Flight crew of a DC9 forgot to reset altimeters during descent resulting in a TCASII RA and overshooting an arrival STAR crossing fix.

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Attributes
ACN	429237
Time
Date	199902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dxo.vor
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11600 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Route In Use	arrival star : cetus.cetus 2
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4200
ASRS Report	429237
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent on cetus arrival to dtw (we had been cruising at FL190), we were cleared to cross cetus at 12000 ft. Right after we started down, a flight attendant came into the cockpit and he engaged us in a conversation about his commuting flight and requested that we get a gate number for him. This distraction both the first officer and myself so that we missed setting our altimeters to 30.44. (We were advised of a saab 340 at 11000 ft.) fortunately the first officer leveled off at 12250 ft and took almost a min to slowly get down to 12100 ft before we were cleared lower. As soon as we were cleared lower and started down, we got an RA to climb. We leveled off momentarily and the RA eased. Right about then, I did a descent check and that's when we realized that we had forgotten to reset the altimeters. I feel really stupid because I've read about incidents like this in ASRS reports, and I should have known better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9 FORGOT TO RESET ALTIMETERS DURING DSCNT RESULTING IN A TCASII RA AND OVERSHOOTING AN ARR STAR XING FIX.

Narrative: ON DSCNT ON CETUS ARR TO DTW (WE HAD BEEN CRUISING AT FL190), WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS CETUS AT 12000 FT. RIGHT AFTER WE STARTED DOWN, A FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND HE ENGAGED US IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS COMMUTING FLT AND REQUESTED THAT WE GET A GATE NUMBER FOR HIM. THIS DISTR BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF SO THAT WE MISSED SETTING OUR ALTIMETERS TO 30.44. (WE WERE ADVISED OF A SAAB 340 AT 11000 FT.) FORTUNATELY THE FO LEVELED OFF AT 12250 FT AND TOOK ALMOST A MIN TO SLOWLY GET DOWN TO 12100 FT BEFORE WE WERE CLRED LOWER. AS SOON AS WE WERE CLRED LOWER AND STARTED DOWN, WE GOT AN RA TO CLB. WE LEVELED OFF MOMENTARILY AND THE RA EASED. RIGHT ABOUT THEN, I DID A DSCNT CHK AND THAT'S WHEN WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD FORGOTTEN TO RESET THE ALTIMETERS. I FEEL REALLY STUPID BECAUSE I'VE READ ABOUT INCIDENTS LIKE THIS IN ASRS RPTS, AND I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.

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.