AN A319 CREW; CONTINUING DSCNT FROM FL190; WERE GIVEN THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING; CAUSING A 1000 FT DEV WHEN LEVELING AT 17000 FT.

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XING DELRO INTXN DEC/TUE/01. ON DELRO 1 ARR TO IAD; ZNY CLRED US TO DSND FROM FL190 TO 17000 FT; WITH LRP ALTIMETER OF 30.45. WE READ BACK THE ALT AND ALTIMETER AND CTR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. AS WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 17000 FT WE CHKED IN WITH ZNY CTLR AND WE REPEATED THE ALTIMETER ON INITIAL CHK-IN. CTR ASKED US TO RECYCLE OUR XPONDER BECAUSE HE WAS SHOWING US AT 16200 FT. WE ASKED FOR ANOTHER ALTIMETER SETTING; STATING WE SHOWED 17000 FT AND THAT WE HAD READ BACK 30.45 INCHES FROM A PREVIOUS CTLR. CTR GAVE US A LCL ALTIMETER OF 29.52 INCHES; AND AS WE PUT THE NEW SETTING IN THE ALTIMETER; OUR INDICATED ALT WENT DOWN TO 16160 FT. AS WE STARTED OUR CLB BACK TO 17000 FT; CTR CLRED US TO CROSS MULRR INTXN AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. AT THAT POINT WE CONTINUED DSCNT TO 10000 FT. PASSING 14400 FT; CTR CTLR ASKED FOR ALT CHK; AND AFTER WE READ IT TO HIM; HE CONCURRED AND STATED THAT HE THOUGHT WE FOUND THE PROB. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. BOTH PLTS HEARD AND READ BACK (PNF) THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER (30.45) WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY WHY THE ALTDEV OCCURRED. THERE MAY BE A CHANCE THE FIRST CTR CTLR ACCIDENTALLY GAVE US A READING THAT WAS OFF BY EXACTLY 1 INCH OF HG. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS DISPLAY LOOKS LIKE SO WE CAN'T SPECULATE ON HOW OR WHY HE GAVE US A READING THAT WAS 1000 FT OFF; BUT WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE DEV.