B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 116
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors
Flight to BOS; with Check Airman on jumpseat giving me a line check; I was pilot flying. FO could not get arrival ATIS on ACARS so he went on radio number two to copy ATIS. He wrote 30.37 as BOS altimeter; did the performance calculations for landing and we did descent and approach checklists. When we checked-in with Approach; we all heard ATC say 'altimeter 30.36'; FO read back altimeter 30.36 so we set that. We didn't know we had the wrong altimeter; ATC did not correct us; and the Check Airman didn't notice it either. While on base; being vectored for the ILS 22L in VFR; Approach called 'Low altitude alert; say altitude'. FO read back; '3;000 feet; say current altimeter'. ATC said '30.06'; 'we show you at 2;700 feet.' I immediately corrected altitude to 3;000 feet; and set the correct altimeter. None of us on the flight deck ever knew it was anything different than 30.36; but ATC never corrected our read backs; so we did not realize we had a problem.When not getting ATIS on ACARS; we need to both verify altimeter setting; or verify it with ATC; not depend on ATC to correct us.
B737 Captain reported receiving a low altitude alert from ATC on approach to BOS when their altimeter was mis-set because of a communication breakdown.