Flight crew reports errors caused by fatigue after 11 hour departure delay.

Attributes
ACN	721200
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : anc.vor
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan.artcc tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	721200
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Fatigue is the underlying issue here. Start of pattern was 11 hours late; reported for trip (was not notified of delay). This put sleep pattern 15 hours out of sync. Unable to sleep prior to departure on this reported flight. Accumulated sleep loss pattern affected the last several hours of flight. Small tasks were difficult. We all missed the wrong altimeter setting that was set during checklist. Altimeter was set at 29.90 and the actual setting should have been 29.00. ATC pointed out the error; there was no traffic conflict. Next time will call in fatigued if known future sleep pattern will be hard to recover from; even if not tired at time of pattern departure. Human performance -- failure to cross verification error; and xchking of setting -- poor monitoring; with such a low altimeter setting wished ATC would have emphasized this low setting after descending below 18000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW RPTS ERRORS CAUSED BY FATIGUE AFTER 11 HR DEP DELAY.

Narrative: FATIGUE IS THE UNDERLYING ISSUE HERE. START OF PATTERN WAS 11 HRS LATE; RPTED FOR TRIP (WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF DELAY). THIS PUT SLEEP PATTERN 15 HRS OUT OF SYNC. UNABLE TO SLEEP PRIOR TO DEP ON THIS RPTED FLT. ACCUMULATED SLEEP LOSS PATTERN AFFECTED THE LAST SEVERAL HRS OF FLT. SMALL TASKS WERE DIFFICULT. WE ALL MISSED THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING THAT WAS SET DURING CHKLIST. ALTIMETER WAS SET AT 29.90 AND THE ACTUAL SETTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN 29.00. ATC POINTED OUT THE ERROR; THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. NEXT TIME WILL CALL IN FATIGUED IF KNOWN FUTURE SLEEP PATTERN WILL BE HARD TO RECOVER FROM; EVEN IF NOT TIRED AT TIME OF PATTERN DEP. HUMAN PERFORMANCE -- FAILURE TO CROSS VERIFICATION ERROR; AND XCHKING OF SETTING -- POOR MONITORING; WITH SUCH A LOW ALTIMETER SETTING WISHED ATC WOULD HAVE EMPHASIZED THIS LOW SETTING AFTER DSNDING BELOW 18000 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.