Narrative:

During descent through FL200, the captain was notified that a passenger was injured by a thrown bottle. Over the next few mins he was ascertaining the condition of the passenger and calling dispatch so he was not listening to ATC. ATC cleared us on a heading to intercept the runway 14R localizer from over 30 NM out. Then ATC gave us 2 vectors and a reintercept of the localizer. When ATC then gave us another heading to reintercept the localizer, I realized that I had flown through it. At about this time the captain began listening to ATC again. Even though I remember arming the localizer capture mode the first time, I must have forgotten to rearm for the second capture. The early hour, the confusion concerning the passenger, and the multiple ATC commands all helped contribute to this situation occurring. I do not believe we flew through the localizer very far or that we had a conflict with any other aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 326570: I was off the main frequency (ord approach). My first officer told me that while I was busy with ATIS, he had flown through the localizer, and after a min, ord approach gave him another heading to reintercept. I would not have known if he had not told me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX ON AN MD80 WAS INJURED BY A THROWN BOTTLE. THE CAPT WAS ASCERTAINING THE CONDITION OF THE PAX, TALKING TO DISPATCH, AND PERFORMING COCKPIT TASKS, WHEN THE FO OVERSHOT THE LOC. APCH CTLR INTERVENED AND VECTORED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE LOC.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT THROUGH FL200, THE CAPT WAS NOTIFIED THAT A PAX WAS INJURED BY A THROWN BOTTLE. OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS HE WAS ASCERTAINING THE CONDITION OF THE PAX AND CALLING DISPATCH SO HE WAS NOT LISTENING TO ATC. ATC CLRED US ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 14R LOC FROM OVER 30 NM OUT. THEN ATC GAVE US 2 VECTORS AND A REINTERCEPT OF THE LOC. WHEN ATC THEN GAVE US ANOTHER HDG TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC, I REALIZED THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH IT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE CAPT BEGAN LISTENING TO ATC AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH I REMEMBER ARMING THE LOC CAPTURE MODE THE FIRST TIME, I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO REARM FOR THE SECOND CAPTURE. THE EARLY HOUR, THE CONFUSION CONCERNING THE PAX, AND THE MULTIPLE ATC COMMANDS ALL HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SIT OCCURRING. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE FLEW THROUGH THE LOC VERY FAR OR THAT WE HAD A CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 326570: I WAS OFF THE MAIN FREQ (ORD APCH). MY FO TOLD ME THAT WHILE I WAS BUSY WITH ATIS, HE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC, AND AFTER A MIN, ORD APCH GAVE HIM ANOTHER HDG TO REINTERCEPT. I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN IF HE HAD NOT TOLD ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.