Narrative:

This was the third leg of a 5 leg day. The aircraft pushed on time from mci. It was my leg (first officer's). The takeoff and climb, as well as cruise, were normal and very much routine. Upon receiving our descent clearance and preparing to descend, we noticed that our altimeters all read the departure pressure and not the standard positive control area pressure. The appropriate altimeter was set and the flight continued to destination. ATC did not query us as to our cruising altitude, although we were not at FL310 for very long. As to the reason how this happened and the events that could have contributed to the oversight in setting the proper altimeter, as well as performing our FL180 flows, I have thought back to that point in time and came up blank with the events that had taken place passing FL180. This is an important altitude with respect to the operations checks and settings that need to be accomplished. As a crew member, I have never witnessed the absence of the FL180 requirements being conducted. With regard to a measure to insure that this procedure is performed, I would first like to know how many times it has been an issue, circumstances surrounding the events, safety issues, and the cost to address the solution. (That solution being a visual or verbal automatic indications.) as far as myself, I will not conduct any distracting behavior until this requirements is met, putting away departure charts, retrieving destination charts, etc. Thank you for your time. Supplemental information from acn 598770: passing through FL180 we somehow got distraction and failed to reset the altimeters to 29.92. Mci altimeter was approximately 30.41 or so. We leveled off at FL310, and cruised for about 15 mins. During our descent passing through FL180, we first noticed that we had failed to set 29.92 on the initial climb. Throughout the flight no one asked our altitude or if we were deviating, etc. As far as we know there was no harm done, except to our pride as professionals. We both failed to check each other and our climb check. That will not happen to me again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT DID NOT INSURE THE ALTIMETERS WERE SET QNE AT THE TRANSITION LEVEL. THEY FLEW AT FL305 PT 10. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE AT FL310.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE THIRD LEG OF A 5 LEG DAY. THE ACFT PUSHED ON TIME FROM MCI. IT WAS MY LEG (FO'S). THE TKOF AND CLB, AS WELL AS CRUISE, WERE NORMAL AND VERY MUCH ROUTINE. UPON RECEIVING OUR DSCNT CLRNC AND PREPARING TO DSND, WE NOTICED THAT OUR ALTIMETERS ALL READ THE DEP PRESSURE AND NOT THE STANDARD POSITIVE CTL AREA PRESSURE. THE APPROPRIATE ALTIMETER WAS SET AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST. ATC DID NOT QUERY US AS TO OUR CRUISING ALT, ALTHOUGH WE WERE NOT AT FL310 FOR VERY LONG. AS TO THE REASON HOW THIS HAPPENED AND THE EVENTS THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERSIGHT IN SETTING THE PROPER ALTIMETER, AS WELL AS PERFORMING OUR FL180 FLOWS, I HAVE THOUGHT BACK TO THAT POINT IN TIME AND CAME UP BLANK WITH THE EVENTS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE PASSING FL180. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ALT WITH RESPECT TO THE OPS CHKS AND SETTINGS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. AS A CREW MEMBER, I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED THE ABSENCE OF THE FL180 REQUIREMENTS BEING CONDUCTED. WITH REGARD TO A MEASURE TO INSURE THAT THIS PROC IS PERFORMED, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE EVENTS, SAFETY ISSUES, AND THE COST TO ADDRESS THE SOLUTION. (THAT SOLUTION BEING A VISUAL OR VERBAL AUTOMATIC INDICATIONS.) AS FAR AS MYSELF, I WILL NOT CONDUCT ANY DISTRACTING BEHAVIOR UNTIL THIS REQUIREMENTS IS MET, PUTTING AWAY DEP CHARTS, RETRIEVING DEST CHARTS, ETC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 598770: PASSING THROUGH FL180 WE SOMEHOW GOT DISTR AND FAILED TO RESET THE ALTIMETERS TO 29.92. MCI ALTIMETER WAS APPROX 30.41 OR SO. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL310, AND CRUISED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. DURING OUR DSCNT PASSING THROUGH FL180, WE FIRST NOTICED THAT WE HAD FAILED TO SET 29.92 ON THE INITIAL CLB. THROUGHOUT THE FLT NO ONE ASKED OUR ALT OR IF WE WERE DEVIATING, ETC. AS FAR AS WE KNOW THERE WAS NO HARM DONE, EXCEPT TO OUR PRIDE AS PROFESSIONALS. WE BOTH FAILED TO CHK EACH OTHER AND OUR CLB CHK. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN.

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.