EMB135 flight crew undershot intermediate departure altitude due to wrong altimeter setting.

Attributes
ACN	539429
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d21.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 102
ASRS Report	539429
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During leveloff at approximately 8000 ft, controller queried our altitude and pointed out traffic. Controller queried altitude again and asked for our last altimeter setting. Altimeters were set to 30.00. Actual altimeter was 30.32. Corrected aircraft altimeter resulting in large altitude correction. The only altimeter setting received to that point was from the ACARS ATIS printout. Printout was smudged due to dirty print head or defective paper. Appeared to read 30.00 rather than actual value. Parking area was old without actual elevation posted, neither crew member had been to this airport before, deice was in progress and somehow the discrepancy was not noted during the checklists. Would suggest that when ACARS and pre departure clearance are in use that at least one time prior to takeoff, ground control or tower issue an altimeter setting for readback.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB135 FLC UNDERSHOT INTERMEDIATE DEP ALT DUE TO WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative: DURING LEVELOFF AT APPROX 8000 FT, CTLR QUERIED OUR ALT AND POINTED OUT TFC. CTLR QUERIED ALT AGAIN AND ASKED FOR OUR LAST ALTIMETER SETTING. ALTIMETERS WERE SET TO 30.00. ACTUAL ALTIMETER WAS 30.32. CORRECTED ACFT ALTIMETER RESULTING IN LARGE ALT CORRECTION. THE ONLY ALTIMETER SETTING RECEIVED TO THAT POINT WAS FROM THE ACARS ATIS PRINTOUT. PRINTOUT WAS SMUDGED DUE TO DIRTY PRINT HEAD OR DEFECTIVE PAPER. APPEARED TO READ 30.00 RATHER THAN ACTUAL VALUE. PARKING AREA WAS OLD WITHOUT ACTUAL ELEVATION POSTED, NEITHER CREW MEMBER HAD BEEN TO THIS ARPT BEFORE, DEICE WAS IN PROGRESS AND SOMEHOW THE DISCREPANCY WAS NOT NOTED DURING THE CHKLISTS. WOULD SUGGEST THAT WHEN ACARS AND PDC ARE IN USE THAT AT LEAST ONE TIME PRIOR TO TKOF, GND CTL OR TWR ISSUE AN ALTIMETER SETTING FOR READBACK.

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.