BE1900 DID NOT HAVE ALT ALERTER ONBOARD. CAPT BRIEFED FO TO BE ALERT ON ALT CHANGES. CLBING TO 8000 FT ASSIGNED; RECEIVED CLRNC TO CHANGE FREQ. CAPT CHANGING RADIO AND NOT MONITORING FO; PF; RPTED ALT LEAVING 8500 FT. RETURNED TO 8000 FT AND CTLR CLRED FLT TO 9000 FT.

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I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT FROM JAX INTL ARPT TO TPA. WE WERE ASSIGNED TO FLY THE ONLY ACFT IN OUR FLEET THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ALT ALERTER. PRIOR TO STARTING OUR DAY; I BRIEFED THE FO THAT WE NEEDED TO BE EXTRA ALERT WHEN CHANGING ALTS AND HOW IMPORTANT THE 1000 FT TO GO CALLS WERE. THIS WAS OUR 4TH FLT OF THE DAY AND IT WAS THE FO'S TURN TO FLY. WE WERE CLBING OUT OF JAX INTL TO OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT. PASSING 7000 FT; I TOLD THE FO WE HAD 1000 FT TO GO AND HE SAID THAT CHKS. THE FO WAS CLBING AT AN EXPEDITIOUS RATE BECAUSE WE WERE CLBING OUT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF OUR DEST. APCH THEN TOLD US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 240 DEGS AND CONTACT APCH ON 123.75. I THINK THIS HAPPENED JUST PRIOR TO REACHING 8000 FT. THIS DREW MY ATTN AWAY FROM MONITORING THE FO'S CLB AND BROUGHT IT TO TUNING THE RADIO AND CHKING IN WITH APCH. I CHKED IN WITH APCH SAYING 'JAX APCH XYZ IS THROUGH 8500 FT!' I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED MY XMISSION; TOOK OVER THE CTLS; AND BEGAN TO GET THE ACFT BACK DOWN TO 8000 FT. THE CTLR'S REPLY WAS 'ROGER XYZ CLB TO 9000 FT.' 9000 FT WAS OUR FINAL ALT. THE FO DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL I TOOK OVER THE ACFT. I BELIEVE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS WERE: 1) I WAS ON REDUCED REST FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY; 2) THIS ACFT IS THE ONLY ACFT IN OUR FLEET WITHOUT AN ALT ALERTER; 3) THE RADIO CALL JUST PRIOR TO REACHING 8000 FT WAS A DISTR; AND 4) THE FO CLBING AT A FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. I BELIEVE ALL TURBOPROP ACFT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE ALT ALERTERS INSTALLED.