Wrong altimeter setting. Reporter captain didn't check setting against field elevation prior to departure. Leveled 700 ft high from assigned altitude, ATC intervened, provided correct setting and flight crew returned to assigned.

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Attributes
ACN	330500
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ctr
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : poc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zbw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	330500
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	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:

WX at departure airport (owd) severe clear VFR at dusk, got ATIS. Altimeter had been very low previous day (29.82 I believe) and had gone extremely high next. ATIS reported altitude setting and I 'cranked it' way up. I apparently set 30.37 instead of actual 30.87! I mistook the .37 for .87, but didn't catch it because I hadn't checked the altimeter's altitude readout against field elevation! A simple glance would have caught error, but being 'severe clear' and late sunday night too, I skipped a lot of our predep IFR checklist, which demands such a simple xchk. Upon leveling at '14000 ft' ATC informed me of altitude setting and indicated he showed us at '14700 ft.' I dialed in correct altitude and ATC was (nearly) right, and I immediately descended. Moral: I'll always use all checklists, they take 30 seconds to a min tops. What's the rush? I'm not so 'professional' that every correct action just effortlessly exudes from my pores! I've had good training, that's not my excuse. It kind of scares me how complacency can sneak in unseen until something happens. This was, thankfully, a minor incident. I can thoroughly understand how a minor oversight could lead to a much worse scenario.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING. RPTR CAPT DIDN'T CHK SETTING AGAINST FIELD ELEVATION PRIOR TO DEP. LEVELED 700 FT HIGH FROM ASSIGNED ALT, ATC INTERVENED, PROVIDED CORRECT SETTING AND FLC RETURNED TO ASSIGNED.

Narrative: WX AT DEP ARPT (OWD) SEVERE CLR VFR AT DUSK, GOT ATIS. ALTIMETER HAD BEEN VERY LOW PREVIOUS DAY (29.82 I BELIEVE) AND HAD GONE EXTREMELY HIGH NEXT. ATIS RPTED ALT SETTING AND I 'CRANKED IT' WAY UP. I APPARENTLY SET 30.37 INSTEAD OF ACTUAL 30.87! I MISTOOK THE .37 FOR .87, BUT DIDN'T CATCH IT BECAUSE I HADN'T CHKED THE ALTIMETER'S ALT READOUT AGAINST FIELD ELEVATION! A SIMPLE GLANCE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ERROR, BUT BEING 'SEVERE CLR' AND LATE SUNDAY NIGHT TOO, I SKIPPED A LOT OF OUR PREDEP IFR CHKLIST, WHICH DEMANDS SUCH A SIMPLE XCHK. UPON LEVELING AT '14000 FT' ATC INFORMED ME OF ALT SETTING AND INDICATED HE SHOWED US AT '14700 FT.' I DIALED IN CORRECT ALT AND ATC WAS (NEARLY) RIGHT, AND I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED. MORAL: I'LL ALWAYS USE ALL CHKLISTS, THEY TAKE 30 SECONDS TO A MIN TOPS. WHAT'S THE RUSH? I'M NOT SO 'PROFESSIONAL' THAT EVERY CORRECT ACTION JUST EFFORTLESSLY EXUDES FROM MY PORES! I'VE HAD GOOD TRAINING, THAT'S NOT MY EXCUSE. IT KIND OF SCARES ME HOW COMPLACENCY CAN SNEAK IN UNSEEN UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. THIS WAS, THANKFULLY, A MINOR INCIDENT. I CAN THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND HOW A MINOR OVERSIGHT COULD LEAD TO A MUCH WORSE SCENARIO.

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.