Narrative:

The aircraft involved is a C414. While climbing out of madison, wi, on an IFR clearance to 10000 ft MSL in icing conditions, having pitot heats, stall and vent heat, hot propellers and cabin heat on, I had a left alternator out light illuminate at approximately 9300 ft MSL. As I was confirming the left alternator status on the ammeter, the right alternator out light illuminated at approximately 9600 ft MSL followed immediately by several circuit breakers popping. At 10000 ft MSL, after leveling off and reducing the electrical load, I proceeded to reset the left alternator which came back on line. I then tried to reset the right alternator which did not come on line with my first attempts and indicated something else was wrong. I proceed to check the alternator circuit breakers as directed by the checklist, these circuit breakers being located on the pilot side breaker panel, actually aft of the pilot in the sitting position. While moving myself about in the pilot's seat to view the alternator circuit breakers I allowed the aircraft to drift up to an altitude of 10400 ft MSL. The right alternator circuit breaker was popped and so was reset. When I returned my full attention to flying I realized my altitude deviation and was correcting when the ZAU controller called attention to my altitude now indicating about 10200 ft MSL with a continued correction. The controller stated he had received a hit on the mode C at 10600 ft MSL, but in checks with other controllers that day the mode C on this aircraft was reading about 200 ft high. I feel the primary cause for the breakdown in my division of attention is the poor choice of location for important circuit breakers in the C414, some requiring the pilot to actually move and turn in the seat to view circuit breakers for primary system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C414 HAS ALTERNATOR LIGHTS ACTIVATE AND DURING TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: THE ACFT INVOLVED IS A C414. WHILE CLBING OUT OF MADISON, WI, ON AN IFR CLRNC TO 10000 FT MSL IN ICING CONDITIONS, HAVING PITOT HEATS, STALL AND VENT HEAT, HOT PROPS AND CABIN HEAT ON, I HAD A L ALTERNATOR OUT LIGHT ILLUMINATE AT APPROX 9300 FT MSL. AS I WAS CONFIRMING THE L ALTERNATOR STATUS ON THE AMMETER, THE R ALTERNATOR OUT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT APPROX 9600 FT MSL FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SEVERAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPING. AT 10000 FT MSL, AFTER LEVELING OFF AND REDUCING THE ELECTRICAL LOAD, I PROCEEDED TO RESET THE L ALTERNATOR WHICH CAME BACK ON LINE. I THEN TRIED TO RESET THE R ALTERNATOR WHICH DID NOT COME ON LINE WITH MY FIRST ATTEMPTS AND INDICATED SOMETHING ELSE WAS WRONG. I PROCEED TO CHK THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS AS DIRECTED BY THE CHKLIST, THESE CIRCUIT BREAKERS BEING LOCATED ON THE PLT SIDE BREAKER PANEL, ACTUALLY AFT OF THE PLT IN THE SITTING POS. WHILE MOVING MYSELF ABOUT IN THE PLT'S SEAT TO VIEW THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DRIFT UP TO AN ALT OF 10400 FT MSL. THE R ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED AND SO WAS RESET. WHEN I RETURNED MY FULL ATTN TO FLYING I REALIZED MY ALTDEV AND WAS CORRECTING WHEN THE ZAU CTLR CALLED ATTN TO MY ALT NOW INDICATING ABOUT 10200 FT MSL WITH A CONTINUED CORRECTION. THE CTLR STATED HE HAD RECEIVED A HIT ON THE MODE C AT 10600 FT MSL, BUT IN CHKS WITH OTHER CTLRS THAT DAY THE MODE C ON THIS ACFT WAS READING ABOUT 200 FT HIGH. I FEEL THE PRIMARY CAUSE FOR THE BREAKDOWN IN MY DIVISION OF ATTN IS THE POOR CHOICE OF LOCATION FOR IMPORTANT CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN THE C414, SOME REQUIRING THE PLT TO ACTUALLY MOVE AND TURN IN THE SEAT TO VIEW CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR PRIMARY SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.