C310 pilot is distraction by front seat passenger during an IFR flight. Track and altdevs result.

Attributes
ACN	692224
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	692224
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude cabin event : passenger misconduct other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

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.

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.