FA20 crew neglected to reset altimeter passing FL180 during descent.

Attributes
ACN	496790
Time
Date	200101
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lnk.airport
State Reference	NE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Falcon 20FJF/20C/20D/20E/20F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	496790
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	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:

During our descent from the flight levels, my first officer, who was new at our company, asked me if I wanted the in-range checklist much higher and earlier than normal. I said it was ok. However, I didn't reset my altimeter as the checklist called for because we were still so high. As we continued our descent to 6000 ft and then 4000 ft, we became very busy talking to our company trying to decide whether they wanted us to land in lnk or oma. The final decision was to land in lnk. The tower was closed and center gave us a different approach than we expected, which continued to keep us busy. The error in not resetting the altimeter wasn't noticed until I called for the before landing checklist. Deviation from the normal procedure of using the in-range checklist as the descent approachs FL180 was the main source of the problem. The checklist calls for the altimeter to be reset. Also, a heavy workload and pilot fatigue contributed to the error not being detected earlier. Proper timing of the checklist and more SOP's throughout our company would help prevent this occurrence from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FA20 CREW NEGLECTED TO RESET ALTIMETER PASSING FL180 DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: DURING OUR DSCNT FROM THE FLT LEVELS, MY FO, WHO WAS NEW AT OUR COMPANY, ASKED ME IF I WANTED THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST MUCH HIGHER AND EARLIER THAN NORMAL. I SAID IT WAS OK. HOWEVER, I DIDN'T RESET MY ALTIMETER AS THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR BECAUSE WE WERE STILL SO HIGH. AS WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO 6000 FT AND THEN 4000 FT, WE BECAME VERY BUSY TALKING TO OUR COMPANY TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANTED US TO LAND IN LNK OR OMA. THE FINAL DECISION WAS TO LAND IN LNK. THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND CTR GAVE US A DIFFERENT APCH THAN WE EXPECTED, WHICH CONTINUED TO KEEP US BUSY. THE ERROR IN NOT RESETTING THE ALTIMETER WASN'T NOTICED UNTIL I CALLED FOR THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. DEV FROM THE NORMAL PROC OF USING THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST AS THE DSCNT APCHS FL180 WAS THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE PROB. THE CHKLIST CALLS FOR THE ALTIMETER TO BE RESET. ALSO, A HVY WORKLOAD AND PLT FATIGUE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR NOT BEING DETECTED EARLIER. PROPER TIMING OF THE CHKLIST AND MORE SOP'S THROUGHOUT OUR COMPANY WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.