Narrative:

We were inbound to sdl from the northwest as center began descending us at about 100-120 mi out. There was a line of thunderstorms between us and the sdl/phx area. During the descent we began asking center for deviations left and right to avoid the calls in the area. I had filed direct to ferer intersection, expecting to get the ferer 5 arrival into sdl. As we got closer we asked if we should expect the ferer 5 and center said we should expect it further ahead. We needed to deviate more and more south of our course to ferer in order to stay clear of the cells. Center approved this and told us to keep our speed above 300 KTS. Center then told us to descend and maintain 11000 ft to cross the phx 40 DME at 11000 ft on the 141 degree radial. At the same time the turbulence was moderate, so we asked to reduce speed. Center asked us to maintain 250 KTS or greater. We were very busy and suddenly center cleared us via the karlo 9 arrival. We rushed to find the arrival and then could not get the GPS to accept the arrival. In the meantime, I leveled off at 11000 ft making the crossing restr, whether or not we still needed to be at 11000 ft by 40 DME. Center was very busy so we could not confirm this. I flew the arrival off the VOR rather than the GPS, since we could not set it up on the GPS. Once level at 11000 ft, I realized we had not set our altimeters going through FL180 on the descent! We quickly set them showing we were 100 ft below the indicated altitude. The turbulence was heavy and I was already about 150 ft low before setting our altimeters correctly. Once we did this, we realized we were about 250 ft low with the altimeters set correctly. I quickly got back up to 11000 ft. Center did not say anything except 'maintain 11000 ft' as he turned us over to approach. Approach immediately cleared us direct sdl. Once on the ground I found out that the karlo 9 arrival is for phx not sdl. That is why the GPS would not take the arrival, while we had sdl set as our destination. All the traffic behind us, on the arrival, was going to phx, so I think the controller accidentally cleared us for the wrong arrival. Once the next controller realized this, we were cleared direct to sdl. We use government chart approach plates, which hold all the stars in the front alphabetically rather than with each airport like the commercial charts do. Due to this format I could not tell that the karlo 9 arrival is for phx without consulting the directory in the front of the approach booklet. I suspected this was possibly not an arrival for sdl, but did not have time to doublechk or to question center before we were turned over to the next controller and cleared direct sdl. This whole scenario could have been avoided if center had not changed our routing at the last min, while making us keep our speed high. The turbulence was a factor in that I had to hand fly since the autoplt would not have held altitude in the heavy turbulence. We became rushed and it was our mistake to forget to set our altimeters. About the time we went through FL180 was when our routing was changed. Also, my copilot was not the regular one, so he was not able to help with changes to the GPS except the most basic functions. In the future I will be more cautious about changes, especially around FL180, but otherwise I don't know what else could have been done to prevent this. Also, the karlo arrival said for turbojets to 'expect' to cross coopr fix (42 DME) out at 12000 ft and turboprops to expect to cross at 11000 ft. We were told 11000 ft and do not remember any other changes to amend that after being cleared for the arrival. Maybe the controller put us at 11000 ft to get us below traffic at 12000 ft that was coming up behind us. Anyway, we were concerned about being low on our altitude assignment and anything else we may have missed due to being so rushed during the whole descent and arrival to sdl.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LJ35 CREW NEGLECTED TO RESET ALTIMETER PASSING THROUGH FL180 DSNDING INTO SDL.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND TO SDL FROM THE NW AS CTR BEGAN DSNDING US AT ABOUT 100-120 MI OUT. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS BTWN US AND THE SDL/PHX AREA. DURING THE DSCNT WE BEGAN ASKING CTR FOR DEVS L AND R TO AVOID THE CALLS IN THE AREA. I HAD FILED DIRECT TO FERER INTXN, EXPECTING TO GET THE FERER 5 ARR INTO SDL. AS WE GOT CLOSER WE ASKED IF WE SHOULD EXPECT THE FERER 5 AND CTR SAID WE SHOULD EXPECT IT FURTHER AHEAD. WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE MORE AND MORE S OF OUR COURSE TO FERER IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF THE CELLS. CTR APPROVED THIS AND TOLD US TO KEEP OUR SPD ABOVE 300 KTS. CTR THEN TOLD US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT TO CROSS THE PHX 40 DME AT 11000 FT ON THE 141 DEG RADIAL. AT THE SAME TIME THE TURB WAS MODERATE, SO WE ASKED TO REDUCE SPD. CTR ASKED US TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS OR GREATER. WE WERE VERY BUSY AND SUDDENLY CTR CLRED US VIA THE KARLO 9 ARR. WE RUSHED TO FIND THE ARR AND THEN COULD NOT GET THE GPS TO ACCEPT THE ARR. IN THE MEANTIME, I LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT MAKING THE XING RESTR, WHETHER OR NOT WE STILL NEEDED TO BE AT 11000 FT BY 40 DME. CTR WAS VERY BUSY SO WE COULD NOT CONFIRM THIS. I FLEW THE ARR OFF THE VOR RATHER THAN THE GPS, SINCE WE COULD NOT SET IT UP ON THE GPS. ONCE LEVEL AT 11000 FT, I REALIZED WE HAD NOT SET OUR ALTIMETERS GOING THROUGH FL180 ON THE DSCNT! WE QUICKLY SET THEM SHOWING WE WERE 100 FT BELOW THE INDICATED ALT. THE TURB WAS HVY AND I WAS ALREADY ABOUT 150 FT LOW BEFORE SETTING OUR ALTIMETERS CORRECTLY. ONCE WE DID THIS, WE REALIZED WE WERE ABOUT 250 FT LOW WITH THE ALTIMETERS SET CORRECTLY. I QUICKLY GOT BACK UP TO 11000 FT. CTR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT 'MAINTAIN 11000 FT' AS HE TURNED US OVER TO APCH. APCH IMMEDIATELY CLRED US DIRECT SDL. ONCE ON THE GND I FOUND OUT THAT THE KARLO 9 ARR IS FOR PHX NOT SDL. THAT IS WHY THE GPS WOULD NOT TAKE THE ARR, WHILE WE HAD SDL SET AS OUR DEST. ALL THE TFC BEHIND US, ON THE ARR, WAS GOING TO PHX, SO I THINK THE CTLR ACCIDENTALLY CLRED US FOR THE WRONG ARR. ONCE THE NEXT CTLR REALIZED THIS, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO SDL. WE USE GOV CHART APCH PLATES, WHICH HOLD ALL THE STARS IN THE FRONT ALPHABETICALLY RATHER THAN WITH EACH ARPT LIKE THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS DO. DUE TO THIS FORMAT I COULD NOT TELL THAT THE KARLO 9 ARR IS FOR PHX WITHOUT CONSULTING THE DIRECTORY IN THE FRONT OF THE APCH BOOKLET. I SUSPECTED THIS WAS POSSIBLY NOT AN ARR FOR SDL, BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DOUBLECHK OR TO QUESTION CTR BEFORE WE WERE TURNED OVER TO THE NEXT CTLR AND CLRED DIRECT SDL. THIS WHOLE SCENARIO COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF CTR HAD NOT CHANGED OUR ROUTING AT THE LAST MIN, WHILE MAKING US KEEP OUR SPD HIGH. THE TURB WAS A FACTOR IN THAT I HAD TO HAND FLY SINCE THE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT HAVE HELD ALT IN THE HVY TURB. WE BECAME RUSHED AND IT WAS OUR MISTAKE TO FORGET TO SET OUR ALTIMETERS. ABOUT THE TIME WE WENT THROUGH FL180 WAS WHEN OUR ROUTING WAS CHANGED. ALSO, MY COPLT WAS NOT THE REGULAR ONE, SO HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP WITH CHANGES TO THE GPS EXCEPT THE MOST BASIC FUNCTIONS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT CHANGES, ESPECIALLY AROUND FL180, BUT OTHERWISE I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS. ALSO, THE KARLO ARR SAID FOR TURBOJETS TO 'EXPECT' TO CROSS COOPR FIX (42 DME) OUT AT 12000 FT AND TURBOPROPS TO EXPECT TO CROSS AT 11000 FT. WE WERE TOLD 11000 FT AND DO NOT REMEMBER ANY OTHER CHANGES TO AMEND THAT AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE ARR. MAYBE THE CTLR PUT US AT 11000 FT TO GET US BELOW TFC AT 12000 FT THAT WAS COMING UP BEHIND US. ANYWAY, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING LOW ON OUR ALT ASSIGNMENT AND ANYTHING ELSE WE MAY HAVE MISSED DUE TO BEING SO RUSHED DURING THE WHOLE DSCNT AND ARR TO SDL.

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.