<< >> NASA ASRS Report 500320, February 2001

SF34 flight crew, on descent to bos, miss local altimeter reset, and level 500 ft above assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	500320
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	500320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 8400 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	500471
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on descent from FL230 to 6000 ft MSL, myself (copilot and PF) and the captain neglected to reset our altimeters from 29.92 to 30.42, the local altimeter setting. While passing 10000 ft MSL, the captain set 30.42 in the stand-by altimeter and not in the primary altimeter. I did not hear a call and I did not recognize our need to reset our altimeters. We leveled off at 6000 ft when ATC asked us to confirm our altitude and assigned another descent altitude. We quickly realized our mistake, reset our altimeters to 30.42. The altitude deviation was about 500 ft, and there was no other aircraft conflict. Contributing factors: myself being new in the aircraft and less than 40 hours. My second time above FL180 and dealing with qne altimeter settings. High workload of descent phase of flight equals operations check-in, PA announcements, ATIS, briefings, descent and approach checklists, ATC instructions. Non essential conversation in the cockpit on descent. Supplemental information from acn 500471: the first officer is new to the job and still a bit overwhelmed. I allowed my distraction with the 'in-range' chores to take my attention away from overseeing the important details of our flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF34 FLC, ON DSCNT TO BOS, MISS LCL ALTIMETER RESET, AND LEVEL 500 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WHILE ON DSCNT FROM FL230 TO 6000 FT MSL, MYSELF (COPLT AND PF) AND THE CAPT NEGLECTED TO RESET OUR ALTIMETERS FROM 29.92 TO 30.42, THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. WHILE PASSING 10000 FT MSL, THE CAPT SET 30.42 IN THE STAND-BY ALTIMETER AND NOT IN THE PRIMARY ALTIMETER. I DID NOT HEAR A CALL AND I DID NOT RECOGNIZE OUR NEED TO RESET OUR ALTIMETERS. WE LEVELED OFF AT 6000 FT WHEN ATC ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT AND ASSIGNED ANOTHER DSCNT ALT. WE QUICKLY REALIZED OUR MISTAKE, RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 30.42. THE ALTDEV WAS ABOUT 500 FT, AND THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT CONFLICT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MYSELF BEING NEW IN THE ACFT AND LESS THAN 40 HRS. MY SECOND TIME ABOVE FL180 AND DEALING WITH QNE ALTIMETER SETTINGS. HIGH WORKLOAD OF DSCNT PHASE OF FLT EQUALS OPS CHK-IN, PA ANNOUNCEMENTS, ATIS, BRIEFINGS, DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS, ATC INSTRUCTIONS. NON ESSENTIAL CONVERSATION IN THE COCKPIT ON DSCNT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500471: THE FO IS NEW TO THE JOB AND STILL A BIT OVERWHELMED. I ALLOWED MY DISTR WITH THE 'IN-RANGE' CHORES TO TAKE MY ATTN AWAY FROM OVERSEEING THE IMPORTANT DETAILS OF OUR FLT.

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.