Narrative:

We departed cleveland at XA00 for a flight to scranton, PA. ATC had been climbing us at 1000 ft increments since 9000 ft and the last clearance was to climb to 13000 ft from 12000 ft. We followed all company procedures in altitude changes by both crew members acknowledging the new altitude and calling 1000 ft to go. In the climb, I was distraction by many things. I let myself get distraction by paying too much attention to some thunderstorms north of lake erie that were not even on our route of flight. The lightning was spectacular and covered much of the horizon. The next thing I heard was the altitude alerter which brought my attention to the 13000 ft that was set. I quickly looked at my altimeter and saw 13500 ft, pulled the power back, and descended back to 13000 ft. As I was doing so, ZOB asked us if we were at 13000 ft because he was showing us off by 500 ft and to check our altimeter. The other distraction in the cockpit was lack of adequate lighting. After takeoff we had several panel back lighting outages that made it very difficult to read the switch labels. The captain's subpanel, first officer's subpanel, overhead panel and fuel panel backlighting all went out one at a time. We were checking breakers and rheostats to find the problem. The airplane was grounded for night flying at avp due to inadequate cockpit lighting (MEL). I also had only 3 hours sleep in the last 24 hours since I had to take my baby son (3 months old) to the hospital the night before. He was screaming and crying for 2 hours nonstop and was sick. Fatigue definitely played a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 02 FLC IS DISTR BY LIGHTNING ON THE OUTSIDE AND LACK OF LIGHTING IN THE COCKPIT, RESULTING IN AN ALT OVERSHOOT IN ZOB AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CLEVELAND AT XA00 FOR A FLT TO SCRANTON, PA. ATC HAD BEEN CLBING US AT 1000 FT INCREMENTS SINCE 9000 FT AND THE LAST CLRNC WAS TO CLB TO 13000 FT FROM 12000 FT. WE FOLLOWED ALL COMPANY PROCS IN ALT CHANGES BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEW ALT AND CALLING 1000 FT TO GO. IN THE CLB, I WAS DISTR BY MANY THINGS. I LET MYSELF GET DISTR BY PAYING TOO MUCH ATTN TO SOME TSTMS N OF LAKE ERIE THAT WERE NOT EVEN ON OUR RTE OF FLT. THE LIGHTNING WAS SPECTACULAR AND COVERED MUCH OF THE HORIZON. THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS THE ALT ALERTER WHICH BROUGHT MY ATTN TO THE 13000 FT THAT WAS SET. I QUICKLY LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND SAW 13500 FT, PULLED THE PWR BACK, AND DSNDED BACK TO 13000 FT. AS I WAS DOING SO, ZOB ASKED US IF WE WERE AT 13000 FT BECAUSE HE WAS SHOWING US OFF BY 500 FT AND TO CHK OUR ALTIMETER. THE OTHER DISTR IN THE COCKPIT WAS LACK OF ADEQUATE LIGHTING. AFTER TKOF WE HAD SEVERAL PANEL BACK LIGHTING OUTAGES THAT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO READ THE SWITCH LABELS. THE CAPT'S SUBPANEL, FO'S SUBPANEL, OVERHEAD PANEL AND FUEL PANEL BACKLIGHTING ALL WENT OUT ONE AT A TIME. WE WERE CHKING BREAKERS AND RHEOSTATS TO FIND THE PROB. THE AIRPLANE WAS GNDED FOR NIGHT FLYING AT AVP DUE TO INADEQUATE COCKPIT LIGHTING (MEL). I ALSO HAD ONLY 3 HRS SLEEP IN THE LAST 24 HRS SINCE I HAD TO TAKE MY BABY SON (3 MONTHS OLD) TO THE HOSPITAL THE NIGHT BEFORE. HE WAS SCREAMING AND CRYING FOR 2 HRS NONSTOP AND WAS SICK. FATIGUE DEFINITELY PLAYED A FACTOR.

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.