Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15; Flight Crew Total 2200; Flight Crew Type 600
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Aircraft
When I was given command of the aircraft; it was below Class A airspace on a VFR flight plan at 15;000 MSL. The altimeter setting was set as appropriate for the airspace and altitude it was in. I decided to climb to FL190 and activate our IFR flight plan. After reaching FL190 I forgot to reset my altimeter setting to 29.92. The effect of this was that the aircraft was flying approximately 300 feet lower than indicated by my altimeter. I did not notice this until questioned about it by the Center Controller approximately 20 minutes after reaching FL190. I corrected my error and the aircraft resumed flight at the correct altitude.
A UAV pilot failed to reset the altimeter when the aircraft was climbed to FL190 from 15;000 MSL. ATC questioned the altitude readout and the error was corrected.