Flight crew of a B737-300 failed to reset their altimeter when descending through FL180 resulting in leveling off 350 ft low at their assigned descent altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	364755
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cip airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15650 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	364755
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather 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:

On descent into pittsburg, ZOB gave us a descent from FL240 to 16000 ft. There were a lot of small buildups of WX in the area, so ZOB was very busy vectoring a lot of aircraft trying to avoid the WX. I was flying the aircraft. Captain on the radios. We were on a good course which would have put us clear of the WX. During our descent through FL180, I called for the checklist. Just as we started the checklist and before we could set the altimeter, center gave us a 30 degree right turn which was going to put us right through the middle of the WX. We started trying to get a turn back to the left for WX avoidance. Center finally gave us the 60 degree turn to the left that we needed just as we were leveling at 16000 ft. Center called and gave us the altimeter setting which we had not set yet. We were approximately 350 ft low. We were distraction just at the moment we needed to set the altimeter. We were surprised at the vector into the WX as it was so close and became preoccupied with center trying to avoid the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 FAILED TO RESET THEIR ALTIMETER WHEN DSNDING THROUGH FL180 RESULTING IN LEVELING OFF 350 FT LOW AT THEIR ASSIGNED DSCNT ALT.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO PITTSBURG, ZOB GAVE US A DSCNT FROM FL240 TO 16000 FT. THERE WERE A LOT OF SMALL BUILDUPS OF WX IN THE AREA, SO ZOB WAS VERY BUSY VECTORING A LOT OF ACFT TRYING TO AVOID THE WX. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT. CAPT ON THE RADIOS. WE WERE ON A GOOD COURSE WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT US CLR OF THE WX. DURING OUR DSCNT THROUGH FL180, I CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. JUST AS WE STARTED THE CHKLIST AND BEFORE WE COULD SET THE ALTIMETER, CTR GAVE US A 30 DEG R TURN WHICH WAS GOING TO PUT US RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WX. WE STARTED TRYING TO GET A TURN BACK TO THE L FOR WX AVOIDANCE. CTR FINALLY GAVE US THE 60 DEG TURN TO THE L THAT WE NEEDED JUST AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 16000 FT. CTR CALLED AND GAVE US THE ALTIMETER SETTING WHICH WE HAD NOT SET YET. WE WERE APPROX 350 FT LOW. WE WERE DISTR JUST AT THE MOMENT WE NEEDED TO SET THE ALTIMETER. WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE VECTOR INTO THE WX AS IT WAS SO CLOSE AND BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH CTR TRYING TO AVOID THE WX.

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.