Narrative:

I departed kansas city downtown (mkc) with an IFR flight plan. My clearance was a right turn to 040 degree, climb and maintain 3000', and expect 8000' 10 mins after departure. Kansas city WX was down to 300' and 1 1/2 mi visibility with rain, and my destination, crete, northeast, was IFR as well. Just after takeoff and during climb out, I began experiencing electrical problems. ATC reported that my transponder was intermittent and was reading various numbers not shown in my transponder windows. I then permanently lost the DME, the #2 navigation, and the ADF, and briefly lost both communications and the #1 navigation, putting me in a very serious situation, since the entire midwest within range was also IFR. My aircraft, a vintage MTR, is not the easiest to hand fly IFR in this situation, and I went through the 3000' altitude. I was busy trying to restore my avionics and was able to get back both communications (though reception remained garbled) and one navigation, the LORAN, apparently dried out enough to restore reception, though the ADF, DME, and #2 navigation never became operational. ATC advised that they were again receiving my transponder code and asked me to verify altitude. I responded that I was at 4100'. Right then they cleared me to 5000' and didn't question me on my current altitude. That clearance reminded me of the earlier assigned 3000' altitude. I was extremely distracted because of the possible upcoming IFR emergency caused by the loss of navigational and communications equipment and I forgot the 3000' assigned altitude and was climbing to 8000'. My radios, when working at all, were garbled and I was unsure whether the 8000' clearance had been given. The instrument bay on MTR leaks very badly and the water apparently caused the avionics failure. The aircraft was immediately taken to an avionics shop on monday, july, for complete inspection and repair.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATELY OWNED VINTAGE MTR ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB. PLT WAS TRYING TO SOLVE NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION RADIO PROBLEMS CAUSED BY WATER LEAKING INTO INSTRUMENT BAY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN (MKC) WITH AN IFR FLT PLAN. MY CLRNC WAS A RIGHT TURN TO 040 DEG, CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 3000', AND EXPECT 8000' 10 MINS AFTER DEP. KANSAS CITY WX WAS DOWN TO 300' AND 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY WITH RAIN, AND MY DEST, CRETE, NE, WAS IFR AS WELL. JUST AFTER TKOF AND DURING CLIMB OUT, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ATC REPORTED THAT MY XPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT AND WAS READING VARIOUS NUMBERS NOT SHOWN IN MY XPONDER WINDOWS. I THEN PERMANENTLY LOST THE DME, THE #2 NAV, AND THE ADF, AND BRIEFLY LOST BOTH COMS AND THE #1 NAV, PUTTING ME IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION, SINCE THE ENTIRE MIDWEST WITHIN RANGE WAS ALSO IFR. MY ACFT, A VINTAGE MTR, IS NOT THE EASIEST TO HAND FLY IFR IN THIS SITUATION, AND I WENT THROUGH THE 3000' ALT. I WAS BUSY TRYING TO RESTORE MY AVIONICS AND WAS ABLE TO GET BACK BOTH COMS (THOUGH RECEPTION REMAINED GARBLED) AND ONE NAV, THE LORAN, APPARENTLY DRIED OUT ENOUGH TO RESTORE RECEPTION, THOUGH THE ADF, DME, AND #2 NAV NEVER BECAME OPERATIONAL. ATC ADVISED THAT THEY WERE AGAIN RECEIVING MY XPONDER CODE AND ASKED ME TO VERIFY ALT. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS AT 4100'. RIGHT THEN THEY CLRED ME TO 5000' AND DIDN'T QUESTION ME ON MY CURRENT ALT. THAT CLRNC REMINDED ME OF THE EARLIER ASSIGNED 3000' ALT. I WAS EXTREMELY DISTRACTED BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE UPCOMING IFR EMER CAUSED BY THE LOSS OF NAVIGATIONAL AND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND I FORGOT THE 3000' ASSIGNED ALT AND WAS CLIMBING TO 8000'. MY RADIOS, WHEN WORKING AT ALL, WERE GARBLED AND I WAS UNSURE WHETHER THE 8000' CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN. THE INSTRUMENT BAY ON MTR LEAKS VERY BADLY AND THE WATER APPARENTLY CAUSED THE AVIONICS FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO AN AVIONICS SHOP ON MONDAY, JULY, FOR COMPLETE INSPECTION AND REPAIR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.