Narrative:

I was distraction by a nervous passenger; and the following events occurred as a result of the distraction: during my call for clearance; I was not able to fully copy the clearance and had to ask the controller to say again. During climb out; the passenger said she was cold and needed a heavy blanket from the back seat. She reached behind me to pull the blanket to her; and in the process dragged the blanket across the throttle quadrant (where some autoplt controllers are located). I was using the autoplt to reduce workload given the distrs I was dealing with. I was given a heading of 270 degrees; and set the controls to fly that heading. However; the autoplt controls were altered by the blanket resulting in a right turn. ATC called and alerted me to the fact that I was on the wrong heading; which I manually corrected by turning off the autoplt and flying the correct heading. The airplane was well trimmed for climbing flight on the correct heading (with some rudder input from me). I leveled off at 6000 ft -- now given directly liberty; steered towards liberty; but due to distrs forgot to set the autoplt. I went back to calming the passenger. The airplane was flying very well; but flew through my latest assigned altitude of 6000 ft. Between scans of the passenger and the instruments; I noticed that I had climbed to 6500 ft. I immediately nosed over to 6000 and did not hear a word from ATC. I originally thought that having the passenger in the front with me would be safer; as I would be able to calm her. I also did not know to what extent this passenger would distraction me. Based on all indications (other than interrupting my clearance copy); she was not going to be that distracting. I've learned that I should have had someone else on board to calm this person; and have them both in the back. If I had the chance to re-fly this flight; I would do so with another pilot in the back and me at the controls; undistracted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT IS DISTR BY FRONT SEAT PAX DURING AN IFR FLT. TRACK AND ALTDEVS RESULT.

Narrative: I WAS DISTR BY A NERVOUS PAX; AND THE FOLLOWING EVENTS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE DISTR: DURING MY CALL FOR CLRNC; I WAS NOT ABLE TO FULLY COPY THE CLRNC AND HAD TO ASK THE CTLR TO SAY AGAIN. DURING CLBOUT; THE PAX SAID SHE WAS COLD AND NEEDED A HVY BLANKET FROM THE BACK SEAT. SHE REACHED BEHIND ME TO PULL THE BLANKET TO HER; AND IN THE PROCESS DRAGGED THE BLANKET ACROSS THE THROTTLE QUADRANT (WHERE SOME AUTOPLT CTLRS ARE LOCATED). I WAS USING THE AUTOPLT TO REDUCE WORKLOAD GIVEN THE DISTRS I WAS DEALING WITH. I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 270 DEGS; AND SET THE CTLS TO FLY THAT HDG. HOWEVER; THE AUTOPLT CTLS WERE ALTERED BY THE BLANKET RESULTING IN A R TURN. ATC CALLED AND ALERTED ME TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG HDG; WHICH I MANUALLY CORRECTED BY TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT AND FLYING THE CORRECT HDG. THE AIRPLANE WAS WELL TRIMMED FOR CLBING FLT ON THE CORRECT HDG (WITH SOME RUDDER INPUT FROM ME). I LEVELED OFF AT 6000 FT -- NOW GIVEN DIRECTLY LIBERTY; STEERED TOWARDS LIBERTY; BUT DUE TO DISTRS FORGOT TO SET THE AUTOPLT. I WENT BACK TO CALMING THE PAX. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING VERY WELL; BUT FLEW THROUGH MY LATEST ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT. BTWN SCANS OF THE PAX AND THE INSTS; I NOTICED THAT I HAD CLBED TO 6500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY NOSED OVER TO 6000 AND DID NOT HEAR A WORD FROM ATC. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT HAVING THE PAX IN THE FRONT WITH ME WOULD BE SAFER; AS I WOULD BE ABLE TO CALM HER. I ALSO DID NOT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THIS PAX WOULD DISTR ME. BASED ON ALL INDICATIONS (OTHER THAN INTERRUPTING MY CLRNC COPY); SHE WAS NOT GOING TO BE THAT DISTRACTING. I'VE LEARNED THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMEONE ELSE ON BOARD TO CALM THIS PERSON; AND HAVE THEM BOTH IN THE BACK. IF I HAD THE CHANCE TO RE-FLY THIS FLIGHT; I WOULD DO SO WITH ANOTHER PLT IN THE BACK AND ME AT THE CTLS; UNDISTRACTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.