ACFT EQUIP PROB DISTRACTS PLT; ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN CLB.

Narrative

IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED TO TRAVERSE CITY; MI; FROM I78 (UNION COUNTY ARPT; MARYSVILLE; OH). AFTER TAKING OFF FROM ITEM 78; UNION COUNTY ARPT IN MARYSVILLE; OH; ENRTE TO TRAVERSE CITY; MI; IN OUR SMT AND BEING CTLED BY THE COLUMBUS DEP FREQ 120.2; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 4000 FT AND THEN TO 8000 FT. APPROX 20 MI S OF MANSFIELD; WE WERE CONTINUING ON OUR CLB WHEN THE EVENT HAPPENED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND UNTIL CONVERSING WITH MANSFIELD; OH; APCH CTL; WE WERE HAVING ALTERNATOR TROUBLE. FIRST; THE L ALTERNATOR QUIT; A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED IF OFF; TURNED THE R ONE ON; AND REVERSED THE SIT BECAUSE IN AN SMT SERIES THIS WILL OFTEN CORRECT IT. I HAD THE SEQUENCE SET APPROX 3 TIMES AND IN SO DOING; PASSED THROUGH 8000 FT UP TO APPROX 8200 FT. I RECOGNIZED MY MISTAKE AND DSNDED BACK TO 8000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME; THE MANSFIELD; OH; CTLR CALLED IT TO MY ATTN AND ASKED FOR MY ALTIMETER SETTING. I HAD NEGLECTED TO CHANGE THE ALTIMETER SETTING FROM THE COLUMBUS CTLR OR HAD SET IT WRONGLY BECAUSE THE ALTIMETER READ 2901 ON THE PLT'S SIDE. THE COPLT INST WAS ALSO SET AT THAT SAME SETTING. THE ACTUAL SETTING WAS 30.11. THE MANSFIELD CTLR SAID THAT I HAD EXCEEDED 300 FT AND I HAD RECOGNIZED THAT I HAD EXCEEDED THE 8000 FT BY 150-200 FT. THE ALTIMETER SETTING WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE REST. ULTIMATELY I WAS ABLE TO BAL THE ALTERNATORS. THEY BOTH WERE FUNCTIONING AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR TRIP. THE DAY WAS CLR; VFR FLT WAS POSSIBLE; BUT IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT I USUALLY GO IFR. IN THE FUTURE; AS IN THE PAST; I WILL ATTEMPT TO BE MORE CAREFUL WITH ALT INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW UP. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH THE ALTERNATORS TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE ALT.