Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240; Flight Crew Total 6000; Flight Crew Type 1300
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Aircraft
During initial climb; the primary pitch [horizontal stabilizer trim] controls were not working.  This became evident just prior to the level off altitude of 1;600 FT MSL.  The aircraft was in a nose up position.  While switching to secondary trim and waiting for the secondary trim to catch up; pitch and power were used to complete a level off.  This resulted in an inadvertent overshoot of the altitude by just over 200 FT MSL.  Once the secondary pitch trim caught up; a normal descent and landing was performed without further incident.
Reporter stated the failure involved the horizontal stabilizer trim.
P180 Captain overshot clearance limit in climb when the primary horizontal stabilizer trim failed.