Narrative:

During climb out, #1 generator out of service light came out on the annunciator panel. It was my leg, and since resetting the generator involves opening up a floor board to access the generator control box, I told my first officer that we were going to wait until we leveled off at 10000 ft, and proceed with the generator out checklist after we finished with the cruise check. We did that, I kept flying and he followed the checklist out loud. It was a little bumpy (continuous light turbulence) and we were going through some light rime icing, but nothing out of the ordinary for an alaskan fall. The first officer told me he couldn't open the trap door, to my surprise, because you can basically do that with 2 fingers. I gave him the controls and he acknowledged, I ducked under and opened the door without trouble. Before I proceeded to reset the generator, I glanced up, and to my dismay, my first officer had gone through 10350 ft and was still climbing at 500 FPM. I raised up and I regained the controls, descending down to 10000 ft. He seemed a bit confused, and I explained to him the gravity of an altitude incursion. Since the control box was still open, I reset the generator with my right hand while I continued to fly with the left one. The generator reset without trouble. I think he got some vertigo with the turbulence and his head down trying to open up the trap door, but he didn't say a word about it, so I didn't know his condition when I asked him to take control of the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 SMT FLC EXPERIENCES AN ALT EXCURSION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESET A TRIPPED GENERATOR.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, #1 GENERATOR OUT OF SVC LIGHT CAME OUT ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. IT WAS MY LEG, AND SINCE RESETTING THE GENERATOR INVOLVES OPENING UP A FLOOR BOARD TO ACCESS THE GENERATOR CTL BOX, I TOLD MY FO THAT WE WERE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL WE LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT, AND PROCEED WITH THE GENERATOR OUT CHKLIST AFTER WE FINISHED WITH THE CRUISE CHK. WE DID THAT, I KEPT FLYING AND HE FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST OUT LOUD. IT WAS A LITTLE BUMPY (CONTINUOUS LIGHT TURB) AND WE WERE GOING THROUGH SOME LIGHT RIME ICING, BUT NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR AN ALASKAN FALL. THE FO TOLD ME HE COULDN'T OPEN THE TRAP DOOR, TO MY SURPRISE, BECAUSE YOU CAN BASICALLY DO THAT WITH 2 FINGERS. I GAVE HIM THE CTLS AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED, I DUCKED UNDER AND OPENED THE DOOR WITHOUT TROUBLE. BEFORE I PROCEEDED TO RESET THE GENERATOR, I GLANCED UP, AND TO MY DISMAY, MY FO HAD GONE THROUGH 10350 FT AND WAS STILL CLBING AT 500 FPM. I RAISED UP AND I REGAINED THE CTLS, DSNDING DOWN TO 10000 FT. HE SEEMED A BIT CONFUSED, AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE GRAVITY OF AN ALT INCURSION. SINCE THE CTL BOX WAS STILL OPEN, I RESET THE GENERATOR WITH MY R HAND WHILE I CONTINUED TO FLY WITH THE L ONE. THE GENERATOR RESET WITHOUT TROUBLE. I THINK HE GOT SOME VERTIGO WITH THE TURB AND HIS HEAD DOWN TRYING TO OPEN UP THE TRAP DOOR, BUT HE DIDN'T SAY A WORD ABOUT IT, SO I DIDN'T KNOW HIS CONDITION WHEN I ASKED HIM TO TAKE CTL OF THE AIRPLANE.

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.