FLIGHT LEAD FOR A FLIGHT OF THREE FA-18'S DEPARTED USING AGL AS PRIMARY ALT SOURCE FOR INSTRUMENT REFERENCE. AS A RESULT; THE FLIGHT OVERSHOT THE INITIAL ALT CLRNC ON DEP FROM A HIGH ALT ARPT.

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THE LEAD PLT OF A 3 SHIP OF FA-18'S INCORRECTLY CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR IFR FLT BY HAVING THE RADAR ALTIMETER RPTING AGL ALT TO THE HEADS UP DISPLAY (HUD). THEREFORE; THE LEAD PLT WAS SEEING AGL ALT VICE MSL ALT ON HIS PRIMARY INST REF. THE FA-18 AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO MSL ALT AT APPROX 5000 FT AGL. TWR CLRED THE FLT FOR TKOF AT BUCKLEY BY SAYING FLY RWY HDG TO 8 THOUSAND. ON TKOF; THE #2 WINGMAN HAD ORIGINALLY SWITCHED TO THE INCORRECT DEP FREQ; BUT THEN SWITCHED TO THE CORRECT DEP FREQ IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF WHEN HE XCHKED THE FREQ ON HIS APCH PLATE AFTER NOT HEARING ANY RADIO CHATTER OR HIS FLT LEAD CHK IN WITH DEP. AS THE FLT PASSED THROUGH 8000 FT MSL (2300 FT AGL) THE PLT OF THE #2 ACFT WAS CONFUSED; UNSURE IF DEP HAD CLRED THE FLT HIGHER BEFORE HE HAD SWITCHED TO THE CORRECT DEP FREQ. ON THE AUX RADIO HE ASKED; I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO 8 THOUSAND? THE DEP CTLR SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD THE FLT TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. THE LEAD PLT THEN ASKED DEP; SAY AGAIN ALT FOR FLT X AS THEY BEGAN A DSCNT. AT THIS POINT; THE DISPLAYED ALT IN THE FLT LEAD PLT'S HUD SWITCHED FROM RPTING AGL ALT TO RPTING BAROMETRIC ALT AND DISPLAYED APPROX 10000 FT MSL. THE LEAD PLT SWITCHED THE SETTING TO BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER TO THE HUD; AND LEVELED OFF AT 8000 FT MSL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LEAD PLT FAILURE TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR IFR FLT IS THE OVERRIDING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. POOR CRM. THE FLT LEAD FAILED TO RESOLVE UNCERTAINTIES BTWN THE ASSIGNED ALTS. EACH FLT MEMBER; THE BUCKLEY CLRNC DELIVERY AGENCY; THE BUCKLEY TWR CTLR; AND THE DEP CTLR ALL WERE PLAYERS IN THIS INCIDENT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: LEAD PLT WILL BRIEF ALL SQUADRON PLTS ON THIS INCIDENT EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO IFR PROCS. EFFECTIVE CRM WILL BE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED AT THE ORGANIZATION'S NEXT PLT TRAINING MEETING.