Erroneous altimeter setting during a visual descent into austin, tx.

Attributes
ACN	330840
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aus
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : aus
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	330840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Time XA00. ATC frequency, austin. ATC facility, austin approach. Location: north of austin. During descent into aus, I copied the ATIS, but the first officer sent the changeover request via a miscellaneous 52 entry. The altimeter setting entered was off by 1 full inch. As we set our altimeters using the M52 figure, a continuous descent to a visual approach was made. No altitude bust occurred. The error was discovered on final approach. I should have crosschecked the M52 copy versus the copied ATIS. The printed M52 copy lended legitimacy to an erroneous number. Could a logic test be incorporated into the ACARS-decs system that would kick out altimeter settings that are substantially different from the most recent value.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS ALTIMETER SETTING DURING A VISUAL DSCNT INTO AUSTIN, TX.

Narrative: TIME XA00. ATC FREQ, AUSTIN. ATC FACILITY, AUSTIN APCH. LOCATION: N OF AUSTIN. DURING DSCNT INTO AUS, I COPIED THE ATIS, BUT THE FO SENT THE CHANGEOVER REQUEST VIA A MISC 52 ENTRY. THE ALTIMETER SETTING ENTERED WAS OFF BY 1 FULL INCH. AS WE SET OUR ALTIMETERS USING THE M52 FIGURE, A CONTINUOUS DSCNT TO A VISUAL APCH WAS MADE. NO ALT BUST OCCURRED. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED ON FINAL APCH. I SHOULD HAVE XCHKED THE M52 COPY VERSUS THE COPIED ATIS. THE PRINTED M52 COPY LENDED LEGITIMACY TO AN ERRONEOUS NUMBER. COULD A LOGIC TEST BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ACARS-DECS SYS THAT WOULD KICK OUT ALTIMETER SETTINGS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE MOST RECENT VALUE.

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.