Narrative:

Bwi, aviation inspection (aci) from bwi in jumpseat. On taxi out, asked if we had time for a quick question. Wanted to know what altitude difference was allowed. I, captain, said 70-140 ft depending on altitude. Nearing runway I saw first officer and I within 40 ft no problem. The field elevation was 150 ft. He then pointed out that the standby altimeter was 100 ft higher than mine. Captain altimeter 140 ft, first officer altimeter 180 ft, standby altimeter 240 ft. I noticed that it was off 100 ft from mine, but I was within 40 ft of first officer and he within 60 ft of standby, so I decided to press on and took off. At leveloff, en route cruise he asked for MEL book. He couldn't find altimeter difference so we went to operations manual and in expanded section found altimeter difference between a and B (captain and first officer) to be 50 ft at sea level. We then had to assume that standby was pneumatic and it should agree within 50 ft of other altimeter. This was a short flight, 1 hour 5 mins, and cmh was 21 overcast 3 mi visibility fog. First officer handled several radio calls while I talked to inspector. We spent more time than necessary on research and I was late on ATIS, company inrange and we rushed descent/approach brief. Also, flight attendant came to cockpit with refreshments. I unlocked door and had head in manuals. I forgot to close door again till several mins later, inspector didn't like this. Upon landing he mentioned we had poor crew coordination as both captain and first officer didn't know altimeter difference was 50 ft. Also said we should have stopped aircraft, called maintenance if we were unsure before takeoff. This is day 4 of 4 days. We have 1/2 hour to catch deadhead home and 14 hours 21 mins crew day. Miss deadhead and next flight is 2 hours 40 mins later. Maybe I had get home syndrome. Maybe looking at long duty day. Maybe I wanted to get plane and passenger to cmh on time. The problem didn't seem that bad at time. Recommend if inspector thought there was a problem with us going he might have asked us to call maintenance at altitude. I was out of flying loop for a while looking up manuals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA ACR INSPECTOR CONTRIBUTED TO OVERLOADING THE FLC WITH RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT DETAILS. THEIR ALTIMETERS, CAPT AND FO WERE WITHIN ACCEPTABLE TOLERANCE, BUT THE STANDBY WAS NOT. ACI TOLD THEM THEY SHOULD HAVE ASKED MAINT ABOUT THE ALTIMETERS PRIOR TO TKOF IF THEY WERE UNSURE. CAPT WANTED TO GET TO DEST SO HE COULD DEADHEAD HOME AT THE EARLIEST.

Narrative: BWI, AVIATION INSPECTION (ACI) FROM BWI IN JUMPSEAT. ON TAXI OUT, ASKED IF WE HAD TIME FOR A QUICK QUESTION. WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ALT DIFFERENCE WAS ALLOWED. I, CAPT, SAID 70-140 FT DEPENDING ON ALT. NEARING RWY I SAW FO AND I WITHIN 40 FT NO PROB. THE FIELD ELEVATION WAS 150 FT. HE THEN POINTED OUT THAT THE STANDBY ALTIMETER WAS 100 FT HIGHER THAN MINE. CAPT ALTIMETER 140 FT, FO ALTIMETER 180 FT, STANDBY ALTIMETER 240 FT. I NOTICED THAT IT WAS OFF 100 FT FROM MINE, BUT I WAS WITHIN 40 FT OF FO AND HE WITHIN 60 FT OF STANDBY, SO I DECIDED TO PRESS ON AND TOOK OFF. AT LEVELOFF, ENRTE CRUISE HE ASKED FOR MEL BOOK. HE COULDN'T FIND ALTIMETER DIFFERENCE SO WE WENT TO OPS MANUAL AND IN EXPANDED SECTION FOUND ALTIMETER DIFFERENCE BTWN A AND B (CAPT AND FO) TO BE 50 FT AT SEA LEVEL. WE THEN HAD TO ASSUME THAT STANDBY WAS PNEUMATIC AND IT SHOULD AGREE WITHIN 50 FT OF OTHER ALTIMETER. THIS WAS A SHORT FLT, 1 HR 5 MINS, AND CMH WAS 21 OVCST 3 MI VISIBILITY FOG. FO HANDLED SEVERAL RADIO CALLS WHILE I TALKED TO INSPECTOR. WE SPENT MORE TIME THAN NECESSARY ON RESEARCH AND I WAS LATE ON ATIS, COMPANY INRANGE AND WE RUSHED DSCNT/APCH BRIEF. ALSO, FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT WITH REFRESHMENTS. I UNLOCKED DOOR AND HAD HEAD IN MANUALS. I FORGOT TO CLOSE DOOR AGAIN TILL SEVERAL MINS LATER, INSPECTOR DIDN'T LIKE THIS. UPON LNDG HE MENTIONED WE HAD POOR CREW COORD AS BOTH CAPT AND FO DIDN'T KNOW ALTIMETER DIFFERENCE WAS 50 FT. ALSO SAID WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ACFT, CALLED MAINT IF WE WERE UNSURE BEFORE TKOF. THIS IS DAY 4 OF 4 DAYS. WE HAVE 1/2 HR TO CATCH DEADHEAD HOME AND 14 HRS 21 MINS CREW DAY. MISS DEADHEAD AND NEXT FLT IS 2 HRS 40 MINS LATER. MAYBE I HAD GET HOME SYNDROME. MAYBE LOOKING AT LONG DUTY DAY. MAYBE I WANTED TO GET PLANE AND PAX TO CMH ON TIME. THE PROB DIDN'T SEEM THAT BAD AT TIME. RECOMMEND IF INSPECTOR THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROB WITH US GOING HE MIGHT HAVE ASKED US TO CALL MAINT AT ALT. I WAS OUT OF FLYING LOOP FOR A WHILE LOOKING UP MANUALS.

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.