An air carrier flight crew climbing a B737-400 near mgm VORTAC failed to set their altimeters to 29 pt 92 passing FL180, resulting in an altitude undershoot.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	484680
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mgm.vortac
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 30600 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	484684
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We departed clt en route to msy with several step-climb segments to FL310. A call from ZTL advised us that we were indicating level at FL306. Checking altimeter settings, we discovered that we had in fact not reset 29.92 passing transition altitude. Evidently, a master caution blinking had distraction us during the climb and we had not noticed the transition. I reset the altimeter and leveled at FL310. No traffic was observed on TCASII and no conflict was reported by the ZTL controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC CLBING A B737-400 NEAR MGM VORTAC FAILED TO SET THEIR ALTIMETERS TO 29 PT 92 PASSING FL180, RESULTING IN AN ALT UNDERSHOOT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CLT ENRTE TO MSY WITH SEVERAL STEP-CLB SEGMENTS TO FL310. A CALL FROM ZTL ADVISED US THAT WE WERE INDICATING LEVEL AT FL306. CHKING ALTIMETER SETTINGS, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD IN FACT NOT RESET 29.92 PASSING TRANSITION ALT. EVIDENTLY, A MASTER CAUTION BLINKING HAD DISTR US DURING THE CLB AND WE HAD NOT NOTICED THE TRANSITION. I RESET THE ALTIMETER AND LEVELED AT FL310. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED ON TCASII AND NO CONFLICT WAS RPTED BY THE ZTL CTLR.

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.