Narrative:

In 30 yrs of domestic flying; I've never been told to climb to 18000 ft...it's always climb to FL180. Likewise; in a descent; it's descended to FL180 as long as the local altimeter is greater than or equal to 29.92. It would appear that us controllers are not using transition altitude correctly in regards to the procedure handbook; but us controllers are correct according to aim. Most pilots know the aim a lot better than we know ATC pubs. European commercial chart; ATC; page 110 defines transition altitude as 'the altitude at or below which the vertical position of an aircraft is controled by reference to altitudes.' transition level is defined as 'the lowest fl available for use above the transition altitude.' as an example; london heathrow (lhr) shows trans level by ATC and trans altitude at 6000 ft. For those of us with an extensive background of us flying; if we departed lhr; and would reset our altimeters to 29.92 at 6000 ft in a climb. Again; based on the us controllers use of FL180 and not 18000 ft; if we were climbing to 6000 ft out of lhr; we would reset our altimeters to 29.92 and we would be wrong. Of the 14 departures at lhr; 12 have a maximum altitude limit of 6000 ft. We were given one of those departures and were confused as to whether we should reset our altimeters to 29.92 at 6000 ft for the leveloff. We did and were promptly told by departure control to return to the local altimeter setting. Based on our past us experience; you can understand our confusion. I have 2 goals with this report. First; can't we put a note on the chart pages to fix this problem in the future? I suggest this: 'departure altimeters: do not reset altimeters to 29.92 until above 6000 ft. At 6000 ft maintain local altimeter setting.' my second goal is to bring the apparent conflict in us procedures and manuals to your attention so that these conflicts can be resolved. I most likely will not make the same mistake in the future; but what about all those that follow in my footsteps?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CAPT REPORTS CONFUSION OVER TRANSITION ALTITUDE AND TRANSITION LEVEL; CAUSING ALT DEV AT 6000 FEET DEPARTING EGLL.

Narrative: IN 30 YRS OF DOMESTIC FLYING; I'VE NEVER BEEN TOLD TO CLB TO 18000 FT...IT'S ALWAYS CLB TO FL180. LIKEWISE; IN A DSCNT; IT'S DSNDED TO FL180 AS LONG AS THE LCL ALTIMETER IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 29.92. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT US CTLRS ARE NOT USING TRANSITION ALT CORRECTLY IN REGARDS TO THE PROC HANDBOOK; BUT US CTLRS ARE CORRECT ACCORDING TO AIM. MOST PLTS KNOW THE AIM A LOT BETTER THAN WE KNOW ATC PUBS. EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL CHART; ATC; PAGE 110 DEFINES TRANSITION ALT AS 'THE ALT AT OR BELOW WHICH THE VERT POS OF AN ACFT IS CTLED BY REF TO ALTS.' TRANSITION LEVEL IS DEFINED AS 'THE LOWEST FL AVAILABLE FOR USE ABOVE THE TRANSITION ALT.' AS AN EXAMPLE; LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) SHOWS TRANS LEVEL BY ATC AND TRANS ALT AT 6000 FT. FOR THOSE OF US WITH AN EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND OF US FLYING; IF WE DEPARTED LHR; AND WOULD RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 29.92 AT 6000 FT IN A CLB. AGAIN; BASED ON THE US CTLRS USE OF FL180 AND NOT 18000 FT; IF WE WERE CLBING TO 6000 FT OUT OF LHR; WE WOULD RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 29.92 AND WE WOULD BE WRONG. OF THE 14 DEPS AT LHR; 12 HAVE A MAX ALT LIMIT OF 6000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN ONE OF THOSE DEPS AND WERE CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 29.92 AT 6000 FT FOR THE LEVELOFF. WE DID AND WERE PROMPTLY TOLD BY DEP CTL TO RETURN TO THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. BASED ON OUR PAST US EXPERIENCE; YOU CAN UNDERSTAND OUR CONFUSION. I HAVE 2 GOALS WITH THIS RPT. FIRST; CAN'T WE PUT A NOTE ON THE CHART PAGES TO FIX THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE? I SUGGEST THIS: 'DEP ALTIMETERS: DO NOT RESET ALTIMETERS TO 29.92 UNTIL ABOVE 6000 FT. AT 6000 FT MAINTAIN LCL ALTIMETER SETTING.' MY SECOND GOAL IS TO BRING THE APPARENT CONFLICT IN US PROCS AND MANUALS TO YOUR ATTN SO THAT THESE CONFLICTS CAN BE RESOLVED. I MOST LIKELY WILL NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE IN THE FUTURE; BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE THAT FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS?

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.