CAPT OF A CPR LTT JET INADVERTENTLY OVERSHOT ASSIGNED INTERMEDIATE CLB ALT DUE THE CAPT ACCIDENTALLY 'BUMPING' OFF THE FLT DIRECTOR.

Narrative

I WAS CAPT OF A CPR LTT JET DEPARTING FROM HOU FLYING AN ASSIGNED HDG AND CLBING FROM 5000 FT TO 15000 FT. GOING THROUGH 10000 FT; I LOWERED THE PITCH TO ACCELERATE TO 290 KTS; THEN ENGAGED ALT SELECT. MY COPLT WAS HANDLING COMS AND VERIFYING OUR RTE ON A CHART. ABOUT THIS TIME; ONE OF THE PAX TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER. AS I TURNED AROUND; I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED SOMETHING ON THE CTR CONSOLE THAT DISCONNECTED THE ALT SELECT MODE. WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO HANDLE THE PAX PROB; MY COPLT WAS TAKING A HDOF FROM HOUSTON APCH TO CTR. AS I TURNED BACK; I SAW WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 15800 FT AT ABOUT 3000 FPM. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE CLB TO BEGIN A DSCNT; BUT THE ACFT EVENTUALLY REACHED 16400 FT BEFORE THE CLB TREND WAS TURNED AROUND. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 16000 FT WHEN MY COPLT CHKED IN WITH ZHU. CTR ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE ASSIGNED; AND WE TOLD THEM 15000 FT; AND THAT WE WERE DSNDING BACK TO THAT ALT. THEY THEN CLRED US IMMEDIATELY TO 'FL230.' CTR DID NOT INDICATE TO US THAT ANY OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED IN OUR AIRSPACE DURING THE TIME WE WERE NOT AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT.