CRJ900 flight crew sets incorrect local altimeter descending through FL180 (30.31 vise 29.31). This ...

Attributes
ACN	823347
Time
Date	200902
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	CLE.Airport
State Reference	OH
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Altimeter
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240 Flight Crew Total 16000 Flight Crew Type 3500
Person 2
Function	Pilot Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 184 Flight Crew Total 8800 Flight Crew Type 1800
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Overshoot Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural FAR
Miss Distance	Horizontal 18000 Vertical 100

Narrative:

When at FL190 and about 20 minutes from arrival in cleveland and approximately 50 miles south of keatn intersection; we were issued a descent to 15;000 ft. I sincerely believe I heard the controller give us an altimeter setting of 30.40 at that time. I set 30.40 in the altimeter and began the descent. The first officer was off frequency listening to the ATIS (which he reported scratchy and hard to hear) as well as contacting operations in cleveland and standard in range passenger briefing. The weather was IMC with rain; icing; moderate chop. Ultimately; he came back on and we set 30.40 across the board. Later 30.31 as he had written only .31 on our ATIS data card. (The correct altimeter setting was 29.31.) we were given a further descent to 13;000 ft then further to cross keatn at 10;000 ft. Each time we reported leaving an altitude (which would have been off by 1;000 ft) but not 1 of 3 different controllers caught the error. As a result; we descended to 9;000 ft thinking we were at 10;000 ft. Still not a single controller noticed our altitude. I was the first person to draw attention to it when our TCAS showed an aircraft at our altitude and opposite direction at our 12 o'clock position. I queried ATC and the controller appeared a little confused at first. The opposite direction dash 8 responded to a TCAS RA and descended. We received only a brief TA. Again; it was I who asked for an altimeter setting and we subsequently corrected our altitude to 10;000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 flight crew sets incorrect local altimeter descending through FL180 (30.31 vise 29.31). This goes unnoticed until 9000 FT where a TCAS alert makes the crew ask questions.

Narrative: When at FL190 and about 20 minutes from arrival in Cleveland and approximately 50 miles south of KEATN Intersection; we were issued a descent to 15;000 FT. I sincerely believe I heard the Controller give us an altimeter setting of 30.40 at that time. I set 30.40 in the altimeter and began the descent. The First Officer was off frequency listening to the ATIS (which he reported scratchy and hard to hear) as well as contacting Operations in Cleveland and standard in range passenger briefing. The weather was IMC with rain; icing; moderate chop. Ultimately; he came back on and we set 30.40 across the board. Later 30.31 as he had written only .31 on our ATIS data card. (The correct altimeter setting was 29.31.) We were given a further descent to 13;000 FT then further to cross KEATN at 10;000 FT. Each time we reported leaving an altitude (which would have been off by 1;000 FT) but not 1 of 3 different Controllers caught the error. As a result; we descended to 9;000 FT thinking we were at 10;000 FT. Still not a single controller noticed our altitude. I was the first person to draw attention to it when our TCAS showed an aircraft at our altitude and opposite direction at our 12 o'clock position. I queried ATC and the Controller appeared a little confused at first. The opposite direction Dash 8 responded to a TCAS RA and descended. We received only a brief TA. Again; it was I who asked for an altimeter setting and we subsequently corrected our altitude to 10;000 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

CRJ900 flight crew sets incorrect local altimeter descending through FL180 (30.31 vise 29.31). This goes unnoticed until 9000 ft where a TCAS alert makes the crew ask questions.