B787-900
Confusion; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Procedure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
On descent into ZSPD; ATC assigned us 3;600 meters. As Non-Flying Pilot; I read back 3;600 meters. While I was reading back the altitude to ATC; the Relief Pilot called out the meters to feet conversion from the chart incorrectly using the 3;300 meter equivalent of 10;800 feet rather than the 3;600 meter equivalent of 11;800 feet. After completing the read back with ATC; I glanced at the meters to feet conversion chart I had up on my iPad. I saw the called out altitude of 10;800 meters and did not notice that it was one line lower than the correct altitude of 11;800 feet. ATC called us about our altitude when we were approx. 800 feet low. The Captain who was Pilot Flying turned off the autopilot and returned the aircraft to the correct altitude.The Chinese [ATC] change you back and forth between Feet and Meters without notice several times during the same approach. It can get very confusing. The altitude set from the conversion sheet do not correspond directly to the altitude assigned and so it can be very difficult to look and see whether the correct altitude is being flown.Having the crew members reading the conversion altitude; wait until the radio read-back is complete before calling out the converted altitude might help all of the pilots be more involved in the cross check of the altitude.
Cleared to 3;600 meters and set corresponding altitude in feet for 3;300 meters box. [We were] approximately 1;000 feet below assigned altitude. Turned automation off and manually climbed back to correct altitude after resetting mode control panel. I was the Pilot Flying and we were going into Dumet on the Dumet 22L arrival.Difficult environment operating in meters and changing to feet and then setting corrected altitude in mode control panel. The group of us checked the meters chart and agreed to the wrong altitude in feet. Air Traffic Control brought this error to our attention and correction was made.Have to be more big vigilant when operating in meters and changing back to feet for altitudes assigned from Air Traffic Control.
B787-9 crew reported descending below cleared altitude due to confusion over the meters to feet conversion.