Narrative:

This was the other 2 pilot's first flight to russia. Russia operates in meters which are not our normal operations. I was instructing the other 2 pilots how to convert to meters and how to use the charts. The entire descent was uneventful until we switched from the handheld charts to the approach charts. I told the 2 pilots that you now switch to the chart on the approach plates and do the same type of conversion. We turned base for an ILS to runway 7L. We were VFR and had the runway in sight. We were instructed to descend to 600 meters which converts to 2600 ft on the chart. Somehow 2000 ft was set in the altitude window. We then descended 600 ft below our assigned altitude. The ground and runway were in sight and we were on a visual final. The tower told us we were 600 ft low and to climb and complete the approach. All 3 pilots discussed the incident and were unsure how the wrong altitude ended up in the window. The landing was uneventful. We had been flying all night and this was a new environment for the other 2 pilots. I was sitting in the jumpseat and trying to instruct the other pilots on how to operate in meters. Supplemental information from acn 788008: this was my first time into moscow and as a line check airman I was giving a transoceanic operating experience to a new first officer. The relief first officer was in the jumpseat and had been to uuee several times. Our operations specifications allow entry into uuee if any of the 3 crew members have ever flown into uuee. The challenge to this theatre is that russia operates in reference to meters for all altitudes. When we enter russian airspace we are assigned a corresponding altitude in meters and convert it by a chart to ft. Our aircraft has a meters switch which will display altitudes in both. As we descended on the arrival; each altitude assignment was converted by the relief pilot and then verified by both the PF and the pilot monitoring. The next big challenge is when given an altitude below the transition level of 1500 meters. Russia assigns altitudes in meters referenced to QFE which shows altitude above the field instead of qnh which will show altitude above sea level. Since this is the only place we fly in the world that operates with QFE; we request a qnh altimeter setting and then convert to ft to fly our assigned altitude in meters. We were cleared for the approach and cleared to 600 meters with a QFE of 983. I then requested a qnh and was given 1015. The first officer was flying the aircraft on autoplt and thought he heard the relief pilot call our 2000 ft. When we leveled; moscow approach said they showed us at 430 meters and repeated our clearance to maintain 600 meters and cleared for approach. It was then we realized that the correct table conversion showed 2600 ft. We climbed back up to 2600 ft and continued the approach. We were VMC and had the airport in sight the entire time. While I was distracted by the additional radio call to receive a qnh setting and verifying the clearance; I missed the fact that the wrong altitude was set and relied too much on the relief pilot. Our 3-MAN crew was flying solo at that point by relying on 1 person to determine the correct altitude. I also think our operations specifications should require a line check airman to accompany a crew on their first flight into russia. It is too much to ask a pilot that has not been trained as an instructor to guide pilots into moscow on their first trip. It also would be helpful if russia would use qnh altitudes referenced to ft which is the ICAO standard worldwide.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW RPTS SETTING AN INCORRECT MCP ALT ALERT DSNDING INTO UUEE WHERE METERS ARE CONVERTED TO FEET WHEN USING A RWY APCH PLATE.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE OTHER 2 PLT'S FIRST FLT TO RUSSIA. RUSSIA OPERATES IN METERS WHICH ARE NOT OUR NORMAL OPS. I WAS INSTRUCTING THE OTHER 2 PLTS HOW TO CONVERT TO METERS AND HOW TO USE THE CHARTS. THE ENTIRE DSCNT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WE SWITCHED FROM THE HANDHELD CHARTS TO THE APCH CHARTS. I TOLD THE 2 PLTS THAT YOU NOW SWITCH TO THE CHART ON THE APCH PLATES AND DO THE SAME TYPE OF CONVERSION. WE TURNED BASE FOR AN ILS TO RWY 7L. WE WERE VFR AND HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 600 METERS WHICH CONVERTS TO 2600 FT ON THE CHART. SOMEHOW 2000 FT WAS SET IN THE ALT WINDOW. WE THEN DSNDED 600 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE GND AND RWY WERE IN SIGHT AND WE WERE ON A VISUAL FINAL. THE TWR TOLD US WE WERE 600 FT LOW AND TO CLB AND COMPLETE THE APCH. ALL 3 PLTS DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT AND WERE UNSURE HOW THE WRONG ALT ENDED UP IN THE WINDOW. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE HAD BEEN FLYING ALL NIGHT AND THIS WAS A NEW ENVIRONMENT FOR THE OTHER 2 PLTS. I WAS SITTING IN THE JUMPSEAT AND TRYING TO INSTRUCT THE OTHER PLTS ON HOW TO OPERATE IN METERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 788008: THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME INTO MOSCOW AND AS A LINE CHK AIRMAN I WAS GIVING A TRANSOCEANIC OPERATING EXPERIENCE TO A NEW FO. THE RELIEF FO WAS IN THE JUMPSEAT AND HAD BEEN TO UUEE SEVERAL TIMES. OUR OPS SPECS ALLOW ENTRY INTO UUEE IF ANY OF THE 3 CREW MEMBERS HAVE EVER FLOWN INTO UUEE. THE CHALLENGE TO THIS THEATRE IS THAT RUSSIA OPERATES IN REF TO METERS FOR ALL ALTS. WHEN WE ENTER RUSSIAN AIRSPACE WE ARE ASSIGNED A CORRESPONDING ALT IN METERS AND CONVERT IT BY A CHART TO FT. OUR ACFT HAS A METERS SWITCH WHICH WILL DISPLAY ALTS IN BOTH. AS WE DSNDED ON THE ARR; EACH ALT ASSIGNMENT WAS CONVERTED BY THE RELIEF PLT AND THEN VERIFIED BY BOTH THE PF AND THE PLT MONITORING. THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE IS WHEN GIVEN AN ALT BELOW THE TRANSITION LEVEL OF 1500 METERS. RUSSIA ASSIGNS ALTS IN METERS REFED TO QFE WHICH SHOWS ALT ABOVE THE FIELD INSTEAD OF QNH WHICH WILL SHOW ALT ABOVE SEA LEVEL. SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE WE FLY IN THE WORLD THAT OPERATES WITH QFE; WE REQUEST A QNH ALTIMETER SETTING AND THEN CONVERT TO FT TO FLY OUR ASSIGNED ALT IN METERS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND CLRED TO 600 METERS WITH A QFE OF 983. I THEN REQUESTED A QNH AND WAS GIVEN 1015. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT AND THOUGHT HE HEARD THE RELIEF PLT CALL OUR 2000 FT. WHEN WE LEVELED; MOSCOW APCH SAID THEY SHOWED US AT 430 METERS AND REPEATED OUR CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 600 METERS AND CLRED FOR APCH. IT WAS THEN WE REALIZED THAT THE CORRECT TABLE CONVERSION SHOWED 2600 FT. WE CLBED BACK UP TO 2600 FT AND CONTINUED THE APCH. WE WERE VMC AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME. WHILE I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE ADDITIONAL RADIO CALL TO RECEIVE A QNH SETTING AND VERIFYING THE CLRNC; I MISSED THE FACT THAT THE WRONG ALT WAS SET AND RELIED TOO MUCH ON THE RELIEF PLT. OUR 3-MAN CREW WAS FLYING SOLO AT THAT POINT BY RELYING ON 1 PERSON TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT ALT. I ALSO THINK OUR OPS SPECS SHOULD REQUIRE A LINE CHK AIRMAN TO ACCOMPANY A CREW ON THEIR FIRST FLT INTO RUSSIA. IT IS TOO MUCH TO ASK A PLT THAT HAS NOT BEEN TRAINED AS AN INSTRUCTOR TO GUIDE PLTS INTO MOSCOW ON THEIR FIRST TRIP. IT ALSO WOULD BE HELPFUL IF RUSSIA WOULD USE QNH ALTS REFED TO FT WHICH IS THE ICAO STANDARD WORLDWIDE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.