B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 165; Flight Crew Total 11579; Flight Crew Type 709
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Aircraft; Manuals
We were cleared to climb and maintain 8900 meters. Captain set 29;100 feet and; backing him up; I looked up the Tables/Codes/Signals page in the FOM and said it should be 29;200 feet. The flying first officer (F/O) said that number seemed to be more accurate as the meters readout showed 8890 with 29;200 set. I then went on break after we passed 18;000 feet. When I got up from my rest break; the Captain informed me that the Chinese controller got excited and said our altitude was off by 100 feet and issued a directive to turn immediately to avoid traffic. Captain said conversion chart he was using came from the ICAO conversion chart. Several questions come to my mind concerning this incident. First; and foremost; why is there a difference between the ICAO chart and our FOM conversion chart? Second; why did the Chinese controller get excited over a 100 feet altitude difference when we have 1000 feet of separation in RVSM airspace? Again; I was in the bunk room during the actual time in question so I can only reflect on the facts as they were relayed to me by the Captain.
B747 First Officer reports being assigned 8900 meters by Chinese ATC. The FOM and an ICAO conversion chart show a 100 foot difference in the meters to feet conversion and the crew choses 29;200 feet. The Controller becomes agitated indicating the flight is 100 meters off the assigned altitude and issues a vector.