Narrative:

We were turning left to 350 degrees on glen rose STAR into dfw arriving from the southwest (landing south). First officer was flying the aircraft. Flight attendant brought up airline magazine/catalog with page after page of threatening hand-written remarks including reference to 'allah,' 'you're going to die on this aircraft,' and 'bomb.' as I was going through these remarks the first officer clicked off the autoplt anticipating a descent from approach control and the possible need for us to expedite our descent and approach. At about this time we both realized that the aircraft had descended about 250 ft below our assigned 11000 ft altitude. I remember seeing 400 low ft before he got the aircraft climbing back to 11000 ft. Subsequently we asked for expedited handling, ultimately declaring an emergency, landed and taxied to the 'bomb' area between runways on the east side of the airport. I stopped the aircraft and made an announcement for everyone to follow directions from the flight attendants and use the emergency escape slides to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. Lesson learned: despite the distraction, someone has to fly the aircraft not vice versa.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD90 ACFT ON STAR. FLC FOUND AIRLINE MAGAZINE WITH THREATENING HAND-WRITTEN REMARKS REGARDING A BOMB ON BOARD. THE DISTR RESULTED IN A 400 FT DEV FROM THE ASSIGNED ALT. FLC DECLARED EMER AND LANDED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. TAXIING TO THE ARPT REMOTE AREA AND EVACED THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE TURNING L TO 350 DEGS ON GLEN ROSE STAR INTO DFW ARRIVING FROM THE SW (LNDG S). FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT UP AIRLINE MAGAZINE/CATALOG WITH PAGE AFTER PAGE OF THREATENING HAND-WRITTEN REMARKS INCLUDING REF TO 'ALLAH,' 'YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ON THIS ACFT,' AND 'BOMB.' AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THESE REMARKS THE FO CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT ANTICIPATING A DSCNT FROM APCH CTL AND THE POSSIBLE NEED FOR US TO EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT AND APCH. AT ABOUT THIS TIME WE BOTH REALIZED THAT THE ACFT HAD DSNDED ABOUT 250 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED 11000 FT ALT. I REMEMBER SEEING 400 LOW FT BEFORE HE GOT THE ACFT CLBING BACK TO 11000 FT. SUBSEQUENTLY WE ASKED FOR EXPEDITED HANDLING, ULTIMATELY DECLARING AN EMER, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE 'BOMB' AREA BTWN RWYS ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EVERYONE TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND USE THE EMER ESCAPE SLIDES TO EVAC THE ACFT. LESSON LEARNED: DESPITE THE DISTR, SOMEONE HAS TO FLY THE ACFT NOT VICE VERSA.

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.