PLT OF A PIPER CHEYENNE 1; PA31T-1 CHEYENNE 1; PA41; OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO SINGLE PLT FLYING TASK DISTRS.

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I DEPARTED VFR TO PICK UP MY CLRNC AIRBORNE AND AFTER CONTACTING ZID; THEY DID NOT HAVE MY FLT PLAN. THE CTLR WAS HELPFUL AND PUT IN A QUICK IFR FOR ME AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND A DIRECT CLRNC AND ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 9000 FT MSL. I PUT 9000 FT IN THE ALT PRE-SELECT WINDOW AND CONTINUED TO CLB. I THINK I WAS PROBABLY PASSING ABOUT 6000 FT MSL WHEN HE ISSUED THE CLRNC. THE CTLR CAME BACK ON TO CONFIRM ACFT TYPE; FUEL ON BOARD AND SOULS ON BOARD SHORTLY AFTER I HAD TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT. AS I WAS COMMUNICATING TO HIM THE INFO HE NEEDED; THE AUTOPLT PITCHED UP UNEXPECTEDLY. I USED THE ELECTRIC TRIM SWITCH ON THE YOKE TO DISABLE THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN HAND FLYING THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF TRIM NOSE UP AND THE ELECTRIC TRIM WAS NOT RESPONDING TO A NOSE DOWN TRIM COMMAND. THE FLT DIRECTOR WAS ON AND THE V-BAR POSITIONING WAS NORMAL FOR THE CLB. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR HANDED ME OFF TO ZDC. AFTER DIALING IN THE NEW FREQ AND WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING THE TRIM PROB; I REALIZED THE ALTIMETER WAS GOING THROUGH 9600 FT MSL. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK PWR; PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND BEGAN CORRECTING. I HAD FAILED TO PRESS THE ARM BUTTON ON THE ALT PRESELECT WHEN I HAD ENTERED THE 9000 FT CLRNC ALT. I WAS FLYING THE V-BAR ON THE FLT DIRECTOR AND OVERSHOT THE ALT. AS I WAS CORRECTING; THE ZDC CTLR CALLED AND SAID I HAD GONE TO 9800 FT BUT HE SAID HE SAW ME CORRECTING. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT THINK I HAD GONE QUITE THAT FAR. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? MOST PROBABLY FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. MY TIME SINCE AWAKENING; WHEN MY MISTAKE NOT TO PUSH THE ARM BUTTON CAME; WAS 18.5 HRS. I HAD ARISEN AT XA30 ON THE MORNING OF JUL/XX/97 AND ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT FLOWN PREVIOUSLY THAT DAY; I HAD BEEN BUSY ALL DAY LONG. BEING TIRED; I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTR ENOUGH BY THE TRIM PROB AND THE FREQ CHANGE THAT I DID NOT CATCH THE LEVELOFF ALT. IN A SINGLE PLT ENVIRONMENT; FATIGUE IS INSIDIOUS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE BACKUP TO HELP YOU CATCH A MISTAKE LIKE I MADE. AND AS WE ALL KNOW SMALL ERRORS QUICKLY ADD UP TO ACCIDENTS. I SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO FIND ONE OF THE OTHER LCL PLTS TO BE R SEAT OR SHOULD HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE TRIP AT ALL. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A SIT WITH THE DISTRAUGHT PARENTS OF A SICK CHILD; THE ADDED PRESSURE THAT HE IS YOUR FRIEND AND CO-WORKER; IT IS HARD TO SAY NO. HOWEVER; NO IS SOMETIMES THE SAFEST ANSWER AND I WILL USE IT MORE OFTEN IN THE FUTURE.