Medium large transport flight crew fails to set altimeter passing FL180, altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	295690
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fat
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32700 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	295690
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After reaching cruise altitude at FL330 center asked us to confirm our altitude. I reported level at FL330 which was rogered by the controller with the comment that he read our altitude as 300 ft low. It was then that I discovered that I had not reset my altimeter climbing through FL180. I corrected the setting. The first officer was flying the leg and he had reset his altimeter but since he had switched digital flight guidance computer to #1 to couple the autoplt to the navigation the airplane was flying was my setting. He had not yet noticed the fact that I had not reset my altimeter settings. I do not know how I missed the transition and how I lost checklist discipline but that was the cause of this incident. I cannot remember a distraction but there must have been one. I must reaffirm my checklist discipline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC FAILS TO SET ALTIMETER PASSING FL180, ALTDEV.

Narrative: AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT AT FL330 CTR ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT. I RPTED LEVEL AT FL330 WHICH WAS ROGERED BY THE CTLR WITH THE COMMENT THAT HE READ OUR ALT AS 300 FT LOW. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NOT RESET MY ALTIMETER CLBING THROUGH FL180. I CORRECTED THE SETTING. THE FO WAS FLYING THE LEG AND HE HAD RESET HIS ALTIMETER BUT SINCE HE HAD SWITCHED DIGITAL FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER TO #1 TO COUPLE THE AUTOPLT TO THE NAV THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING WAS MY SETTING. HE HAD NOT YET NOTICED THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT RESET MY ALTIMETER SETTINGS. I DO NOT KNOW HOW I MISSED THE TRANSITION AND HOW I LOST CHKLIST DISCIPLINE BUT THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. I CANNOT REMEMBER A DISTR BUT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN ONE. I MUST REAFFIRM MY CHKLIST DISCIPLINE.

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.