ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION - CAPT OF AN ACR CLBS ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT WHILE THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS ARE DISTRACTED WITH THEIR TASKS.

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ON APR/THU/95 OUR FLT WAS OPERATING AS A DC-8-61 CARGO FLT FROM MEM TO DTW WITH A CREW/COMPANY PLANNED DIVERSION TO YIP IF THE RWYS WERE DRY. IF THE RWYS WERE WET; THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO LAND AT DTW. THIS WAS BECAUSE THE ACFT WOULD BE TOO HVY TO LAND AT YIP ON A WET RWY PER THE ARPT RWY ANALYSIS CHARTS. YIP ATIS CAUSED US TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC TO YIP ENRTE. ON SHORT FINAL TWR ADVISED US RWY WAS WET WITH LIGHT RAIN. THE CAPT TOOK A SIMPLE DECISION AND STARTED TO MAKE IT COMPLICATED. AT THIS POINT; WE TOLD TWR WE NEEDED TO GO TO NEARBY DTW. YIP TWR HANDED US OFF TO DTW APCH. THE CAPT DIDN'T WANT TO GO DIRECT TO DTW. INSTEAD HE WANTED A DELAYING RADAR VECTOR SO THE SO COULD CHK WITH DISPATCH. WHILE THE SO WAS TALKING WITH COMPANY; I WAS LOOKING FOR THE APCH PLATE FOR RWY 3R AT DTW. (THIS TOOK AWHILE BECAUSE IT DISCOVERED IT WAS MISSING!! WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ON BOARD.) WHILE THE SO AND FO WERE BUSY; THE CAPT'S INST SCAN LAPSED DUE TO HIS AGITATED STATE AT HAVING TO DIVERT; I BELIEVE. THE CAPT CLBED FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT TO 4000 FT!!! DTW APCH ASKED US WHAT OUR FLT ALT WAS. THE CAPT TOLD ME HE THOUGHT HE GOT A 4000 FT CLB CLRNC. I RELAYED THAT TO THE CTLR. HE SAID 'NO PROB' AND INSTRUCTED US TO DSND TO 3000 FT. WE FINALLY LANDED AT DTW. THE CTLRS DID NOT ASK US TO TELEPHONE THEM. SO; I DO NOT THINK THERE IS A VIOLATION HEADED OUR WAY. THE CAPT IS A NEW CAPT STILL ON HIGH MINIMUMS. IT WAS NOT A PLEASANT TIME IN THE COCKPIT THAT DAY. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT FOR YOUR DATABASE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT I WILL TRY TO HAVE EVEN MORE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN HIGH WORKLOAD TIMES. I FEEL BAD THIS HAPPENED.