Comfirmed: Altimeter penalty on descent

[EHM-2198 Didimo]

I read somewhere else in this forum a statement that the altimeter not set to standard penalty only ocurred during climb.

I have learned it is not so in two different flights. The penalty has been applied on descent as well.

In particular I was using the F70. On descent I had the panel switch enabled (green light on) that maintains STD ALT setting. While it was still green I went to the pop up panel to the altimeter gauge to change the ALT setting to the local altitude THINKING (wrong assumption it seems) that THAT setting would be in force after disabling the STD ALT switch. Unfortunately as soon as I changed the setting (while switch still enabled) the penalty was applied.

The issue is not with the plane itself but to confirm that this penalty is indeed applied on descent as well as climb. It was the only penalty I got on this flight, otherwise it would have been a perfect ZERO

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Didimo, I never got that penalty while descending. For example, I land a lot in Lisbon where the TA is 4000 and always set it when at that altitude and never got the Pen.
I don't know if the Pen applies in case no QNH is set at all.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

If I am not mistaken, Didimo's case was that while descending he switched QNH from standard to actual too early. Indeed, when the altimeter shows slightly less than FL180, it is possible that the actual altitude is higher than 18000ft. If QNH is set in this situation, the displayed altitude will increase over the threshold and the penalty may be applied.

The only (and non-subtle) solution is to set the QNH (while descending) at a significant lower level than FL180.

If flying with the FS ATC, this one provides the QNH setting while first instructing you to descend below FL180. This could be a clue about the difference between the indicated and actual altitudes.

If flying online... well, over Europe this is less of a problem because transition levels are way lower than FL180 so by the time the ATC instructs one do descend below the transition level, one is already out of the "risky" area around 18000ft.

Hope this helps
Andrei

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

I just start tapping the B key when i reach 18000... when i see it change i go back to my other duties. Never had a problem

[EHM-2198 Didimo]

Well I keep on having troubles with it. This time it worked fine on descent but it was erroneous on ascent.

A few hundred feet below FL180 I set the altimeter to STD (F70). The Penalties no longer appear as messages on my window so I did not notice until I looked at the ACARS log.

As it turned out, I did the correct handling by setting standard altimeter setting just below FL180. About 15 minutes later when was already at my cruise altitude of FL320 I received the Penalty for "not setting altimeter above FL180".

Extracted from the acars:

20:12 Altitude 18650 (by this time I had set STD altitude 1013)
20:53 Altitude 32000 (reached cruise altitude)
21:31 Altitude 32040 PEN016 (received WRONG penalty)

I guess I will never reach 0 again and will have to start ignoring this penalty. It is unreal anyway as the TA is not really 18000' where I fly 99% of the time.

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

Dude, tap the B button. Belive me it works better than bogus panels...