B767 captain misset his altimeter to inches instead of hectopascals. This was not detected by other crew members until a 400 ft overshoot occurred.

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Attributes
ACN	565928
Time
Date	200211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eddl.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2600 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : eddl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3330
ASRS Report	565928
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain was the PF. On base leg to the ILS runway 5R at dus, we were initially cleared to 4000 ft and transition level was FL70 and the local altimeter was 998 hectopascals. Once given the clearance below transition level, we set our altimeters to the local setting and called approach descent checklist complete. Then we were reclred to 3000 ft. We called 1000 ft above and as we approached 3000 ft, I was reviewing the approach chart and when I looked up and scanned the instruments, I noticed us at 2800 ft and said 'watch your altitude.' the captain continued the descent and at 2700 ft I took control of the airplane, disconnected the autoplt and leveled the airplane at 2600 ft, gave the captain the airplane and told him to climb. He hesitated and I told him to climb once again. The other first officer noticed the captain's altimeter was incorrectly set to 29.98 inches instead of 998 hectopascals. Once the captain corrected his altimeter, he immediately climbed to 3000 ft. The approach controller never said anything and the rest of the approach was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CAPT MISSET HIS ALTIMETER TO INCHES INSTEAD OF HECTOPASCALS. THIS WAS NOT DETECTED BY OTHER CREW MEMBERS UNTIL A 400 FT OVERSHOOT OCCURRED.

Narrative: CAPT WAS THE PF. ON BASE LEG TO THE ILS RWY 5R AT DUS, WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO 4000 FT AND TRANSITION LEVEL WAS FL70 AND THE LCL ALTIMETER WAS 998 HECTOPASCALS. ONCE GIVEN THE CLRNC BELOW TRANSITION LEVEL, WE SET OUR ALTIMETERS TO THE LCL SETTING AND CALLED APCH DSCNT CHKLIST COMPLETE. THEN WE WERE RECLRED TO 3000 FT. WE CALLED 1000 FT ABOVE AND AS WE APCHED 3000 FT, I WAS REVIEWING THE APCH CHART AND WHEN I LOOKED UP AND SCANNED THE INSTS, I NOTICED US AT 2800 FT AND SAID 'WATCH YOUR ALT.' THE CAPT CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND AT 2700 FT I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND LEVELED THE AIRPLANE AT 2600 FT, GAVE THE CAPT THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD HIM TO CLB. HE HESITATED AND I TOLD HIM TO CLB ONCE AGAIN. THE OTHER FO NOTICED THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER WAS INCORRECTLY SET TO 29.98 INCHES INSTEAD OF 998 HECTOPASCALS. ONCE THE CAPT CORRECTED HIS ALTIMETER, HE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 3000 FT. THE APCH CTLR NEVER SAID ANYTHING AND THE REST OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.