MD80 flight crew overshoot assigned altitude due to incorrect PIC altimeter setting.

Attributes
ACN	499410
Time
Date	200101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
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	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	499410
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During descent to an intermediate altitude below FL180, the captain failed to set the correct altimeter setting and the first officer did not catch the discrepancy until ATC asked them to 'state altitude.' the captain set his altimeter to 30.24 when it should have been 29.24. I, the first officer, was studying the approach plate for the arrival to stl when notified by ATC. After discussing the problem with ATC, we were assigned a lower altitude. The altimeter error resulted in a 1000 ft altitude bust. We both should have maintained the setting and xchking of the altimeter change while transiting through FL180 more closely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC OVERSHOOT ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO INCORRECT PIC ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT TO AN INTERMEDIATE ALT BELOW FL180, THE CAPT FAILED TO SET THE CORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING AND THE FO DID NOT CATCH THE DISCREPANCY UNTIL ATC ASKED THEM TO 'STATE ALT.' THE CAPT SET HIS ALTIMETER TO 30.24 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 29.24. I, THE FO, WAS STUDYING THE APCH PLATE FOR THE ARR TO STL WHEN NOTIFIED BY ATC. AFTER DISCUSSING THE PROB WITH ATC, WE WERE ASSIGNED A LOWER ALT. THE ALTIMETER ERROR RESULTED IN A 1000 FT ALT BUST. WE BOTH SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED THE SETTING AND XCHKING OF THE ALTIMETER CHANGE WHILE TRANSITING THROUGH FL180 MORE CLOSELY.

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.