Narrative:

Climbing out of mci we began discussing what altitude would be safest to cruise at for an intermediate step to final cruising altitude in respect to our fairly heavy weight and possible en route turbulence reports. Recent emphasis in recurrent training has made us all very aware of the need to consider all factors very carefully. We were cleared to FL340 and also received vectors for continued climb and future direct routing. We requested ride reports along our route to assist with our planning. Somehow; much to our chagrin; we both missed our FL180 calls and resetting our altimeters! A bit later; ATC asked us to expedite our climb to FL340 and we became aware of our inexcusable error. With mutual embarrassment we corrected our altimeters and altitude. ATC may have moved another aircraft to avoid any possible conflict; although we were in VMC and noted no close traffic either visually or on TCAS. We simply need to redouble our efforts to monitor each other and prioritize our tasks. Since we were heavy and not climbing too quickly I should have deferred our discussion and opc tasks until after FL180 as is my usual rule. Supplemental information from acn 712592: while climbing up to altitude; we got caught up in discussing an appropriate altitude to fly. We were on the verge of being a little too heavy to climb to FL360. I think our optimum was FL345. I wanted to level off at FL340 and the captain had issue with me wanting to level off at that altitude. She thought we would be ok at FL360 with a smooth ride. I personally don't like to push altitudes. I explained to her that my comfort zone was to not climb any higher than +500 ft above optimum; and then pull out the opc and run the numbers. The captain had issue and got a little upset with my logic. This was all happening during the time of climb out. I lost focus of resetting the altimeters at FL180 because I was concerned I had said something wrong to upset the captain. After running the numbers on the opc the captain finally agreed with me that we needed to level at FL340. As stated previously; neither of us caught our error of not resetting our altimeters to 29.92. The airplane leveled off for about 1 min at the wrong altitude and ATC asked us to be 'level in 2 mins or less.' it was then that we discovered our error. We reset our altimeters and climbed 300 ft to our proper leveloff altitude of FL340. ATC never made any issue of the event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW FAILS TO RESET ALTIMETERS CLBING THROUGH FL180 AND LEVELS OFF 300 FT BELOW FL340.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF MCI WE BEGAN DISCUSSING WHAT ALT WOULD BE SAFEST TO CRUISE AT FOR AN INTERMEDIATE STEP TO FINAL CRUISING ALT IN RESPECT TO OUR FAIRLY HVY WT AND POSSIBLE ENRTE TURB RPTS. RECENT EMPHASIS IN RECURRENT TRAINING HAS MADE US ALL VERY AWARE OF THE NEED TO CONSIDER ALL FACTORS VERY CAREFULLY. WE WERE CLRED TO FL340 AND ALSO RECEIVED VECTORS FOR CONTINUED CLB AND FUTURE DIRECT ROUTING. WE REQUESTED RIDE RPTS ALONG OUR RTE TO ASSIST WITH OUR PLANNING. SOMEHOW; MUCH TO OUR CHAGRIN; WE BOTH MISSED OUR FL180 CALLS AND RESETTING OUR ALTIMETERS! A BIT LATER; ATC ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB TO FL340 AND WE BECAME AWARE OF OUR INEXCUSABLE ERROR. WITH MUTUAL EMBARRASSMENT WE CORRECTED OUR ALTIMETERS AND ALT. ATC MAY HAVE MOVED ANOTHER ACFT TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE CONFLICT; ALTHOUGH WE WERE IN VMC AND NOTED NO CLOSE TFC EITHER VISUALLY OR ON TCAS. WE SIMPLY NEED TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO MONITOR EACH OTHER AND PRIORITIZE OUR TASKS. SINCE WE WERE HVY AND NOT CLBING TOO QUICKLY I SHOULD HAVE DEFERRED OUR DISCUSSION AND OPC TASKS UNTIL AFTER FL180 AS IS MY USUAL RULE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 712592: WHILE CLBING UP TO ALT; WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN DISCUSSING AN APPROPRIATE ALT TO FLY. WE WERE ON THE VERGE OF BEING A LITTLE TOO HVY TO CLB TO FL360. I THINK OUR OPTIMUM WAS FL345. I WANTED TO LEVEL OFF AT FL340 AND THE CAPT HAD ISSUE WITH ME WANTING TO LEVEL OFF AT THAT ALT. SHE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE OK AT FL360 WITH A SMOOTH RIDE. I PERSONALLY DON'T LIKE TO PUSH ALTS. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT MY COMFORT ZONE WAS TO NOT CLB ANY HIGHER THAN +500 FT ABOVE OPTIMUM; AND THEN PULL OUT THE OPC AND RUN THE NUMBERS. THE CAPT HAD ISSUE AND GOT A LITTLE UPSET WITH MY LOGIC. THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING DURING THE TIME OF CLBOUT. I LOST FOCUS OF RESETTING THE ALTIMETERS AT FL180 BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED I HAD SAID SOMETHING WRONG TO UPSET THE CAPT. AFTER RUNNING THE NUMBERS ON THE OPC THE CAPT FINALLY AGREED WITH ME THAT WE NEEDED TO LEVEL AT FL340. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY; NEITHER OF US CAUGHT OUR ERROR OF NOT RESETTING OUR ALTIMETERS TO 29.92. THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AT THE WRONG ALT AND ATC ASKED US TO BE 'LEVEL IN 2 MINS OR LESS.' IT WAS THEN THAT WE DISCOVERED OUR ERROR. WE RESET OUR ALTIMETERS AND CLBED 300 FT TO OUR PROPER LEVELOFF ALT OF FL340. ATC NEVER MADE ANY ISSUE OF THE EVENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.