Air carrier flight crew failed to reset barometric pressure on altimeters while descending through the transition altitude. When the aircraft was leveled at 17000 ft, ATC questioned altitude. The difference in the pressure altitude and local altitude setting resulted in the flight's descent to over 800 ft below the clearance altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	325807
Time
Date	199601
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fqf
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16160 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	325807
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	326170
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance 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:

Flight from abq-den was cleared to descend to 17000 ft. After leveling at 17000 ft ATC questioned altitude clearance noting the altimeter setting of 29.08 inches. Crew observed that altimeters were still set to 29.92 inches. Altimeter was immediately set to 29.08 inches and a climb was initiated. Upon arriving at 17000 ft, altimeter setting of 29.08 inches, another clearance was given by ATC to descend to 16000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC FAILED TO RESET BAROMETRIC PRESSURE ON ALTIMETERS WHILE DSNDING THROUGH THE TRANSITION ALT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS LEVELED AT 17000 FT, ATC QUESTIONED ALT. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PRESSURE ALT AND LCL ALT SETTING RESULTED IN THE FLT'S DSCNT TO OVER 800 FT BELOW THE CLRNC ALT.

Narrative: FLT FROM ABQ-DEN WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 17000 FT. AFTER LEVELING AT 17000 FT ATC QUESTIONED ALT CLRNC NOTING THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.08 INCHES. CREW OBSERVED THAT ALTIMETERS WERE STILL SET TO 29.92 INCHES. ALTIMETER WAS IMMEDIATELY SET TO 29.08 INCHES AND A CLB WAS INITIATED. UPON ARRIVING AT 17000 FT, ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.08 INCHES, ANOTHER CLRNC WAS GIVEN BY ATC TO DSND TO 16000 FT.

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.