Narrative:

On descent into sin, first officer copied ATIS and was on descent for landing. ATIS said 1013 hp and copied 1031 hp. I'm sure we received 1013 hp on our descent also as they are very thorough. I was concentrating on planning my descent. They had us on radar vectors to final and I was mentally calculating our descent as it would be less (lower) than FMC as we would probably turn a 5 mi final. We leveled at 6000 ft then turned toward final and leveled at 2000 ft to intercept the GS. It seemed like a long time to intercept the GS. On approach at 1000 ft, my radio altimeter read 500 ft (our 1000 ft check). I gave my altimeter a quick adjustment to correspond to RA. Normal landing was made. Singapore didn't ask us our altitude downwind at 6000 ft (really 5500 ft) or on final 2000 ft (really 1500 ft). Listened to ATIS on ground, 1013 hp, but didn't say anything to ground or tower. Figured the less said the better at this point. I think they only talked to one other aircraft during our approach and landing. Contributing factors: first officer was called up from 757 to 747-400 the day before we departed on trip. First trip in 4 months on 747-400, only 9 trips total. Still unsure about all procedures (differences, etc). Circadian fatigue: 11 hour time change in 3 days. Day fatigue: departed nrt at XA00 am. So it's now XH00 am nrt time. Both of us were really tired for above reasons. That, combined with my preoccupation of knowing we were not going to plan/fly the approach as published and the first officer's inexperience and preoccupation with checking things, missed all the ways we should have caught the altimeter setting. (This was first officer's first time in the first officer seat for landing in 4 months, except for 3 currency takeoffs and lndgs). This was first officer first landing in 4 months as the PNF, as simulator time is all flying the simulator as PF and no time as PNF. This happened (first leg) due to double crew on first leg and deadhead second leg. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was called for a special study. He did not qualify for the study. He flies the B-747-400 for a major united states air carrier. The reporter is concerned about circadian rhythms, dual qualification of his first officer's, and long duty days. Sin control said nothing about the altitude deviation, and the reporter chose not to 'put himself on report' by fessing up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING PUT IN WINDOW.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO SIN, FO COPIED ATIS AND WAS ON DSCNT FOR LNDG. ATIS SAID 1013 HP AND COPIED 1031 HP. I'M SURE WE RECEIVED 1013 HP ON OUR DSCNT ALSO AS THEY ARE VERY THOROUGH. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON PLANNING MY DSCNT. THEY HAD US ON RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL AND I WAS MENTALLY CALCULATING OUR DSCNT AS IT WOULD BE LESS (LOWER) THAN FMC AS WE WOULD PROBABLY TURN A 5 MI FINAL. WE LEVELED AT 6000 FT THEN TURNED TOWARD FINAL AND LEVELED AT 2000 FT TO INTERCEPT THE GS. IT SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME TO INTERCEPT THE GS. ON APCH AT 1000 FT, MY RADIO ALTIMETER READ 500 FT (OUR 1000 FT CHK). I GAVE MY ALTIMETER A QUICK ADJUSTMENT TO CORRESPOND TO RA. NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. SINGAPORE DIDN'T ASK US OUR ALT DOWNWIND AT 6000 FT (REALLY 5500 FT) OR ON FINAL 2000 FT (REALLY 1500 FT). LISTENED TO ATIS ON GND, 1013 HP, BUT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO GND OR TWR. FIGURED THE LESS SAID THE BETTER AT THIS POINT. I THINK THEY ONLY TALKED TO ONE OTHER ACFT DURING OUR APCH AND LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FO WAS CALLED UP FROM 757 TO 747-400 THE DAY BEFORE WE DEPARTED ON TRIP. FIRST TRIP IN 4 MONTHS ON 747-400, ONLY 9 TRIPS TOTAL. STILL UNSURE ABOUT ALL PROCS (DIFFERENCES, ETC). CIRCADIAN FATIGUE: 11 HR TIME CHANGE IN 3 DAYS. DAY FATIGUE: DEPARTED NRT AT XA00 AM. SO IT'S NOW XH00 AM NRT TIME. BOTH OF US WERE REALLY TIRED FOR ABOVE REASONS. THAT, COMBINED WITH MY PREOCCUPATION OF KNOWING WE WERE NOT GOING TO PLAN/FLY THE APCH AS PUBLISHED AND THE FO'S INEXPERIENCE AND PREOCCUPATION WITH CHKING THINGS, MISSED ALL THE WAYS WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ALTIMETER SETTING. (THIS WAS FO'S FIRST TIME IN THE FO SEAT FOR LNDG IN 4 MONTHS, EXCEPT FOR 3 CURRENCY TKOFS AND LNDGS). THIS WAS FO FIRST LNDG IN 4 MONTHS AS THE PNF, AS SIMULATOR TIME IS ALL FLYING THE SIMULATOR AS PF AND NO TIME AS PNF. THIS HAPPENED (FIRST LEG) DUE TO DOUBLE CREW ON FIRST LEG AND DEADHEAD SECOND LEG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS CALLED FOR A SPECIAL STUDY. HE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE STUDY. HE FLIES THE B-747-400 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED ABOUT CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, DUAL QUALIFICATION OF HIS FO'S, AND LONG DUTY DAYS. SIN CTL SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE ALTDEV, AND THE RPTR CHOSE NOT TO 'PUT HIMSELF ON RPT' BY FESSING UP.

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.