Flight crew of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft inadvertently were above assigned altitude because of failure to reset the altimeter to standard setting above 18000 ft.

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Attributes
ACN	266482
Time
Date	199403
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	266482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Went to back of aircraft to investigate flight attendant's problem with smoke detector in lavatory. Detector would not stop beeping and although no evidence of fire, captain requested a check anyway. Upon verifying all's well returned to flight deck just as center was saying 'verify your altitude.' aircraft was 300 ft high at FL223. Captain forgot to reset altimeter through FL180. Just a small distraction is all it takes for a crew member to miss a required task and since the other pilot was required outside the flight deck, the normal double- check was unavailable. Smoke detector battery replacement was required.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY WERE ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO RESET THE ALTIMETER TO STANDARD SETTING ABOVE 18000 FT.

Narrative: WENT TO BACK OF ACFT TO INVESTIGATE FLT ATTENDANT'S PROB WITH SMOKE DETECTOR IN LAVATORY. DETECTOR WOULD NOT STOP BEEPING AND ALTHOUGH NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE, CAPT REQUESTED A CHK ANYWAY. UPON VERIFYING ALL'S WELL RETURNED TO FLT DECK JUST AS CTR WAS SAYING 'VERIFY YOUR ALT.' ACFT WAS 300 FT HIGH AT FL223. CAPT FORGOT TO RESET ALTIMETER THROUGH FL180. JUST A SMALL DISTR IS ALL IT TAKES FOR A CREW MEMBER TO MISS A REQUIRED TASK AND SINCE THE OTHER PLT WAS REQUIRED OUTSIDE THE FLT DECK, THE NORMAL DOUBLE- CHK WAS UNAVAILABLE. SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERY REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED.

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.