SMT ON DEP CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

CONDITIONS: SHOWERY PRECIPITATION AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. TWIN CESSNA L DOWNWIND 1500-1600 FT; 5-6 MI APCHING FROM THE S. MY CLRNC: BARRON CLRED AS FILED VIA RADAR VECTORS IOWA CITY DIRECT DSM; CLB MAINTAIN 2000 FT; EXPECT 4000 FT 10 MINS; TURN L HDG 140 DEGS. I TOOK OFF RWY 18 NOT KNOWING ABOUT ANY TFC YET UNTIL ABOUT AT 1500-1600 FT. MEIGS TWR CALLED THE TFC OUT; BUT I DID NOT SEE THEM YET. THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS TO GET UP AND GET OUT OF HIS WAY; SO AT THAT TIME I SPENT MORE OF MY TIME LOOKING OUT THAN INSIDE THE INST PANEL. THIS LED TO ACCIDENTALLY GOING THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT; WHICH I FINALLY STOPPED AT 2900 FT. I FINALLY SAW THE TFC AND MEIGS TWR SWITCHED ME OFF TO DEP AND THEY WERE A LITTLE UNHAPPY THAT I WAS AT 2900 FT INSTEAD OF 2000 FT. SO THEY JUST HAD ME MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL BEING TURNED LOOSE TO DSM. I HOPE I STILL DO NOT GET A VIOLATION OVER THE WHOLE INCIDENT! THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE IS THAT MEIGS TWR AND CHICAGO DEP PROVIDE BETTER SEPARATION OF VFR TFC (TWIN CESSNA) AND IFR TFC (ME!). THE CLRNC THAT I RECEIVED WOULD HAVE PUT ME ON A DIRECT HIT WITH CESSNA. I DID NOT BLOW MY ASSIGNED ALT ON PURPOSE. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND DID NOT PAY VERY CLOSE ATTN TO MY INSTS. THE ONLY THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS GETTING UP AND GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HIS WAY BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE SAME ALT.