MD11 FLT CREW HAS AN ALTDEV DURING STAR.

Narrative

HOW MANY TIMES HAS A PROFESSIONAL FLT CREW WITH 60+ YRS OF EXPERIENCE RESET THE ALTIMETER DSNDING THROUGH FL180? AT LEAST A ZILLION TIMES OR MORE. WELL; WE FORGOT IT THE OTHER DAY AND WITH THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.74 WE WERE ALMOST 1000 FT HIGH ON THE MEMPHIS MARVEL ARR. THE CLRNC WAS TO CROSS THE TAMMY FIX AT 10000 FT. WE WERE LOOKING GOOD WITH A SETTING OF 29.92; ON SPD AND ON ALT APCHING TAMMY. OH; OH! FORTUNATELY FOR US APCH CTL TURNED US FOR A RADAR VECTOR ABOUT 3 NM SHORT OF TAMMY AND DSNDED US TO A LOWER ALT. IT APPEARS THAT WE DODGED A BULLET THIS TIME BECAUSE WE NEVER BUSTED ANY ALT OR CLRNCS; DID NOT RECEIVE ANY TCAS ALERTS OR QUERIES FROM ATC. A THOROUGH POST-FLT DEBRIEF DID LITTLE TO PINPOINT THE LAPSE OF CONSCIOUSNESS PASSING THROUGH FL180. WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY WE MISSED THAT CHKLIST ITEM OR WHAT MIGHT HAVE DISTR US AT THAT CRITICAL PERIOD OF TIME. MAYBE THE BOREDOM OF ROUTINE HAS AFFECTED MY ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE...MAYBE NOT. WHATEVER THE CASE; FROM NOW ON I WILL CHANGE MY OLD HABIT PATTERN FOR THIS PARTICULAR CHKLIST. MY NEW PATTERN; ONCE THE LNDG CARD IS COMPLETED I WILL PLACE IT ON MY YOKE CLIP AS A REMINDER OF RESETTING ALTIMETERS AT FL180. IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO SHAKE UP MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OLD BORING ROUTINES.