to be met prior to our accepting it, which we thought we might need due to less of a crosswind component. It was a classic case of distraction. As we were descending, we started getting moderate chop to moderate turbulence and going through FL180 I called for 'descent checklist' and set 30.41 in my altimeter. It took a couple of seconds for the captain to read 'altimeters' at which point we both realized I had set the wrong setting. I hit 'altitude hold' on the autoplt and started winding down my altimeter. I wasn't happy with the rate of 'pull,' so I kicked off the autoplt and manually returned to 16000 ft. I believe that we didn't overshoot the altitude by more than 200-250 ft. The controller did say something about 16000 ft and turned us slightly to the east, but did not mention a TA and we did not get any TCASII warnings. The autoplt was turned back on and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. It was a situation I've read so much about and I've tried very hard to avoid by early planning and trying to minimize distractions after the 'top of descent,' but I got caught by unexpected WX changes and an unfamiliar runway operation and did not properly focus on the task at hand, which should have been a timely and accurate 'descent checklist.' corrective action: focus, focus, focus!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT IN DCA CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TO START, WE HAD PLANNED AND BRIEFED A MOUNT VERNON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 1 WITH STRONG WINDS OUT OF THE NW. WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 16000 FT ON THE IRONS 4 ARR. IT WAS JUST AFTER THE HR AND WE RECEIVED A NEW ATIS WHICH SHOWED ILS APCHS AND WINDS THAT WERE RIGHT AT THE XWIND LIMIT FOR OUR JET. ALTIMETER ON ATIS WAS 29.41. WE STARTED LOOKING AT COMPANY PROCS FOR ACCEPTING RWY 33 AT DCA, WHICH IS VERY SHORT (5204 FT) AND REQUIRED NUMEROUS CONDITIONS TO BE MET PRIOR TO OUR ACCEPTING IT, WHICH WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT NEED DUE TO LESS OF A XWIND COMPONENT. IT WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF DISTR. AS WE WERE DSNDING, WE STARTED GETTING MODERATE CHOP TO MODERATE TURB AND GOING THROUGH FL180 I CALLED FOR 'DSCNT CHKLIST' AND SET 30.41 IN MY ALTIMETER. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF SECONDS FOR THE CAPT TO READ 'ALTIMETERS' AT WHICH POINT WE BOTH REALIZED I HAD SET THE WRONG SETTING. I HIT 'ALT HOLD' ON THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED WINDING DOWN MY ALTIMETER. I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE RATE OF 'PULL,' SO I KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY RETURNED TO 16000 FT. I BELIEVE THAT WE DIDN'T OVERSHOOT THE ALT BY MORE THAN 200-250 FT. THE CTLR DID SAY SOMETHING ABOUT 16000 FT AND TURNED US SLIGHTLY TO THE E, BUT DID NOT MENTION A TA AND WE DID NOT GET ANY TCASII WARNINGS. THE AUTOPLT WAS TURNED BACK ON AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WAS A SIT I'VE READ SO MUCH ABOUT AND I'VE TRIED VERY HARD TO AVOID BY EARLY PLANNING AND TRYING TO MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS AFTER THE 'TOP OF DSCNT,' BUT I GOT CAUGHT BY UNEXPECTED WX CHANGES AND AN UNFAMILIAR RWY OP AND DID NOT PROPERLY FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TIMELY AND ACCURATE 'DSCNT CHKLIST.' CORRECTIVE ACTION: FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!

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.