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An A319 crew, continuing descent from FL190, were given the wrong altimeter setting, causing a 1000 ft deviation when leveling at 17000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 532740 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : delro |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16160 msl bound upper : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : delro 1 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3816 flight time type : 935 |
| ASRS Report | 532790 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Crossing delro intersection dec/tue/01. On delro 1 arrival to iad, ZNY cleared us to descend from FL190 to 17000 ft, with lrp altimeter of 30.45. We read back the altitude and altimeter and center gave us a frequency change. As we were leveling off at 17000 ft we checked in with ZNY controller and we repeated the altimeter on initial check-in. Center asked us to recycle our transponder because he was showing us at 16200 ft. We asked for another altimeter setting, stating we showed 17000 ft and that we had read back 30.45 inches from a previous controller. Center gave us a local altimeter of 29.52 inches, and as we put the new setting in the altimeter, our indicated altitude went down to 16160 ft. As we started our climb back to 17000 ft, center cleared us to cross mulrr intersection at 10000 ft and 250 KTS. At that point we continued descent to 10000 ft. Passing 14400 ft, center controller asked for altitude check, and after we read it to him, he concurred and stated that he thought we found the problem. There was no conflict with any other aircraft and the rest of the flight proceeded without incident. Both pilots heard and read back (PNF) the incorrect altimeter (30.45) which was obviously why the altitude deviation occurred. There may be a chance the first center controller accidentally gave us a reading that was off by exactly 1 inch of hg. We don't know what his display looks like so we can't speculate on how or why he gave us a reading that was 1000 ft off, but we are confident that was the cause of the deviation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A319 CREW, CONTINUING DSCNT FROM FL190, WERE GIVEN THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING, CAUSING A 1000 FT DEV WHEN LEVELING AT 17000 FT.
Narrative: XING DELRO INTXN DEC/TUE/01. ON DELRO 1 ARR TO IAD, ZNY CLRED US TO DSND FROM FL190 TO 17000 FT, WITH LRP ALTIMETER OF 30.45. WE READ BACK THE ALT AND ALTIMETER AND CTR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. AS WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 17000 FT WE CHKED IN WITH ZNY CTLR AND WE REPEATED THE ALTIMETER ON INITIAL CHK-IN. CTR ASKED US TO RECYCLE OUR XPONDER BECAUSE HE WAS SHOWING US AT 16200 FT. WE ASKED FOR ANOTHER ALTIMETER SETTING, STATING WE SHOWED 17000 FT AND THAT WE HAD READ BACK 30.45 INCHES FROM A PREVIOUS CTLR. CTR GAVE US A LCL ALTIMETER OF 29.52 INCHES, AND AS WE PUT THE NEW SETTING IN THE ALTIMETER, OUR INDICATED ALT WENT DOWN TO 16160 FT. AS WE STARTED OUR CLB BACK TO 17000 FT, CTR CLRED US TO CROSS MULRR INTXN AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. AT THAT POINT WE CONTINUED DSCNT TO 10000 FT. PASSING 14400 FT, CTR CTLR ASKED FOR ALT CHK, AND AFTER WE READ IT TO HIM, HE CONCURRED AND STATED THAT HE THOUGHT WE FOUND THE PROB. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. BOTH PLTS HEARD AND READ BACK (PNF) THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER (30.45) WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY WHY THE ALTDEV OCCURRED. THERE MAY BE A CHANCE THE FIRST CTR CTLR ACCIDENTALLY GAVE US A READING THAT WAS OFF BY EXACTLY 1 INCH OF HG. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS DISPLAY LOOKS LIKE SO WE CAN'T SPECULATE ON HOW OR WHY HE GAVE US A READING THAT WAS 1000 FT OFF, BUT WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE DEV.
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.