Narrative:

50 yrs of flying and 40000 hours will make you immune to stupid mistakes. Wrong!! During an air show performance I set my altimeter to 0 to enable easier recognition of actual altitude above the ground during low passes. First mistake: I allowed myself to be hurried into a departure, and in so doing, reset my altimeter to the field elevation, (at least the feet needle) and failed to notice the error on the 1000 ft needle and the barometric setting. My haste to get airborne was because the military jets were preparing to depart which would have caused considerable delay and en route WX was felt to be a factor. Lesson: do not allow yourself to be rushed to the point that important items are overlooked. Second mistake: I flew GPS direct VFR at 17500 ft to stay below the positive control area. Except I had rotated the altimeter the wrong way and was actually at 18500 ft. Fortunately, the skies were clear and no traffic conflicts were noted. Used departure and approach controllers, but did not ask for flight following. Lesson: had I stayed in radio and radar contact, the error would have been noticed and prevented a lengthy incursion into positive control airspace. Third mistake: did not file a flight plan which would have alerted the controling agencies as to my identify and intentions, which may have reduced their concerns as I approached a sensitive area. Lesson: the services are there for our use and help -- use them! I was very embarrassed when I was advised to contact center on landing and discovered the 1000 ft error. Had this occurred on an IFR flight, it could have caused serious conflicts and consequences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIG17 PLT MISSET HIS ALTIMETER BEFORE DEP AND WAS 1000 FT OFF HIS ALT, VIOLATING CLASS A AIRSPACE WITH ZMP.

Narrative: 50 YRS OF FLYING AND 40000 HRS WILL MAKE YOU IMMUNE TO STUPID MISTAKES. WRONG!! DURING AN AIR SHOW PERFORMANCE I SET MY ALTIMETER TO 0 TO ENABLE EASIER RECOGNITION OF ACTUAL ALT ABOVE THE GND DURING LOW PASSES. FIRST MISTAKE: I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE HURRIED INTO A DEP, AND IN SO DOING, RESET MY ALTIMETER TO THE FIELD ELEVATION, (AT LEAST THE FEET NEEDLE) AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE ERROR ON THE 1000 FT NEEDLE AND THE BAROMETRIC SETTING. MY HASTE TO GET AIRBORNE WAS BECAUSE THE MIL JETS WERE PREPARING TO DEPART WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DELAY AND ENRTE WX WAS FELT TO BE A FACTOR. LESSON: DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE RUSHED TO THE POINT THAT IMPORTANT ITEMS ARE OVERLOOKED. SECOND MISTAKE: I FLEW GPS DIRECT VFR AT 17500 FT TO STAY BELOW THE PCA. EXCEPT I HAD ROTATED THE ALTIMETER THE WRONG WAY AND WAS ACTUALLY AT 18500 FT. FORTUNATELY, THE SKIES WERE CLR AND NO TFC CONFLICTS WERE NOTED. USED DEP AND APCH CTLRS, BUT DID NOT ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING. LESSON: HAD I STAYED IN RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT, THE ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED AND PREVENTED A LENGTHY INCURSION INTO POSITIVE CTL AIRSPACE. THIRD MISTAKE: DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED THE CTLING AGENCIES AS TO MY IDENT AND INTENTIONS, WHICH MAY HAVE REDUCED THEIR CONCERNS AS I APCHED A SENSITIVE AREA. LESSON: THE SVCS ARE THERE FOR OUR USE AND HELP -- USE THEM! I WAS VERY EMBARRASSED WHEN I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT CTR ON LNDG AND DISCOVERED THE 1000 FT ERROR. HAD THIS OCCURRED ON AN IFR FLT, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS CONFLICTS AND CONSEQUENCES.

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.