<< >> NASA ASRS Report 354480, December 1996

MD88 descending to 13000 ft sets altimeter to 30 pt 45 instead of 29 pt 45 and overshot assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	354480
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12800 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	354480
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I misset the altimeter. Instead of 29.45 I set 30.45. We had been asked to keep the speed up to 310-320 KTS. I was busy programming the FMS when the first officer alerted the altitude deviation. As we passed 12900 ft, we descended a little further as the autoplt was disengaged and immediate correction made. Recovery was slower than it needed to be because I first tried to use the MCP to correct. I believe the main cause of this event was due to a poor night's sleep the night prior and rough, inclement WX, and just not paying attention. Had there been some sort of electronic comparitor to both altimeters, maybe it would have caught the error. But this I am sure is not cost effective.

Related reports:

• A B737 overshot their assigned altitude when they failed to ...
• A descending B737 overshot its assigned altitude when the PI...
• Flight crew of an MD88 overshot descent altitude and leveled...
• A B757 flight crew fails to set their center altimeter to qn...
• An air carrier descending to 13000 ft overshot the altitude ...
• Flight crew descending to 16000 ft overshot to 15500 ft due ...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 DSNDING TO 13000 FT SETS ALTIMETER TO 30 PT 45 INSTEAD OF 29 PT 45 AND OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I MISSET THE ALTIMETER. INSTEAD OF 29.45 I SET 30.45. WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO KEEP THE SPD UP TO 310-320 KTS. I WAS BUSY PROGRAMMING THE FMS WHEN THE FO ALERTED THE ALTDEV. AS WE PASSED 12900 FT, WE DSNDED A LITTLE FURTHER AS THE AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED AND IMMEDIATE CORRECTION MADE. RECOVERY WAS SLOWER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE BECAUSE I FIRST TRIED TO USE THE MCP TO CORRECT. I BELIEVE THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS EVENT WAS DUE TO A POOR NIGHT'S SLEEP THE NIGHT PRIOR AND ROUGH, INCLEMENT WX, AND JUST NOT PAYING ATTN. HAD THERE BEEN SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC COMPARITOR TO BOTH ALTIMETERS, MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR. BUT THIS I AM SURE IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE.

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.