A CONFUSING ACARS MESSAGE DISTRACTED A SUPER 80 FLC. THE CHKLIST PERFORMANCE WAS DELAYED; AND ALTIMETER WAS SET TO WRONG SETTING.

Date: 1995-04 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A CONFUSING ACARS MESSAGE DISTRACTED A SUPER 80 FLC. THE CHKLIST PERFORMANCE WAS DELAYED; AND ALTIMETER WAS SET TO WRONG SETTING.

Narrative

FO FLYING. CLRED TO CROSS 45 MI SW ORD AT 11000 FT. CHKLIST THROUGH 18000 FT WAS NOT RUN UNTIL LEVELOFF. WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING IN MAIN ALTIMETER AND LEVELED OFF BELOW 11000 FT. CLBED BACK TO 11000 FT AND APCH GAVE CLRNC TO 9000 FT WITH NO COMMENT AS TO OUR DEV. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS OPS NORMAL. REASON FOR DISTR WAS ACARS MESSAGE WITH PRINTOUT ON BOTTOM SHOWING CREW GOING TO ROC WHEN IT WAS MEANT FOR THE DEADHEADING CREW. CAPT DIVERTED ATTN TO RESOLVING MISC MESSAGE AND FO CONCERNED ABOUT XING RESTR AND TSTMS. RECOMMEND THAT MISC PRINTOUTS IN FUTURE NOT SHOW DEADHEADING CREW GATE INFO UNLESS IN TRUE MESSAGE FORMAT. WE WERE CONFUSED AS TO WHOM THE MESSAGE WAS FOR AND DIVERTED OUR ATTN AT THE WRONG TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302249: DSCNT INTO ORD; COPIED ATIS ALTIMETER 29.39 INCHES. AT FL180 CTLR GAVE US NEW ALTIMETER OF GARBLED 41. AT THE SAME TIME WAS ENTERING THE CHANGEOVER IN ACARS. I MISTAKENLY ENTERED 30.41 INCHES AND WE RESET OUR ALTIMETERS TO 30.41 INCHES. AT LEVELOFF; 11000 FT; I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. WE RECHKED ALTIMETER WITH ATC; RESET OURS AND RETURNED TO 11000 FT. NO CONFLICT NOTED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.