  The effect of a short--range impurity on the transmission through a
saddle--point potential for an electron, moving in a strong magnetic field, is
studied. It is demonstrated that for a random position of an impurity and
random sign of its potential the impurity--induced mixing of the Landau levels
diminishes {\em on average} the transmission coefficient. This results in an
upward shift (levitation) of the energy position of the delocalized state in a
smooth potential. The magnitude of the shift is estimated. It increases with
decreasing magnetic field $B$ as $B^{-4}$.
