AN MD11 FLT CREW ON THE CEDAR LAKE ARR TO PHL LEVELED 300 FT HIGH FROM ASSIGNED ALT. RAPIDLY FALLING PRESSURE WAS A FACTOR; AS THEY HAD SET ALT FROM PHL ATIS; WHICH WAS MUCH LOWER THAN THE ATLANTIC CITY VALUE.

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WE WERE ON THE CEDAR LAKE ARR TO PHL. SIGNIFICANT WX WAS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TO INCLUDE GUSTY XWINDS AT THE ARPT AND RAPIDLY FALLING PRESSURE. FOR OUR DSCNT TO 14000 FT I BELIEVE WE WERE GIVEN THE ALTIMETER OF 29.44 HOWEVER THE CREW ELECTED TO USE THE ALTIMETER FROM THE MOST CURRENT PHL ATIS WHICH WAS 29.34. WE LEVELED OFF 14000 FT AND AFTER A FEW MINS AT THAT ALT (APPROX AT XA22Z) ZNY RPTED THE ALTIMETER FOR ATLANTIC CITY TO BE 29.69 AND THAT HE SHOWED US 300 FT HIGH. WE WERE ABOUT 10 NM FROM BRIGS. THE CREW RESET THE ALTIMETER AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT FOR 300 FT. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO ZDC (AT ABOUT 6 NM FROM BRIGS) WHO GAVE US AN ALTIMETER OF 29.39 AND A DSCNT TO 8000 FT. AT XA28Z THE NEW ATIS FOR PHL SHOWED ALTIMETER OF 29.30. AT XA29Z WE WERE HANDED OFF TO PHILLY APCH WHO GAVE US AN ALTIMETER OF 29.27. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE USED THE LCL ALTIMETER PROVIDED BY THE CTR CTLR DURING OUR ARR AND UPDATE IT WITH EACH HDOF. I BELIEVE THAT OUR INITIAL ALTIMETER WAS 29.44 AND I DO NOT EVER REMEMBER 29.69 BEING MENTIONED. I BELIEVE THE RAPIDLY FALLING PRESSURE TO BE A FACTOR FOR BOTH OUR CREW AND THE CTLING AGENCIES.