A CORPORATE FLC WAS DISTRACTED WITH COMS DURING THE-HIGH- WORKLOAD DSCNT PHASE; AND SET ALTIMETER INCORRECTLY -- FAILING TO MEET A XING RESTR.

Narrative

IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME; BUT IT DID! DSNDING THROUGH FL180; I TURNED TO THE PNF; TO CONFIRM THE ALTIMETER SETTING. I HEARD 29.53 AND REPEATED 29.53 BACK TO OTHER PLT WHO WAS NOW TALKING TO CTR (APCH?); AND HE NODDED HIS HEAD AFFIRMATIVE. DUE TO COCKPIT WORKLOAD AT THE MOMENT; WE DID NOT XCHK OUR ALTIMETERS (CONTRARY TO COMPANY POLICY AND COMMON SENSE). WAS GIVEN A XING RESTR OF STEFFE INTXN AT 12000 FT. A RESTR I MADE WITH PRECISION (TO THE WRONG ALT). PASSING STEFFE INTXN; CTR CLRED US TO A LOWER ALT; AND INQUIRED WHAT OUR PRESENT ALT WAS. THE PLT; PNF; RPTED 13000 FT AND I QUICKLY CORRECTED HIM AND TOLD HIM WE WERE AT 12000 FT. A QUICK CHK OF ALTIMETERS REVEALED THE PROB. I HAD SET 29.53 ON MY SIDE; HE HAD THE CORRECT SETTING OF 30.53. I ACTUALLY WAS AT 13000 FT; WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 12000 FT. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS; BTWN 18000 FT AND 12000 FT; OUR CHKLIST REQUIRES THAT THE ALTIMETERS BE CHKED. UNFORTUNATELY; AT BOTH TIMES; 1 PLT; OR THE OTHER WAS TALKING ON A DIFFERENT RADIO (ATIS; OFFICE; COMPANY HELI) AND BOTH PLTS FAILED TO XCHK OUR ALTIMETERS. VIGILANCE IS MANDATORY! OUR CHKLIST DOES NOT ALLOW FOR DEFERRING AN ITEM; AND SKIPPED ITEMS CAN BE EASILY FORGOTTEN. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO RPTED CONFLICT; BUT XING RESTRS ARE THERE FOR A PURPOSE.