Narrative:

While cruising FL350 we were cleared to 13000 ft for a crossing restr and given a local altimeter setting. I was preoccupied with the crossing restr that I forgot what the altimeter setting was. I do remember it ended with a zero. In our operation the so gets the local ATIS and writes it down on a card and hands it to pilots. He wrote down 29.92. Since I could not remember altimeter setting given by controller I looked at the card. So I thought the controller must have said 29.90, which I set in box. Descent into cvg stopped at 9000 ft momentarily and continued to descent and landing at cvg. We conducted a visual to runway 27 at cvg. ILS was OTS and OM did not work. First officer called 1000 ft above field then called out 500 ft above field. At this point I finally realized that we had an altimeter problem. Both visually and by the radio altimeter I knew we were not 500 ft AGL. It turned out to be 100 ft AGL. We landed without incident. At this point I knew we had set our altimeters wrong, true setting was 29.50. So we were flying 400 ft too low at 9000 ft, and during landing all callouts were 400 ft too low. The problem was caused by the pilots not xchking the so's report. Also, I as captain should have maintained a listen for an altimeter setting or asked for a verification, since I couldn't remember the original one. We must always xchk each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DSNDED TO 400 FT LOWER THAN PLANNED DURING A NIGHTTIME, VISUAL APCH. THE CAPT (PF) NOTICED THAT THE DSCNT PROFILE DID NOT APPEAR NORMAL AND THE RADIO ALTIMETER DID NOT MATCH THE FO'S CALLOUTS. CFTT.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING FL350 WE WERE CLRED TO 13000 FT FOR A XING RESTR AND GIVEN A LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE XING RESTR THAT I FORGOT WHAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS. I DO REMEMBER IT ENDED WITH A ZERO. IN OUR OP THE SO GETS THE LCL ATIS AND WRITES IT DOWN ON A CARD AND HANDS IT TO PLTS. HE WROTE DOWN 29.92. SINCE I COULD NOT REMEMBER ALTIMETER SETTING GIVEN BY CTLR I LOOKED AT THE CARD. SO I THOUGHT THE CTLR MUST HAVE SAID 29.90, WHICH I SET IN BOX. DSCNT INTO CVG STOPPED AT 9000 FT MOMENTARILY AND CONTINUED TO DSCNT AND LNDG AT CVG. WE CONDUCTED A VISUAL TO RWY 27 AT CVG. ILS WAS OTS AND OM DID NOT WORK. FO CALLED 1000 FT ABOVE FIELD THEN CALLED OUT 500 FT ABOVE FIELD. AT THIS POINT I FINALLY REALIZED THAT WE HAD AN ALTIMETER PROB. BOTH VISUALLY AND BY THE RADIO ALTIMETER I KNEW WE WERE NOT 500 FT AGL. IT TURNED OUT TO BE 100 FT AGL. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THIS POINT I KNEW WE HAD SET OUR ALTIMETERS WRONG, TRUE SETTING WAS 29.50. SO WE WERE FLYING 400 FT TOO LOW AT 9000 FT, AND DURING LNDG ALL CALLOUTS WERE 400 FT TOO LOW. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE PLTS NOT XCHKING THE SO'S RPT. ALSO, I AS CAPT SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED A LISTEN FOR AN ALTIMETER SETTING OR ASKED FOR A VERIFICATION, SINCE I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL ONE. WE MUST ALWAYS XCHK EACH OTHER.

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.