Narrative:

I was climbing to my cruise altitude of 10000 ft MSL. I had misset the pilot side altimeter to 32.03 instead of the correct 30.03 which had been set on the copilot side altimeter. I was in the process of returning 2 inmates back to wichita, ks, ict (our home base). The guard was asking one of the inmates some questions and I had my head turned slightly to listen as the inmate was not cooperating fully. The guard happened to turn and see our altitude as over the 10000 ft clearance limit, I immediately pushed the nose over and quickly went back down to 10000 ft. I believe at the time of the pushover, I was approaching 10800 ft. I also noticed that in changing the frequency from one controller to the next, I had inadvertently rolled the volume knob down on the operating communication radio. I turned the volume back up and immediately called the controller, he asked if there was a problem and I indicated to him that we were back at 10000 ft. A short time later I was handed to a female controller and she told me to call mr X upon landing at our destination. Obviously this could have all been completely avoided had I been paying complete attention to the important task of flying the aircraft in the proper manner. Poor judgement on my part for letting a minor distraction take me from my duties as PIC. I was properly rested, it had been a VMC day all day long with no problems whatsoever. Had started the day at XA00Z with 2 stops and we arrived in wichita at approximately XG00Z. I again contacted mr X and he advised me that because another aircraft had called the controller, he had to turn this over to the FSDO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT OF AN SMT HAS A MISSET ALTIMETER AND DEVIATES 800 FT WHILE IN MCI, MO, AIRSPACE. ACFT IS CARRYING PRISONERS, ONE OF WHOM IS VERY DISTRACTING.

Narrative: I WAS CLBING TO MY CRUISE ALT OF 10000 FT MSL. I HAD MISSET THE PLT SIDE ALTIMETER TO 32.03 INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT 30.03 WHICH HAD BEEN SET ON THE COPLT SIDE ALTIMETER. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING 2 INMATES BACK TO WICHITA, KS, ICT (OUR HOME BASE). THE GUARD WAS ASKING ONE OF THE INMATES SOME QUESTIONS AND I HAD MY HEAD TURNED SLIGHTLY TO LISTEN AS THE INMATE WAS NOT COOPERATING FULLY. THE GUARD HAPPENED TO TURN AND SEE OUR ALT AS OVER THE 10000 FT CLRNC LIMIT, I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND QUICKLY WENT BACK DOWN TO 10000 FT. I BELIEVE AT THE TIME OF THE PUSHOVER, I WAS APCHING 10800 FT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT IN CHANGING THE FREQ FROM ONE CTLR TO THE NEXT, I HAD INADVERTENTLY ROLLED THE VOLUME KNOB DOWN ON THE OPERATING COM RADIO. I TURNED THE VOLUME BACK UP AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CTLR, HE ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND I INDICATED TO HIM THAT WE WERE BACK AT 10000 FT. A SHORT TIME LATER I WAS HANDED TO A FEMALE CTLR AND SHE TOLD ME TO CALL MR X UPON LNDG AT OUR DEST. OBVIOUSLY THIS COULD HAVE ALL BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED HAD I BEEN PAYING COMPLETE ATTN TO THE IMPORTANT TASK OF FLYING THE ACFT IN THE PROPER MANNER. POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART FOR LETTING A MINOR DISTR TAKE ME FROM MY DUTIES AS PIC. I WAS PROPERLY RESTED, IT HAD BEEN A VMC DAY ALL DAY LONG WITH NO PROBS WHATSOEVER. HAD STARTED THE DAY AT XA00Z WITH 2 STOPS AND WE ARRIVED IN WICHITA AT APPROX XG00Z. I AGAIN CONTACTED MR X AND HE ADVISED ME THAT BECAUSE ANOTHER ACFT HAD CALLED THE CTLR, HE HAD TO TURN THIS OVER TO THE FSDO.

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.