...if it's low pressure and crews don't select 1013mb when cleared to a flight level,it can lead ATCO's into a false sense of security that the a/c will level at the instructed Flight Level....Been there,done that!
Slightly disturbed by this.
Surely controllers have been trained that Selected Altitude is ONLY used to confirm a vertical clearance has been received and correctly understood.
There is no guarantee whatsover that an aircraft approaching its selected level will level out other than the normal faith in flight crew competence. The aircraft may be being flown by hand for example - the value being entered into the MCP only as a matter of procedure.
No substitute for monitoring rate of climb against traffic 1000' above cleared level.(assuming we have time to do so
Indeed. True before the availability of SA and just as true now.