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.

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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.