Narrative:

Flying FL330; in cruise with autoplt 1; I reached up to adjust the glare shield panel floodlights. This knob is adjacent to and similar in shape to the altimeter adjustment knob. I mistakenly rotated the altimeter adjustment knob; and subsequently heard the altitude tone and voice. Upon hearing that; I instinctively clicked off the autoplt and chased the altitude; manually correcting to the assigned altitude. The airplane; obviously; hadn't moved; but I corrected to a baro setting of 1026; which gave us a 700 ft altitude error. I immediately caught on to that; and subsequently pulled the altimeter knob; resetting the standard altimeter and I was then able to correct to the proper altitude. After I was back on altitude; I told naha ATC exactly what happened; and there was no other traffic in the area. Contributing factors to this error were as follows: some element of fatigue; and the design of the panel; neither of which are issues that can be addressed. We'll learn from the mistake and move on. This flight is a late departure out of hong kong; and I was not able to get a lot of rest in the hotel due to a noisy neighbor. To add to that; crew scheduling interrupted the little sleep I did get with some unrelated request.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 CAPT ON AN OVERWATER FLT SLEWED THE ALTIMETER ADJUSTMENT KNOB WHEN TRYING TO ADJUST LIGHTING; CAUSING A MOMENTARY ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: FLYING FL330; IN CRUISE WITH AUTOPLT 1; I REACHED UP TO ADJUST THE GLARE SHIELD PANEL FLOODLIGHTS. THIS KNOB IS ADJACENT TO AND SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO THE ALTIMETER ADJUSTMENT KNOB. I MISTAKENLY ROTATED THE ALTIMETER ADJUSTMENT KNOB; AND SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD THE ALT TONE AND VOICE. UPON HEARING THAT; I INSTINCTIVELY CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CHASED THE ALT; MANUALLY CORRECTING TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. THE AIRPLANE; OBVIOUSLY; HADN'T MOVED; BUT I CORRECTED TO A BARO SETTING OF 1026; WHICH GAVE US A 700 FT ALT ERROR. I IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT ON TO THAT; AND SUBSEQUENTLY PULLED THE ALTIMETER KNOB; RESETTING THE STANDARD ALTIMETER AND I WAS THEN ABLE TO CORRECT TO THE PROPER ALT. AFTER I WAS BACK ON ALT; I TOLD NAHA ATC EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED; AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ERROR WERE AS FOLLOWS: SOME ELEMENT OF FATIGUE; AND THE DESIGN OF THE PANEL; NEITHER OF WHICH ARE ISSUES THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED. WE'LL LEARN FROM THE MISTAKE AND MOVE ON. THIS FLT IS A LATE DEP OUT OF HONG KONG; AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A LOT OF REST IN THE HOTEL DUE TO A NOISY NEIGHBOR. TO ADD TO THAT; CREW SCHEDULING INTERRUPTED THE LITTLE SLEEP I DID GET WITH SOME UNRELATED REQUEST.

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.