Narrative:

Departure out of stn, lydd runway 5R takeoff runway 23, altimeter 983 MB. Immediately after takeoff we were given vectors and assigned altitudes that roughly followed the departure procedure track. We were step climbed 4000 ft to 6000 ft to FL080 and given 'high speed departure' approved. While climbing from 6000 ft to FL080 there were significant communications taking place between ATC and other traffic which we were paying attention to, to maintain situational awareness. We decided not to use 'high speed departure' speeds due to congestion. As we approached FL080, there were repeated broken xmissions on guard one being to us to, 'descend FL080, check altimeter setting 1013.' concurrently the crew recognized standard altimeter was not set. We set 1013 and initiated descent, actual deviation 8400 ft. Transition altitude for this area is 6000 ft. With the low altimeter setting at 983 MB, at 6000 ft you are already at approximately FL070. Thus, once we were cleared to FL080 we only had 1000 ft to set 1013, fly aircraft, respond to ATC communication and verify assigned altitude. Our aircraft that day had a low gross weight and increased performance, approximately 4000 ft to 5000 ft climb rate available at 6000 ft, thus giving limited time to respond appropriately prior to FL080. Factors that I feel contributed to this deviation include: low altimeter setting. Low transition altitude. Increased workload from ATC with vectors and step climb. ATC controller in training. Intensive communication environment. Fatigue, crew had just made ocean crossing ewr-stn headed to cdg. How to improve/reduce chances of same occurrence: allow aircraft to fly assigned departure procedure. Do not level aircraft at 6000 ft when transition altitude is 6000 ft. If 6000 ft is assigned, do not give aircraft clearance to an altitude that gives very limited time to adhere to proper altimeter procedures. Do not increase workload for aircrew in an already high workload environment, ie, WX, headings, step climbs, traffic avoidance all below 10000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 598503: curious about the 6000 ft clearance, (since the transition altitude is 6000 ft), I read back with emphasis, '6000 ft.' before communication could be established, ATC cleared us to 'FL080, cleared for high speed climb.' at this point I noticed '1013' had not been set and stated so to the first officer who was correcting our flight path to return to FL080. After speaking with the shift supervisor at london control, he confirmed that xmissions were blocked. There was no loss of separation with other aircraft or safety issue in this regard. Our TCASII showed the same. There were no alerts. He also stated that our controller was a trainee. We were IMC, in icing conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD11 OVERSHOOT ALT ON DEP FROM STN ON LYDD DEP. EXCEEDENCE CAUSED IN PART BY LATE RESETTING OF ALTIMETER TO QNE VICE QNH.

Narrative: DEP OUT OF STN, LYDD RWY 5R TKOF RWY 23, ALTIMETER 983 MB. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS AND ASSIGNED ALTS THAT ROUGHLY FOLLOWED THE DEP PROC TRACK. WE WERE STEP CLBED 4000 FT TO 6000 FT TO FL080 AND GIVEN 'HIGH SPD DEP' APPROVED. WHILE CLBING FROM 6000 FT TO FL080 THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT COMS TAKING PLACE BTWN ATC AND OTHER TFC WHICH WE WERE PAYING ATTN TO, TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. WE DECIDED NOT TO USE 'HIGH SPD DEP' SPDS DUE TO CONGESTION. AS WE APCHED FL080, THERE WERE REPEATED BROKEN XMISSIONS ON GUARD ONE BEING TO US TO, 'DSND FL080, CHK ALTIMETER SETTING 1013.' CONCURRENTLY THE CREW RECOGNIZED STANDARD ALTIMETER WAS NOT SET. WE SET 1013 AND INITIATED DSCNT, ACTUAL DEV 8400 FT. TRANSITION ALT FOR THIS AREA IS 6000 FT. WITH THE LOW ALTIMETER SETTING AT 983 MB, AT 6000 FT YOU ARE ALREADY AT APPROX FL070. THUS, ONCE WE WERE CLRED TO FL080 WE ONLY HAD 1000 FT TO SET 1013, FLY ACFT, RESPOND TO ATC COM AND VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT. OUR ACFT THAT DAY HAD A LOW GROSS WT AND INCREASED PERFORMANCE, APPROX 4000 FT TO 5000 FT CLB RATE AVAILABLE AT 6000 FT, THUS GIVING LIMITED TIME TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY PRIOR TO FL080. FACTORS THAT I FEEL CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DEV INCLUDE: LOW ALTIMETER SETTING. LOW TRANSITION ALT. INCREASED WORKLOAD FROM ATC WITH VECTORS AND STEP CLB. ATC CTLR IN TRAINING. INTENSIVE COM ENVIRONMENT. FATIGUE, CREW HAD JUST MADE OCEAN XING EWR-STN HEADED TO CDG. HOW TO IMPROVE/REDUCE CHANCES OF SAME OCCURRENCE: ALLOW ACFT TO FLY ASSIGNED DEP PROC. DO NOT LEVEL ACFT AT 6000 FT WHEN TRANSITION ALT IS 6000 FT. IF 6000 FT IS ASSIGNED, DO NOT GIVE ACFT CLRNC TO AN ALT THAT GIVES VERY LIMITED TIME TO ADHERE TO PROPER ALTIMETER PROCS. DO NOT INCREASE WORKLOAD FOR AIRCREW IN AN ALREADY HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT, IE, WX, HEADINGS, STEP CLBS, TFC AVOIDANCE ALL BELOW 10000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 598503: CURIOUS ABOUT THE 6000 FT CLRNC, (SINCE THE TRANSITION ALT IS 6000 FT), I READ BACK WITH EMPHASIS, '6000 FT.' BEFORE COM COULD BE ESTABLISHED, ATC CLRED US TO 'FL080, CLRED FOR HIGH SPD CLB.' AT THIS POINT I NOTICED '1013' HAD NOT BEEN SET AND STATED SO TO THE FO WHO WAS CORRECTING OUR FLT PATH TO RETURN TO FL080. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE SHIFT SUPVR AT LONDON CTL, HE CONFIRMED THAT XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH OTHER ACFT OR SAFETY ISSUE IN THIS REGARD. OUR TCASII SHOWED THE SAME. THERE WERE NO ALERTS. HE ALSO STATED THAT OUR CTLR WAS A TRAINEE. WE WERE IMC, IN ICING CONDITIONS.

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.