Narrative:

This operation was a normal dfw-mkc flight except that we were 2 hours late due to dfw WX. A clearance direct to mkc VOR was granted prior to cnu. The changeover was requested by the first officer about 40 mins out and received with a note to contact ramp for gate upon arrival. I got the ATIS about 25 mins out which was as per preflight. ATIS information was 7 mins old when received at XA00Z. During descent, lights from the airport area were visible. Altimeters were reset between 11000 ft and 12000 ft. First officer noted a difference of 1100 ft on his and I had 1160 ft. We noted that this seemed high, but not unreasonable. A call from approach to a GA aircraft referencing a 600 ft ceiling with an altimeter was overheard. The first officer questioned it, but I said that the call was for another airport. We descended to 4000 ft, configured for the approach early and were slowed to 140 KTS as field was no longer visible. The approach had been briefed earlier and set up with an MDA of 349. The fact that there was no vertical lighting was noted. We were cleared for the ILS runway 1L GS out with approach saying he would call dotte as it was OTS. The first officer asked for crossing radials from anx to identify cypre and dashi. I selected those only to find that we were past cypre. Dashi was selected just as we were crossing. Descent at 1200 FPM was initiated to 2600 ft. We entered the soup during the descent to 2600 ft so engine and wing heat were added as temperature was -2. While level at 2600 ft, first officer noticed his altimeter to be at 1500 ft, which was about 100 ft low. Approach called air carrier X and air carrier Y, telling them the ceiling was down to 400 ft and they may want to use runway 1R ILS. As soon as he was off the radio, I asked about dotte to which approach said that we were on top. Simultaneously, both the first officer and I received audio and visual indications of the OM. This surprised us as we thought the reason for the dotte call by approach was because it was OTS. Timing of 1.56 and a descent were initiated to MDA. A descent was began to MDA at 1200 FPM. At 1000 ft, changed descent to 700 FPM. At 800 ft, I called 500 ft above MDA. At 700 ft, we broke into the clear. First officer immediately asked for altitude hold. We both noted that we were low. We flew level for 30 seconds and then began descent for landing with autothrottles and autoplt off. I called out 500 ft and said we were still low. First officer called out radio altimeter which read 150 ft. Normal landing and rollout were completed. The barometric altimeter indicated about 350 ft. We got to the gate and tried to figure out what had happened. At this time the first officer noted that the ACARS was programmed for mkc, and that the conversion was .81. Not enough for mci. Neither of us remember seeing the 1000 ft warning light or MDA light from the radio altitude. Fortunately, the WX was not 150 ft lower or the results may have been tragic. No GPWS or approach warnings were received at any time. I think that it is noteworthy that this will not occur with the upcoming altimeter procedures change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC PUT THE WRONG DEST IN THEIR ACARS AND THIS LEADS THEM TO USE THE WRONG CONVERSION FACTOR FOR THEIR ALTIMETER XCHK.

Narrative: THIS OP WAS A NORMAL DFW-MKC FLT EXCEPT THAT WE WERE 2 HRS LATE DUE TO DFW WX. A CLRNC DIRECT TO MKC VOR WAS GRANTED PRIOR TO CNU. THE CHANGEOVER WAS REQUESTED BY THE FO ABOUT 40 MINS OUT AND RECEIVED WITH A NOTE TO CONTACT RAMP FOR GATE UPON ARR. I GOT THE ATIS ABOUT 25 MINS OUT WHICH WAS AS PER PREFLT. ATIS INFO WAS 7 MINS OLD WHEN RECEIVED AT XA00Z. DURING DSCNT, LIGHTS FROM THE ARPT AREA WERE VISIBLE. ALTIMETERS WERE RESET BTWN 11000 FT AND 12000 FT. FO NOTED A DIFFERENCE OF 1100 FT ON HIS AND I HAD 1160 FT. WE NOTED THAT THIS SEEMED HIGH, BUT NOT UNREASONABLE. A CALL FROM APCH TO A GA ACFT REFING A 600 FT CEILING WITH AN ALTIMETER WAS OVERHEARD. THE FO QUESTIONED IT, BUT I SAID THAT THE CALL WAS FOR ANOTHER ARPT. WE DSNDED TO 4000 FT, CONFIGURED FOR THE APCH EARLY AND WERE SLOWED TO 140 KTS AS FIELD WAS NO LONGER VISIBLE. THE APCH HAD BEEN BRIEFED EARLIER AND SET UP WITH AN MDA OF 349. THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO VERT LIGHTING WAS NOTED. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 1L GS OUT WITH APCH SAYING HE WOULD CALL DOTTE AS IT WAS OTS. THE FO ASKED FOR XING RADIALS FROM ANX TO IDENT CYPRE AND DASHI. I SELECTED THOSE ONLY TO FIND THAT WE WERE PAST CYPRE. DASHI WAS SELECTED JUST AS WE WERE XING. DSCNT AT 1200 FPM WAS INITIATED TO 2600 FT. WE ENTERED THE SOUP DURING THE DSCNT TO 2600 FT SO ENG AND WING HEAT WERE ADDED AS TEMP WAS -2. WHILE LEVEL AT 2600 FT, FO NOTICED HIS ALTIMETER TO BE AT 1500 FT, WHICH WAS ABOUT 100 FT LOW. APCH CALLED ACR X AND ACR Y, TELLING THEM THE CEILING WAS DOWN TO 400 FT AND THEY MAY WANT TO USE RWY 1R ILS. AS SOON AS HE WAS OFF THE RADIO, I ASKED ABOUT DOTTE TO WHICH APCH SAID THAT WE WERE ON TOP. SIMULTANEOUSLY, BOTH THE FO AND I RECEIVED AUDIO AND VISUAL INDICATIONS OF THE OM. THIS SURPRISED US AS WE THOUGHT THE REASON FOR THE DOTTE CALL BY APCH WAS BECAUSE IT WAS OTS. TIMING OF 1.56 AND A DSCNT WERE INITIATED TO MDA. A DSCNT WAS BEGAN TO MDA AT 1200 FPM. AT 1000 FT, CHANGED DSCNT TO 700 FPM. AT 800 FT, I CALLED 500 FT ABOVE MDA. AT 700 FT, WE BROKE INTO THE CLR. FO IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR ALT HOLD. WE BOTH NOTED THAT WE WERE LOW. WE FLEW LEVEL FOR 30 SECONDS AND THEN BEGAN DSCNT FOR LNDG WITH AUTOTHROTTLES AND AUTOPLT OFF. I CALLED OUT 500 FT AND SAID WE WERE STILL LOW. FO CALLED OUT RADIO ALTIMETER WHICH READ 150 FT. NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE COMPLETED. THE BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER INDICATED ABOUT 350 FT. WE GOT TO THE GATE AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AT THIS TIME THE FO NOTED THAT THE ACARS WAS PROGRAMMED FOR MKC, AND THAT THE CONVERSION WAS .81. NOT ENOUGH FOR MCI. NEITHER OF US REMEMBER SEEING THE 1000 FT WARNING LIGHT OR MDA LIGHT FROM THE RADIO ALT. FORTUNATELY, THE WX WAS NOT 150 FT LOWER OR THE RESULTS MAY HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. NO GPWS OR APCH WARNINGS WERE RECEIVED AT ANY TIME. I THINK THAT IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THIS WILL NOT OCCUR WITH THE UPCOMING ALTIMETER PROCS CHANGE.

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.