Narrative:

My clearance upon departure from cmi was cleared at or below 3000 ft, 020 degree radial cmi VOR. The maximum altitude of 3000 ft was exceeded for 1-2 mins due to a misdialed altimeter setting. What led to this mistake was a slight change in procedure that caused a key task to not get performed. Normally, I pick up ATIS in the aircraft and then enter the altimeter setting into the altimeter. Due to the cold WX (10 degrees F) and waiting on the instructor to check me out in the club's aircraft, I decided to pick up the ATIS in the warmth of the FBO building. I wrote down the ATIS on the clipboard that I normally use. When the instructor showed up, we went to the aircraft (it was already preflted) and proceeded with the start-up tasks. I did return to normal procedure and turned on the radio to verify ATIS was still current from when I checked it and it was. At that point, the error was made. Once I verified the currency, I went straight to the checklist for engine start. An extenuating factor is that I do not normally follow the prestart checklist, because I've already performed everything (supposedly). I then missed setting the altimeter. I started the engine and taxied to the runup area for the pretkof checks. At that point, another crucial error was made. That portion of the checklist has 'check altimeter' and I observed that the setting was off. Not to worry, I dialed the altimeter to the field setting. This task was done incorrectly in that I dialed it to 754 ft 'below' sea level, rather than 'above' sea level. I totally ignored the altimeter setting (because I had already entered it). There was a total failure to ask why I had the discrepancy. The instructor missed it because he was focused on a slight squelch problem with the #2 communications. Upon takeoff and handoff to cmi departure, we reported at around 1600 ft MSL, which was a reasonable reporting altitude. The problem was delayed in getting noticed by ATC (due to altitude encoding discrepancy) because the transponder was not responding to radar. That took around 3 mins for the instructor to recycle a couple of times and get the transponder to respond. By that time, ATC picked us up on radar and reported us at 3400 ft. We reported 2400 ft and continued our climb. At that point, ATC issued the altimeter setting, which I checked and reset upon discovering the discrepancy. That put the altimeter at around 3500-3800 ft (I don't recall for certain). At that point, we descended to 2800 ft (took about 1 min) and ATC confirmed that his reported altitude and our altitude agreed. I believe that is all he was interested in. We did not have to call anyone. Lessons learned: 1) when changing procedure, be damned certain to be extra aware of repercussions of that procedure change. 2) my really stupid error was not figuring out why my altitude at the runup point was so far off (around 500 ft). 3) I gave the prestart checklist just lip service. I read it and that was it, because my own preflight is flawless. I need to read and verify. 4) as a flight instructor that has been low time for over 2 yrs, it's still very embarrassing that I am as procedurally rusty as I am. I knew I was, but I need to be doubly aware of rust and mental disconnects that lead to errors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 CFI TRAINING FLT CLBS 800 FT ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE STUDENT CFI DOESN'T ENTER THE CORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING AT CMI, IL.

Narrative: MY CLRNC UPON DEP FROM CMI WAS CLRED AT OR BELOW 3000 FT, 020 DEG RADIAL CMI VOR. THE MAX ALT OF 3000 FT WAS EXCEEDED FOR 1-2 MINS DUE TO A MISDIALED ALTIMETER SETTING. WHAT LED TO THIS MISTAKE WAS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN PROC THAT CAUSED A KEY TASK TO NOT GET PERFORMED. NORMALLY, I PICK UP ATIS IN THE ACFT AND THEN ENTER THE ALTIMETER SETTING INTO THE ALTIMETER. DUE TO THE COLD WX (10 DEGS F) AND WAITING ON THE INSTRUCTOR TO CHK ME OUT IN THE CLUB'S ACFT, I DECIDED TO PICK UP THE ATIS IN THE WARMTH OF THE FBO BUILDING. I WROTE DOWN THE ATIS ON THE CLIPBOARD THAT I NORMALLY USE. WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR SHOWED UP, WE WENT TO THE ACFT (IT WAS ALREADY PREFLTED) AND PROCEEDED WITH THE START-UP TASKS. I DID RETURN TO NORMAL PROC AND TURNED ON THE RADIO TO VERIFY ATIS WAS STILL CURRENT FROM WHEN I CHKED IT AND IT WAS. AT THAT POINT, THE ERROR WAS MADE. ONCE I VERIFIED THE CURRENCY, I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CHKLIST FOR ENG START. AN EXTENUATING FACTOR IS THAT I DO NOT NORMALLY FOLLOW THE PRESTART CHKLIST, BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY PERFORMED EVERYTHING (SUPPOSEDLY). I THEN MISSED SETTING THE ALTIMETER. I STARTED THE ENG AND TAXIED TO THE RUNUP AREA FOR THE PRETKOF CHKS. AT THAT POINT, ANOTHER CRUCIAL ERROR WAS MADE. THAT PORTION OF THE CHKLIST HAS 'CHK ALTIMETER' AND I OBSERVED THAT THE SETTING WAS OFF. NOT TO WORRY, I DIALED THE ALTIMETER TO THE FIELD SETTING. THIS TASK WAS DONE INCORRECTLY IN THAT I DIALED IT TO 754 FT 'BELOW' SEA LEVEL, RATHER THAN 'ABOVE' SEA LEVEL. I TOTALLY IGNORED THE ALTIMETER SETTING (BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY ENTERED IT). THERE WAS A TOTAL FAILURE TO ASK WHY I HAD THE DISCREPANCY. THE INSTRUCTOR MISSED IT BECAUSE HE WAS FOCUSED ON A SLIGHT SQUELCH PROB WITH THE #2 COMS. UPON TKOF AND HDOF TO CMI DEP, WE RPTED AT AROUND 1600 FT MSL, WHICH WAS A REASONABLE RPTING ALT. THE PROB WAS DELAYED IN GETTING NOTICED BY ATC (DUE TO ALT ENCODING DISCREPANCY) BECAUSE THE XPONDER WAS NOT RESPONDING TO RADAR. THAT TOOK AROUND 3 MINS FOR THE INSTRUCTOR TO RECYCLE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND GET THE XPONDER TO RESPOND. BY THAT TIME, ATC PICKED US UP ON RADAR AND RPTED US AT 3400 FT. WE RPTED 2400 FT AND CONTINUED OUR CLB. AT THAT POINT, ATC ISSUED THE ALTIMETER SETTING, WHICH I CHKED AND RESET UPON DISCOVERING THE DISCREPANCY. THAT PUT THE ALTIMETER AT AROUND 3500-3800 FT (I DON'T RECALL FOR CERTAIN). AT THAT POINT, WE DSNDED TO 2800 FT (TOOK ABOUT 1 MIN) AND ATC CONFIRMED THAT HIS RPTED ALT AND OUR ALT AGREED. I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL HE WAS INTERESTED IN. WE DID NOT HAVE TO CALL ANYONE. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) WHEN CHANGING PROC, BE DAMNED CERTAIN TO BE EXTRA AWARE OF REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT PROC CHANGE. 2) MY REALLY STUPID ERROR WAS NOT FIGURING OUT WHY MY ALT AT THE RUNUP POINT WAS SO FAR OFF (AROUND 500 FT). 3) I GAVE THE PRESTART CHKLIST JUST LIP SVC. I READ IT AND THAT WAS IT, BECAUSE MY OWN PREFLT IS FLAWLESS. I NEED TO READ AND VERIFY. 4) AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR THAT HAS BEEN LOW TIME FOR OVER 2 YRS, IT'S STILL VERY EMBARRASSING THAT I AM AS PROCEDURALLY RUSTY AS I AM. I KNEW I WAS, BUT I NEED TO BE DOUBLY AWARE OF RUST AND MENTAL DISCONNECTS THAT LEAD TO ERRORS.

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.