AN MD80 CREW; ON DSCNT INTO BOS; OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO A WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING.

Date: 2002-02 · Aircraft: MD-88

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

AN MD80 CREW; ON DSCNT INTO BOS; OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO A WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative

I WAS PF ON A FLT FROM RSW-BOS. FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON; ATC WAS ROUTING TFC 20 NM AROUND NEW YORK CITY. THIS CAUSED OUR STAR TO BOSTON TO BE CHANGED 3 TIMES. AT SOME POINT; ZBW SEEMED TO FORGET TO HAND US OFF TO THE NEXT CTR FREQ. WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF; WE WERE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'CROSS PVD AT 11000 FT!' WE HAD APPROX 40 DME TO LOSE 13000 FT WITH A 90 KT TAILWIND. I BEGAN THE DSCNT WITH SPOILERS DEPLOYED. AT ABOUT FL210 WE SAW A 'THRUST REVERSER ACCUMULATOR LOW' LIGHT MESSAGE ON OUR OVERHEAD PANEL. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT BEGAN TO ACCOMPLISH THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST FOR THE PROB. THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF THIS PROB. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE WX ON THE FRONT; THE WX WAS POOR. LOW PRESSURE WAS COVERING THE AREA. AT FL180 I FORGOT TO CALL OR ACCOMPLISH THE DSCNT CHKLIST. WHEN THE AUTOPLT CAPTURED 11000 FT; ZBW ASKED US OUR ALT. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED WE HAD NOT CHANGED THE ALTIMETER SETTING. IT WAS 29.43. THIS PUT US AT 10500 FT. WE RESET AND CLBED TO 11000 FT. ATC SAID NOTHING ELSE. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW; THE FOLLOWING WERE FACTORS: MY CONCERN ABOUT FLYING THE CORRECT ARR. MY CONCERN ABOUT MAKING ALT RESTR. MY CONCERN ABOUT PWR SETTINGS FOR ENG ANTI-ICE. MY CONCERN TO NOT FORGOT SPOILERS WERE DEPLOYED. THE CAPT WAS FOLLOWING COMPANY PROC AND ACCOMPLISHING CHKLIST FOR THE ABNORMAL. THIS LEFT ME WITH MANY THINGS TO DEAL WITH AND I FORGOT AN IMPORTANT ONE.

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