A be-400 crew incorrectly set their altimeters to indicate 1000 ft high. While climbing on the teb 5...

Attributes
ACN	817740
Time
Date	200812
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl single value : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon tower : teb.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 17800 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	817740
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

ATIS altimeter setting is 29.53 following the passage of a winter storm. Captain sets the standby altimeter to 30.53 during preflight check by increasing the setting from the 30.20 setting of three days prior. Upon startup; both crew members set their EFIS altimeter settings to 30.53. Neither pilot correctly reads the altitude displayed digitally on EFIS or analog display on standby altimeter. (Crew 'sees' what they expect to see.) neither crew member notices that the altitude alerter is set to 3000 ft instead of the first SID altitude restriction of 1500 ft. Crew has been flying together for twenty years and have never had an altitude bust while flying together. Crew is assigned the teterboro five departure from runway 24 and the captain loads the departure into the FMS. Shortly after departure; FMS commands a turn to heading 280 believing the aircraft has passed the 1500 ft MSL as stated in the SID. Captain is startled by the sudden command to turn believing that the aircraft could not have climbed so quickly to 1500 ft. Captain checks altimeter and follows flight director command to turn; but overshoots the 1500 ft level off by 300 ft (altitude alerter incorrectly set to 3000 ft; thankfully in this instance!). Captain begins a shallow descent to return to 1500 ft. Departure control asks crew if they are at 800 ft. Crew believes they are at 1800 ft and descending to the SID mandated 1500 ft. Egpws goes off commanding 'don't sink.' crew is very confused by the conflicting information coming from cockpit displays; egpws callouts and ATC. Captain then notices that the altimeter setting is 30.53 instead of 29.53. Crew makes the altimeter correction and climbs to the correct altitude. Crew will make every effort in the future to verify that the altitude displayed on cockpit altimeters is the same as field elevation following an altimeter setting change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE-400 CREW INCORRECTLY SET THEIR ALTIMETERS TO INDICATE 1000 FT HIGH. WHILE CLIMBING ON THE TEB 5 THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEVELED AT 1800 FT; REALLY 800 FT; THEN A DESCENT WAS BEGUN TO 1500 FT WHICH WOULD REALLY BE 500 FT.

Narrative: ATIS ALTIMETER SETTING IS 29.53 FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A WINTER STORM. CAPTAIN SETS THE STANDBY ALTIMETER TO 30.53 DURING PREFLIGHT CHECK BY INCREASING THE SETTING FROM THE 30.20 SETTING OF THREE DAYS PRIOR. UPON STARTUP; BOTH CREW MEMBERS SET THEIR EFIS ALTIMETER SETTINGS TO 30.53. NEITHER PILOT CORRECTLY READS THE ALTITUDE DISPLAYED DIGITALLY ON EFIS OR ANALOG DISPLAY ON STANDBY ALTIMETER. (CREW 'SEES' WHAT THEY EXPECT TO SEE.) NEITHER CREW MEMBER NOTICES THAT THE ALTITUDE ALERTER IS SET TO 3000 FT INSTEAD OF THE FIRST SID ALTITUDE RESTRICTION OF 1500 FT. CREW HAS BEEN FLYING TOGETHER FOR TWENTY YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN ALTITUDE BUST WHILE FLYING TOGETHER. CREW IS ASSIGNED THE TETERBORO FIVE DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 24 AND THE CAPTAIN LOADS THE DEPARTURE INTO THE FMS. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE; FMS COMMANDS A TURN TO HEADING 280 BELIEVING THE AIRCRAFT HAS PASSED THE 1500 FT MSL AS STATED IN THE SID. CAPTAIN IS STARTLED BY THE SUDDEN COMMAND TO TURN BELIEVING THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT HAVE CLIMBED SO QUICKLY TO 1500 FT. CAPTAIN CHECKS ALTIMETER AND FOLLOWS FLIGHT DIRECTOR COMMAND TO TURN; BUT OVERSHOOTS THE 1500 FT LEVEL OFF BY 300 FT (ALTITUDE ALERTER INCORRECTLY SET TO 3000 FT; THANKFULLY IN THIS INSTANCE!). CAPTAIN BEGINS A SHALLOW DESCENT TO RETURN TO 1500 FT. DEPARTURE CONTROL ASKS CREW IF THEY ARE AT 800 FT. CREW BELIEVES THEY ARE AT 1800 FT AND DESCENDING TO THE SID MANDATED 1500 FT. EGPWS GOES OFF COMMANDING 'DON'T SINK.' CREW IS VERY CONFUSED BY THE CONFLICTING INFORMATION COMING FROM COCKPIT DISPLAYS; EGPWS CALLOUTS AND ATC. CAPTAIN THEN NOTICES THAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING IS 30.53 INSTEAD OF 29.53. CREW MAKES THE ALTIMETER CORRECTION AND CLIMBS TO THE CORRECT ALTITUDE. CREW WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT IN THE FUTURE TO VERIFY THAT THE ALTITUDE DISPLAYED ON COCKPIT ALTIMETERS IS THE SAME AS FIELD ELEVATION FOLLOWING AN ALTIMETER SETTING CHANGE.

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.

A be-400 crew incorrectly set their altimeters to indicate 1000 ft high. While climbing on the teb 5 the aircraft was leveled at 1800 ft; really 800 ft; then a descent was begun to 1500 ft which would really be 500 ft.