Narrative:

Problem arose from incorrect altimeter setting, resulting in aircraft being approximately 500 ft below cleared altitude. Relief pilot had copied the ATIS altimeter as 10.23 MB. We then preset altimeters to 10.23 MB. While being vectored for an ILS runway 25R approach by fra approach control, we were cleared to 4000 ft MSL, altimeter 10.23 MB. I always read back clrncs and altimeter settings and in this case thought I heard and read back 10.23 MB. This being the case, if the controller had not said 10.23 MB he did not pick up my readback of 10.23 MB. Leaving transition level 70 we set altimeters to 10.23 MB. We leveled at 4000 ft MSL just prior to or shortly after intercepting the localizer. A short time later approach control said something about being cleared to 4000 ft not 3400 ft. I replied we were at 4000 ft established on runway 25R. There was no further transmission from the controller and I made a comment that he must have been talking to another aircraft. There was several other aircraft on the frequency. We were now following the localizer and GS and had the airport in sight the entire approach. Did not notice the error in the altimeter setting until the 1000 ft xchk with the radio altimeter. It then became very obvious. After landing we again checked the ATIS and it said altimeter 10.03 MB. I don't know if this was the same ATIS recording the relief pilot had checked earlier. I have always advocated getting the hourly WX on our ACARS printer and checking this with ATIS WX. This being done to prevent just what happened in this case. I had in fact gotten the ACARS hourly WX but had failed to xchk it with the ATIS. I am at a loss to explain why this wasn't done. Possible contributing factors: 1) fatigue from all night flight. 2) VFR with airport in sight the entire approach (just getting daylight with a beautiful view of lights). 3) language of country not english (sometimes hard to understand but usually very good). After flying for over 35 yrs and being a check pilot I know anything can happen but I am still surprised and concerned about this occurrence. This incident will reinforce my determination to xchk all sources of information and to be ever more vigilant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT ARRIVING AT FOREIGN ARPT COPIED ALTIMETER SETTING FROM ATIS IN ERROR, 10 PT 23 MB VERSUS 10 PT 03 MB. APCH CTLR QUESTIONED ACFT ALT WHEN IT WAS 600 FT LOWER THAN ASSIGNED, BUT MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT. FLC REALIZED THE ALTIMETER ERROR AT 1000 FT WHEN THEY XCHKED WITH THE RADAR ALTIMETER.

Narrative: PROB AROSE FROM INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING, RESULTING IN ACFT BEING APPROX 500 FT BELOW CLRED ALT. RELIEF PLT HAD COPIED THE ATIS ALTIMETER AS 10.23 MB. WE THEN PRESET ALTIMETERS TO 10.23 MB. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 25R APCH BY FRA APCH CTL, WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT MSL, ALTIMETER 10.23 MB. I ALWAYS READ BACK CLRNCS AND ALTIMETER SETTINGS AND IN THIS CASE THOUGHT I HEARD AND READ BACK 10.23 MB. THIS BEING THE CASE, IF THE CTLR HAD NOT SAID 10.23 MB HE DID NOT PICK UP MY READBACK OF 10.23 MB. LEAVING TRANSITION LEVEL 70 WE SET ALTIMETERS TO 10.23 MB. WE LEVELED AT 4000 FT MSL JUST PRIOR TO OR SHORTLY AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOC. A SHORT TIME LATER APCH CTL SAID SOMETHING ABOUT BEING CLRED TO 4000 FT NOT 3400 FT. I REPLIED WE WERE AT 4000 FT ESTABLISHED ON RWY 25R. THERE WAS NO FURTHER XMISSION FROM THE CTLR AND I MADE A COMMENT THAT HE MUST HAVE BEEN TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT. THERE WAS SEVERAL OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. WE WERE NOW FOLLOWING THE LOC AND GS AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE APCH. DID NOT NOTICE THE ERROR IN THE ALTIMETER SETTING UNTIL THE 1000 FT XCHK WITH THE RADIO ALTIMETER. IT THEN BECAME VERY OBVIOUS. AFTER LNDG WE AGAIN CHKED THE ATIS AND IT SAID ALTIMETER 10.03 MB. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS THE SAME ATIS RECORDING THE RELIEF PLT HAD CHKED EARLIER. I HAVE ALWAYS ADVOCATED GETTING THE HRLY WX ON OUR ACARS PRINTER AND CHKING THIS WITH ATIS WX. THIS BEING DONE TO PREVENT JUST WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. I HAD IN FACT GOTTEN THE ACARS HRLY WX BUT HAD FAILED TO XCHK IT WITH THE ATIS. I AM AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS WASN'T DONE. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FATIGUE FROM ALL NIGHT FLT. 2) VFR WITH ARPT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE APCH (JUST GETTING DAYLIGHT WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF LIGHTS). 3) LANGUAGE OF COUNTRY NOT ENGLISH (SOMETIMES HARD TO UNDERSTAND BUT USUALLY VERY GOOD). AFTER FLYING FOR OVER 35 YRS AND BEING A CHK PLT I KNOW ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN BUT I AM STILL SURPRISED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THIS OCCURRENCE. THIS INCIDENT WILL REINFORCE MY DETERMINATION TO XCHK ALL SOURCES OF INFO AND TO BE EVER MORE VIGILANT.

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.