PLT OF A KATANA ON FLT FOLLOWING IN DSCNT MISREADS ALTIMETER AND LEVELS OFF TOO HIGH. APCH CALLS TFC WHICH IS SIGHTED; BUT CLOSE PROX.

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WHILE DSNDING FROM 8500 FT MSL AND IN RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT FLT FOLLOWING WITH ALB APCH; I MISREAD MY ALTIMETER AND MOMENTARILY LEVELED OFF AT WHICH I THOUGHT AND RPTED AS 4500 FT BUT WAS IN FACT 5400 FT AS APCH CTL NOTICED BY ALT RPTING XPONDER. THEY CALLED TFC FOR ME AT 1 O'CLOCK; EBOUND; 5500 FT. I SAW THE RPTED TFC AND NOTIFIED APCH OF MY MISREADING THE ALTIMETER. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A CLRING RADAR VECTOR. I MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE HIGH ALT (8500 FT MSL; 56 DEGS F; ALTIMETER 30.00). I CONTINUED DSCNT FOR LNDG RWY 1 ALB. ATC; WHEN PROVIDING SVCS; MIGHT SUGGEST A CLRING VECTOR WHEN IN THEIR VIEW A TFC CONFLICT IS IN PROGRESS. I CREATED THE PROB BY MISREADING MY ALTIMETER AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THE TA THAT PREVENTED A GREATER PROB; BUT A BETTER SVC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SUGGEST A RADAR VECTOR OR CLRING TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC; IF IN THEIR VIEW OUR FLTS WERE IN PERIL. I KNOW FLT FOLLOWING IS A VOLUNTARY SVC; BUT IT SURE IS ESSENTIAL IN HIGH TFC AREAS. I WAS NOT IN CLASS C AT THE TIME OF THE PROB. EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AND I WAS GRATEFUL I WAS LOOKING OUT.