Narrative:

We thought we had leveled off at 10000 ft when approach control advised us we were at 9500 ft and to check our altimeters. When we did, we discovered we had inadvertently not set the local altimeter and were still at 29.92. We quickly reset our altimeters to 29.43 and climbed back up to 10000 ft. I then realized that the approach check had not been called for either. The first officer was flying the leg from tpe-nrt. Since he was flying, it was his responsibility to call for the appropriate checklist at the appropriate time. Of course, the responsibility to ensure all checklists are run is mine. We had had an argument before takeoff about the way he was doing his takeoffs. Basically, he wasn't flying SOP. He insisted on doing close-in community departures even when the book didn't specifically call for them. The only time close-in departures are authority/authorized is when the data page on that specific runway calls for it. And previously when he did it, he didn't brief it. I had told him not to do that and fly the distant community departure, which was the departure that was called for. He didn't like it and argued his point that close-in was the best way to go. I had a feeling he wasn't happy with my decision, but I don't know if that was the cause of his and my (because I'm the captain) failure to call for the checklist or to set the altimeter at the appropriate time. There was a clue before the altimeter problem surfaced when the lead flight attendant came up to get the general declarations signed. This was about 12000 ft. I should have realized something wasn't done because the sterile cockpit light was not on. This type of error has never happened to me before and it never will again. I don't know what distraction me from keeping the situational awareness I should have had. There hadn't been any extraneous conversations since before descent. I will do a better job of staying focused.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 FLC FAILED TO RESET THEIR ALTIMETERS ON DSCNT RESULTING IN OVERSHOOTING ASSIGNED DSCNT ALT. IN ADDITION, DSCNT CHKLIST HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED.

Narrative: WE THOUGHT WE HAD LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT WHEN APCH CTL ADVISED US WE WERE AT 9500 FT AND TO CHK OUR ALTIMETERS. WHEN WE DID, WE DISCOVERED WE HAD INADVERTENTLY NOT SET THE LCL ALTIMETER AND WERE STILL AT 29.92. WE QUICKLY RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 29.43 AND CLBED BACK UP TO 10000 FT. I THEN REALIZED THAT THE APCH CHK HAD NOT BEEN CALLED FOR EITHER. THE FO WAS FLYING THE LEG FROM TPE-NRT. SINCE HE WAS FLYING, IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL FOR THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. OF COURSE, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE ALL CHKLISTS ARE RUN IS MINE. WE HAD HAD AN ARGUMENT BEFORE TKOF ABOUT THE WAY HE WAS DOING HIS TKOFS. BASICALLY, HE WASN'T FLYING SOP. HE INSISTED ON DOING CLOSE-IN COMMUNITY DEPS EVEN WHEN THE BOOK DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY CALL FOR THEM. THE ONLY TIME CLOSE-IN DEPS ARE AUTH IS WHEN THE DATA PAGE ON THAT SPECIFIC RWY CALLS FOR IT. AND PREVIOUSLY WHEN HE DID IT, HE DIDN'T BRIEF IT. I HAD TOLD HIM NOT TO DO THAT AND FLY THE DISTANT COMMUNITY DEP, WHICH WAS THE DEP THAT WAS CALLED FOR. HE DIDN'T LIKE IT AND ARGUED HIS POINT THAT CLOSE-IN WAS THE BEST WAY TO GO. I HAD A FEELING HE WASN'T HAPPY WITH MY DECISION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF HIS AND MY (BECAUSE I'M THE CAPT) FAILURE TO CALL FOR THE CHKLIST OR TO SET THE ALTIMETER AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THERE WAS A CLUE BEFORE THE ALTIMETER PROB SURFACED WHEN THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO GET THE GENERAL DECLARATIONS SIGNED. THIS WAS ABOUT 12000 FT. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED SOMETHING WASN'T DONE BECAUSE THE STERILE COCKPIT LIGHT WAS NOT ON. THIS TYPE OF ERROR HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE AND IT NEVER WILL AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT DISTR ME FROM KEEPING THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS I SHOULD HAVE HAD. THERE HADN'T BEEN ANY EXTRANEOUS CONVERSATIONS SINCE BEFORE DSCNT. I WILL DO A BETTER JOB OF STAYING FOCUSED.

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.