MD80 crew set altimeters to field altimeter setting prior to leaving FL180.

Attributes
ACN	495240
Time
Date	200012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18300 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	495240
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATIS altimeter was 30.74. We were given clearance down to FL190. We were tired. We felt pressure to get our descent/approach checklist done being over jfk airport. We forgot that our altimeters were 30.74. The controller said we showed 700 ft off of our assigned altitude. The controller gave us a descent to 15000 ft. I asked if there was going to be a problem with the deviation and he said no. Factors: 1) we normally do our descent/approach checklist after resetting altimeters to the local altimeter setting in the descent. We unconsciously did it early because we were right over jfk. 2) it took 2 1/2 hours from block-out to takeoff because of deicing in stl. We had been on duty since XA00. We were not fatigued as we approached jfk. Total flight time for the day after landing at jfk was 7 hours 31 mins, duty time was approximately 14 hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW SET ALTIMETERS TO FIELD ALTIMETER SETTING PRIOR TO LEAVING FL180.

Narrative: ATIS ALTIMETER WAS 30.74. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC DOWN TO FL190. WE WERE TIRED. WE FELT PRESSURE TO GET OUR DSCNT/APCH CHKLIST DONE BEING OVER JFK ARPT. WE FORGOT THAT OUR ALTIMETERS WERE 30.74. THE CTLR SAID WE SHOWED 700 FT OFF OF OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE CTLR GAVE US A DSCNT TO 15000 FT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE A PROB WITH THE DEV AND HE SAID NO. FACTORS: 1) WE NORMALLY DO OUR DSCNT/APCH CHKLIST AFTER RESETTING ALTIMETERS TO THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING IN THE DSCNT. WE UNCONSCIOUSLY DID IT EARLY BECAUSE WE WERE RIGHT OVER JFK. 2) IT TOOK 2 1/2 HRS FROM BLOCK-OUT TO TKOF BECAUSE OF DEICING IN STL. WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE XA00. WE WERE NOT FATIGUED AS WE APCHED JFK. TOTAL FLT TIME FOR THE DAY AFTER LNDG AT JFK WAS 7 HRS 31 MINS, DUTY TIME WAS APPROX 14 HRS.

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.