<< >> NASA ASRS Report 440860, June 1999

A flight crew was distracted with FMS and did not reset altimeter descending through 18000 ft MSL on arrival to ord.

Attributes
ACN	440860
Time
Date	199906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	arrival star : boiler2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	440860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were cruising at FL220. We were told to cross a DME fix at 11000 ft. The captain started down while I began experimenting with different display configns on our triple INS/EFIS system. We were talking about the advantages of this or that display when we went through FL180 and neither one of us remembered the checklist and we didn't set the altimeters. We leveled briefly at 11000 ft and then were cleared to 10000 ft where we leveled off. After about 2 mins the controller said 'check your altimeter setting, I show you've been off altitude for a couple of mins, descend and maintain 6000 ft.' I replied that we would check. We set the altimeters and descended. We are reminded of how important it is to avoid fixation and to make sure the basics of the job are being done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC WAS DISTRACTED WITH FMS AND DID NOT RESET ALTIMETER DSNDING THROUGH 18000 FT MSL ON ARR TO ORD.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL220. WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS A DME FIX AT 11000 FT. THE CAPT STARTED DOWN WHILE I BEGAN EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT DISPLAY CONFIGNS ON OUR TRIPLE INS/EFIS SYS. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS OR THAT DISPLAY WHEN WE WENT THROUGH FL180 AND NEITHER ONE OF US REMEMBERED THE CHKLIST AND WE DIDN'T SET THE ALTIMETERS. WE LEVELED BRIEFLY AT 11000 FT AND THEN WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT WHERE WE LEVELED OFF. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS THE CTLR SAID 'CHK YOUR ALTIMETER SETTING, I SHOW YOU'VE BEEN OFF ALT FOR A COUPLE OF MINS, DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT.' I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD CHK. WE SET THE ALTIMETERS AND DSNDED. WE ARE REMINDED OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO AVOID FIXATION AND TO MAKE SURE THE BASICS OF THE JOB ARE BEING DONE.

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.