Altitude deviation, overshoot on descent. Wrong altimeter setting.

Attributes
ACN	133242
Time
Date	199001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9450 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : dsm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	133242
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	133599
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent, captain misread ATIS altimeter setting (placed wind in barometer window as opposed to altimeter setting); i.e., 3009 instead of 29.57. Autoplt leveled aircraft at 10000', but aircraft was actually at approximately 9450'. Controller asked our altitude and gave the current altimeter setting, at which time the captain reset his altimeter and the aircraft returned to proper altitude. I have noticed on several occasions (in a 2-MAN crew) that in the busy environments such as ord, xchks on altimeters and other items are not performed as quickly as they should be. There were 2 approachs in use, but none had been specified for use for us, so both needed to be studied, along with steering for continuous vectors, and complying with ATC instructions and performing cockpit duties. I had written the ATIS information on our company changeover information paper and presented it in the normal fashion: 80 3H 3009 29.57 ILS 27R ILS 27L. We were both busy, as is normal at this phase of flight--especially on a 2-M crew, and captain misread and misset the altimeter and I failed to xchk it in a timely fashion to prevent an altitude deviation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION, OVERSHOOT ON DESCENT. WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative: ON DSCNT, CAPT MISREAD ATIS ALTIMETER SETTING (PLACED WIND IN BAROMETER WINDOW AS OPPOSED TO ALTIMETER SETTING); I.E., 3009 INSTEAD OF 29.57. AUTOPLT LEVELED ACFT AT 10000', BUT ACFT WAS ACTUALLY AT APPROX 9450'. CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND GAVE THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING, AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT RESET HIS ALTIMETER AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO PROPER ALT. I HAVE NOTICED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS (IN A 2-MAN CREW) THAT IN THE BUSY ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ORD, XCHKS ON ALTIMETERS AND OTHER ITEMS ARE NOT PERFORMED AS QUICKLY AS THEY SHOULD BE. THERE WERE 2 APCHS IN USE, BUT NONE HAD BEEN SPECIFIED FOR USE FOR US, SO BOTH NEEDED TO BE STUDIED, ALONG WITH STEERING FOR CONTINUOUS VECTORS, AND COMPLYING WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND PERFORMING COCKPIT DUTIES. I HAD WRITTEN THE ATIS INFO ON OUR COMPANY CHANGEOVER INFO PAPER AND PRESENTED IT IN THE NORMAL FASHION: 80 3H 3009 29.57 ILS 27R ILS 27L. WE WERE BOTH BUSY, AS IS NORMAL AT THIS PHASE OF FLT--ESPECIALLY ON A 2-M CREW, AND CAPT MISREAD AND MISSET THE ALTIMETER AND I FAILED TO XCHK IT IN A TIMELY FASHION TO PREVENT AN ALT DEVIATION.

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.