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.