Narrative:

We had just told ZAB that we needed to return to elp due to an unruly passenger. Center gave us a vector and descent back to elp. I was getting ATIS and the first officer was flying. We were cleared to 13000' MSL. Due to the confusion in cabin with unruly passenger and my getting ATIS, we inadvertently overshot descent by approximately 250' to approximately 12750' MSL. On a subsequent descent to 9000' we overshot descent again by approximately 300-400'. On both instances the overshoot was unintentional and only momentary. We immediately returned to assigned altitudes. ATC never even said anything and due to the fact that they were close and only momentary we didn't say anything to ATC. We were preoccupied with our unruly passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG EXPERIENCED 2 ALT DEVIATIONS DURING EMERGENCY RETURN LAND BECAUSE OF AN UNRULY PASSENGER.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST TOLD ZAB THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO ELP DUE TO AN UNRULY PAX. CENTER GAVE US A VECTOR AND DSNT BACK TO ELP. I WAS GETTING ATIS AND THE F/O WAS FLYING. WE WERE CLRED TO 13000' MSL. DUE TO THE CONFUSION IN CABIN WITH UNRULY PAX AND MY GETTING ATIS, WE INADVERTENTLY OVERSHOT DSNT BY APPROX 250' TO APPROX 12750' MSL. ON A SUBSEQUENT DSNT TO 9000' WE OVERSHOT DSNT AGAIN BY APPROX 300-400'. ON BOTH INSTANCES THE OVERSHOOT WAS UNINTENTIONAL AND ONLY MOMENTARY. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALTS. ATC NEVER EVEN SAID ANYTHING AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE CLOSE AND ONLY MOMENTARY WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO ATC. WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH OUR UNRULY PAX.

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.