37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 581867 |
Time | |
Date | 200305 |
Day | Sat |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | navaid : cmk.vor |
State Reference | NY |
Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | Mixed |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Navigation In Use | other vortac |
Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude |
Route In Use | departure sid : westchester |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 140 |
ASRS Report | 581867 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : departure controller : approach |
Events | |
Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : mode c other controllera |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was cleared on the westchester 1 departure from hpn. Cleared to maintain 3000 ft, I inadvertently climbed to 4000 ft. The controller questioned me about this, and I realized what had happened. My altimeter did read 3000 ft, but I realized that the wrong altimeter setting had been inputted, thus giving me a false altimeter reading of 1000 ft too low. This was human error on my part. On the ground, I did monitor the ATIS, and I did input the altimeter setting I heard, but I entered it incorrectly. I also misread the altimeter. I thought it showed 480 ft, but actually, it was reading -480 ft. I did question the 480 as the known field elevation was 400 ft. I figured the local altimeter setting had changed as the ATIS was almost an hour old. I didn't count on misreading the altimeter, and I should have asked ATC for a new altimeter setting. Unfortunately, the incorrectly inputted altimeter setting too closely resembled the field elevation in hundreds. In retrospect, after takeoff and on a downwind departure, as I passed through 1000 ft, I thought I seemed higher above the runway environment, but I didn't make the connection. There was no way I was going to pick up the mistake once I was airborne. I feel embarrassed and depressed about this, as it could have resulted in serious injury to myself and others. I need to be more careful about routine tasks like inputting altimeter settings, and I need to doublechk everything, which I will do in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C172 PLT MISSED QNH BY 1 INCH IN N90 CLASS E.
Narrative: I WAS CLRED ON THE WESTCHESTER 1 DEP FROM HPN. CLRED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT, I INADVERTENTLY CLBED TO 4000 FT. THE CTLR QUESTIONED ME ABOUT THIS, AND I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. MY ALTIMETER DID READ 3000 FT, BUT I REALIZED THAT THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING HAD BEEN INPUTTED, THUS GIVING ME A FALSE ALTIMETER READING OF 1000 FT TOO LOW. THIS WAS HUMAN ERROR ON MY PART. ON THE GND, I DID MONITOR THE ATIS, AND I DID INPUT THE ALTIMETER SETTING I HEARD, BUT I ENTERED IT INCORRECTLY. I ALSO MISREAD THE ALTIMETER. I THOUGHT IT SHOWED 480 FT, BUT ACTUALLY, IT WAS READING -480 FT. I DID QUESTION THE 480 AS THE KNOWN FIELD ELEVATION WAS 400 FT. I FIGURED THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING HAD CHANGED AS THE ATIS WAS ALMOST AN HR OLD. I DIDN'T COUNT ON MISREADING THE ALTIMETER, AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATC FOR A NEW ALTIMETER SETTING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INCORRECTLY INPUTTED ALTIMETER SETTING TOO CLOSELY RESEMBLED THE FIELD ELEVATION IN HUNDREDS. IN RETROSPECT, AFTER TKOF AND ON A DOWNWIND DEP, AS I PASSED THROUGH 1000 FT, I THOUGHT I SEEMED HIGHER ABOVE THE RWY ENVIRONMENT, BUT I DIDN'T MAKE THE CONNECTION. THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO PICK UP THE MISTAKE ONCE I WAS AIRBORNE. I FEEL EMBARRASSED AND DEPRESSED ABOUT THIS, AS IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. I NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT ROUTINE TASKS LIKE INPUTTING ALTIMETER SETTINGS, AND I NEED TO DOUBLECHK EVERYTHING, WHICH I WILL DO IN THE FUTURE.
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.