Narrative:

After departing ftw, we were flying the wbound SID and being step-climbed behind another aircraft. Passing FL180, I called for the FL180 climbing checklist and we began to accomplish it. The departure altimeter was 30.62 and just as I began to reset to 29.92, the flight attendant came into the cockpit and began to ask several questions from the passenger. I continued to turn the knob while talking to her. When I looked back at the altimeter all I checked were the last 2 digits which read .96 and then moved the knob to obtain .92. Unfortunately it was 28.92, which I missed. The controller continued stepping us up without any altitude stop to FL290. At FL280, the copilot noticed the discrepancy between our altimeters and I discovered my error. I began to level off and the copilot asked the controller to confirm our altitude as FL290 and the controller responded 'climb to FL310.' I am not really sure if we were ever at the wrong altitude but its certainly possible, and a serious mistake. As for why it happened, obviously I allowed myself to be distraction from the task I was trying to accomplish. Additionally, the large difference between departure and en route altimeters meant that I knew I would have to turn the knob quite a bit and continued to turn while distraction and more importantly failed to check my work. The lesson to be learned here is an old one -- the airplane comes first, paying attention to your job will really cut down on stupid errors and I should have asked the flight attendant to wait until I had finished the task at hand. You can bet I learned a lesson and some humility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A G159 CAPT NEGLECTED TO RESET HIS ALTIMETER, PASSING FL180, DURING CLBOUT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING FTW, WE WERE FLYING THE WBOUND SID AND BEING STEP-CLBED BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT. PASSING FL180, I CALLED FOR THE FL180 CLBING CHKLIST AND WE BEGAN TO ACCOMPLISH IT. THE DEP ALTIMETER WAS 30.62 AND JUST AS I BEGAN TO RESET TO 29.92, THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN TO ASK SEVERAL QUESTIONS FROM THE PAX. I CONTINUED TO TURN THE KNOB WHILE TALKING TO HER. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE ALTIMETER ALL I CHKED WERE THE LAST 2 DIGITS WHICH READ .96 AND THEN MOVED THE KNOB TO OBTAIN .92. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS 28.92, WHICH I MISSED. THE CTLR CONTINUED STEPPING US UP WITHOUT ANY ALT STOP TO FL290. AT FL280, THE COPLT NOTICED THE DISCREPANCY BTWN OUR ALTIMETERS AND I DISCOVERED MY ERROR. I BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF AND THE COPLT ASKED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM OUR ALT AS FL290 AND THE CTLR RESPONDED 'CLB TO FL310.' I AM NOT REALLY SURE IF WE WERE EVER AT THE WRONG ALT BUT ITS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE, AND A SERIOUS MISTAKE. AS FOR WHY IT HAPPENED, OBVIOUSLY I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTR FROM THE TASK I WAS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. ADDITIONALLY, THE LARGE DIFFERENCE BTWN DEP AND ENRTE ALTIMETERS MEANT THAT I KNEW I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE KNOB QUITE A BIT AND CONTINUED TO TURN WHILE DISTR AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FAILED TO CHK MY WORK. THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE IS AN OLD ONE -- THE AIRPLANE COMES FIRST, PAYING ATTN TO YOUR JOB WILL REALLY CUT DOWN ON STUPID ERRORS AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO WAIT UNTIL I HAD FINISHED THE TASK AT HAND. YOU CAN BET I LEARNED A LESSON AND SOME HUMILITY.

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.