<< >> NASA ASRS Report 579315, April 2003

PA32 pilot misset his altimeter by 1 inch, and was at 6000 ft instead of his cleared 5000 ft in ZDC class east.

Attributes
ACN	579315
Time
Date	200304
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sbv.vortac
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 36 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 420
ASRS Report	579315
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Conversation went as follows: washington center (ZDC): lance X, what is your altitude? Aircraft X: 5000 ft. ZDC: I show you at 6000 ft. ZDC: what is your assigned altitude? Aircraft X: I filed for 5000 ft. ZDC: what was the last assigned altitude by at aircraft X: 5000 ft. ZDC: aircraft X, raleigh altimeter three zero three four. Aircraft X: three-zero-three-four. I checked my altimeter setting. The altimeter was set at 29.34, not 30.34. I corrected the altimeter setting. Altimeter then indicated 6000. Aircraft X: my apologies. I am at 6000 ft. Do you want me at 5 or 6000 ft? ZDC: aircraft X, stay at 6000 ft. Cause: I was 1000 ft higher than my assigned altitude due to having altimeter setting at 29.34 rather than 30.34.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT MISSET HIS ALTIMETER BY 1 INCH, AND WAS AT 6000 FT INSTEAD OF HIS CLRED 5000 FT IN ZDC CLASS E.

Narrative: CONVERSATION WENT AS FOLLOWS: WASHINGTON CTR (ZDC): LANCE X, WHAT IS YOUR ALT? ACFT X: 5000 FT. ZDC: I SHOW YOU AT 6000 FT. ZDC: WHAT IS YOUR ASSIGNED ALT? ACFT X: I FILED FOR 5000 FT. ZDC: WHAT WAS THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT BY AT ACFT X: 5000 FT. ZDC: ACFT X, RALEIGH ALTIMETER THREE ZERO THREE FOUR. ACFT X: THREE-ZERO-THREE-FOUR. I CHKED MY ALTIMETER SETTING. THE ALTIMETER WAS SET AT 29.34, NOT 30.34. I CORRECTED THE ALTIMETER SETTING. ALTIMETER THEN INDICATED 6000. ACFT X: MY APOLOGIES. I AM AT 6000 FT. DO YOU WANT ME AT 5 OR 6000 FT? ZDC: ACFT X, STAY AT 6000 FT. CAUSE: I WAS 1000 FT HIGHER THAN MY ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO HAVING ALTIMETER SETTING AT 29.34 RATHER THAN 30.34.

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.