Narrative:

Conversation went as follows: washington center (ZDC): lance X, what is your altitude? Aircraft X: 5000 ft. ZDC: I show you at 6000 ft. ZDC: what is your assigned altitude? Aircraft X: I filed for 5000 ft. ZDC: what was the last assigned altitude by at aircraft X: 5000 ft. ZDC: aircraft X, raleigh altimeter three zero three four. Aircraft X: three-zero-three-four. I checked my altimeter setting. The altimeter was set at 29.34, not 30.34. I corrected the altimeter setting. Altimeter then indicated 6000. Aircraft X: my apologies. I am at 6000 ft. Do you want me at 5 or 6000 ft? ZDC: aircraft X, stay at 6000 ft. Cause: I was 1000 ft higher than my assigned altitude due to having altimeter setting at 29.34 rather than 30.34.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT MISSET HIS ALTIMETER BY 1 INCH, AND WAS AT 6000 FT INSTEAD OF HIS CLRED 5000 FT IN ZDC CLASS E.

Narrative: CONVERSATION WENT AS FOLLOWS: WASHINGTON CTR (ZDC): LANCE X, WHAT IS YOUR ALT? ACFT X: 5000 FT. ZDC: I SHOW YOU AT 6000 FT. ZDC: WHAT IS YOUR ASSIGNED ALT? ACFT X: I FILED FOR 5000 FT. ZDC: WHAT WAS THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT BY AT ACFT X: 5000 FT. ZDC: ACFT X, RALEIGH ALTIMETER THREE ZERO THREE FOUR. ACFT X: THREE-ZERO-THREE-FOUR. I CHKED MY ALTIMETER SETTING. THE ALTIMETER WAS SET AT 29.34, NOT 30.34. I CORRECTED THE ALTIMETER SETTING. ALTIMETER THEN INDICATED 6000. ACFT X: MY APOLOGIES. I AM AT 6000 FT. DO YOU WANT ME AT 5 OR 6000 FT? ZDC: ACFT X, STAY AT 6000 FT. CAUSE: I WAS 1000 FT HIGHER THAN MY ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO HAVING ALTIMETER SETTING AT 29.34 RATHER THAN 30.34.

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.