Narrative:

My first flight out of london. I departed egll on the wobun 2 foxtrot SID. The SID has you flying at 6000 ft at the london 16 DME fix. There is a warning note on the SID to make sure you don't go above 6000 ft. The transition altitude is 6000 ft out of london on this SID. As we leveled at 6000 ft; I was not sure if you set 29.92 or stayed with the local altimeter setting. I thought you set 29.92; so I did. This is why london showed us at 5500 ft. Since this incident; I got clarification on both transition level and transition altitude. You set the altimeter after passing the altitude. I feel air carrier's international training is lacking in this area as well as other areas; it is a very short course. I am not the only one confused on this matter of transition level and altitude. Also I feel a SID with an altitude leveloff at the transition altitude is a set-up. ICAO also needs to work with all the countries to standardize transition level and transition altitude like we do in the united states. I think it is crazy that every country has different altitudes and some of these altitudes are very low; why not 10000 ft or 18000 ft? I flew out of london 2 more times later in april without any problems. Supplemental information from acn 785564: we pushed 2 minutes early; then were delayed on departure for over an hour because of thunderstorms. Preflight duties and briefing were normal. On departure we were given an initial altitude of 6000 ft which also happens to be the transition altitude (which is covered in the preflight briefing). On climbout; approaching 6000 ft; the PNF (captain); called for 29.92. So I changed my altimeter; and leveled at FL60. After a short time at FL60 we were given a climb to; I believe FL90; and told to expedite; which we did. The rest of the departure went as uneventful as the first part. After level-off; I was curious why we got the expedite call and started a discussion with the captain. I was wondering if we were supposed to have left local altimeter setting in until after we passed 6000 ft MSL. In other words; do you leave local altimeter in at 6000 ft and set 29.92 in at 6001 feet? I don't remember receiving any training on this as it is contrary to what we do in the states. We level off at FL180 instead of 18000 ft. I don't recall any special emphasis on this in training; and since I'm a reserve and don't fly international very much; we got in the book to look it up. Sure enough; we were supposed to leave local altimeter in to level at 6000 ft and then change to 29.92 as we passed through 6001 ft. Totally contrary to what we do flying domestic. I think it should be an emphasis item in training; especially since it seems asinine that in ICAO there is such a low transition altitude; combined with the fact that this SID has you level at transition altitude. London control never mentioned any altitude deviation to us and we put it down as a lesson learned. Traffic separation was never an issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 FLT CREW DEPARTING EGLL SET STD ALT TOO SOON ON CLIMBOUT; RESULTING IN ALT UNDERSHOOT ON DEP PROCEDURE.

Narrative: MY FIRST FLT OUT OF LONDON. I DEPARTED EGLL ON THE WOBUN 2 FOXTROT SID. THE SID HAS YOU FLYING AT 6000 FT AT THE LONDON 16 DME FIX. THERE IS A WARNING NOTE ON THE SID TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GO ABOVE 6000 FT. THE TRANSITION ALT IS 6000 FT OUT OF LONDON ON THIS SID. AS WE LEVELED AT 6000 FT; I WAS NOT SURE IF YOU SET 29.92 OR STAYED WITH THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. I THOUGHT YOU SET 29.92; SO I DID. THIS IS WHY LONDON SHOWED US AT 5500 FT. SINCE THIS INCIDENT; I GOT CLARIFICATION ON BOTH TRANSITION LEVEL AND TRANSITION ALT. YOU SET THE ALTIMETER AFTER PASSING THE ALT. I FEEL ACR'S INTL TRAINING IS LACKING IN THIS AREA AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS; IT IS A VERY SHORT COURSE. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE CONFUSED ON THIS MATTER OF TRANSITION LEVEL AND ALT. ALSO I FEEL A SID WITH AN ALT LEVELOFF AT THE TRANSITION ALT IS A SET-UP. ICAO ALSO NEEDS TO WORK WITH ALL THE COUNTRIES TO STANDARDIZE TRANSITION LEVEL AND TRANSITION ALT LIKE WE DO IN THE UNITED STATES. I THINK IT IS CRAZY THAT EVERY COUNTRY HAS DIFFERENT ALTS AND SOME OF THESE ALTS ARE VERY LOW; WHY NOT 10000 FT OR 18000 FT? I FLEW OUT OF LONDON 2 MORE TIMES LATER IN APRIL WITHOUT ANY PROBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 785564: WE PUSHED 2 MINUTES EARLY; THEN WERE DELAYED ON DEPARTURE FOR OVER AN HOUR BECAUSE OF THUNDERSTORMS. PREFLIGHT DUTIES AND BRIEFING WERE NORMAL. ON DEPARTURE WE WERE GIVEN AN INITIAL ALTITUDE OF 6000 FT WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE TRANSITION ALTITUDE (WHICH IS COVERED IN THE PREFLIGHT BRIEFING). ON CLIMBOUT; APPROACHING 6000 FT; THE PNF (CAPT); CALLED FOR 29.92. SO I CHANGED MY ALTIMETER; AND LEVELED AT FL60. AFTER A SHORT TIME AT FL60 WE WERE GIVEN A CLIMB TO; I BELIEVE FL90; AND TOLD TO EXPEDITE; WHICH WE DID. THE REST OF THE DEPARTURE WENT AS UNEVENTFUL AS THE FIRST PART. AFTER LEVEL-OFF; I WAS CURIOUS WHY WE GOT THE EXPEDITE CALL AND STARTED A DISCUSSION WITH THE CAPT. I WAS WONDERING IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE LEFT LOCAL ALTIMETER SETTING IN UNTIL AFTER WE PASSED 6000 FT MSL. IN OTHER WORDS; DO YOU LEAVE LOCAL ALTIMETER IN AT 6000 FT AND SET 29.92 IN AT 6001 FEET? I DON'T REMEMBER RECEIVING ANY TRAINING ON THIS AS IT IS CONTRARY TO WHAT WE DO IN THE STATES. WE LEVEL OFF AT FL180 INSTEAD OF 18000 FT. I DON'T RECALL ANY SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THIS IN TRAINING; AND SINCE I'M A RESERVE AND DON'T FLY INTERNATIONAL VERY MUCH; WE GOT IN THE BOOK TO LOOK IT UP. SURE ENOUGH; WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE LOCAL ALTIMETER IN TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT AND THEN CHANGE TO 29.92 AS WE PASSED THROUGH 6001 FT. TOTALLY CONTRARY TO WHAT WE DO FLYING DOMESTIC. I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN EMPHASIS ITEM IN TRAINING; ESPECIALLY SINCE IT SEEMS ASININE THAT IN ICAO THERE IS SUCH A LOW TRANSITION ALTITUDE; COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THIS SID HAS YOU LEVEL AT TRANSITION ALTITUDE. LONDON CONTROL NEVER MENTIONED ANY ALTITUDE DEVIATION TO US AND WE PUT IT DOWN AS A LESSON LEARNED. TRAFFIC SEPARATION WAS NEVER AN ISSUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.