C172 pilot flying as a passenger experiences a near midair collision with a BE35 at 8;400 feet depar...

Attributes
ACN	1083915
Time
Date	201304
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	COS.Airport
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	Descent
Person 1
Function	Other / Unknown
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15 Flight Crew Total 1200 Flight Crew Type 1000
Events
Anomaly	Conflict NMAC
Miss Distance	Horizontal 150 Vertical 20

Narrative:

I was a passenger on [this flight]. We departed runway 13 and turned to a heading of 080 at tower's direction and continued our climb to 8;500 feet MSL. Tower cleared us to departure frequency. After switching to that frequency; we delayed contacting departure until we were at about 8;200 feet MSL; due to communications traffic. Departure gave us a traffic notification: (traffic; a bonanza at one o'clock (don't remember distance and altitude.) both the pilot and I looked but did not see traffic. Departure gave a second notification: (traffic; a bonanza at one o'clock and (I believe) one mile; descending through 8;400 feet.) I looked; did not see traffic; and then noted that our altitude was climbing through 8;400 feet. I leaned forward and saw the bonanza; previously hidden by the window post. We pitched up and allowed the bonanza to pass in front of us at an estimated distance of 50 yards. I believe the pilot of the airplane I was in could not see the traffic due to the cowling obscuring his view of 'one o'clock' while in climb attitude. As the bonanza was passing in front of us; departure gave us a traffic alert and advised us to turn right.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 pilot flying as a passenger experiences a NMAC with a BE35 at 8;400 feet departing COS. ATC had called the traffic but did not issue instructions until after evasive action had been taken. With the C172 climbing and the BE35 descending; neither saw the other until the last possible moment.

Narrative: I was a passenger on [this flight]. We departed Runway 13 and turned to a heading of 080 at Tower's direction and continued our climb to 8;500 feet MSL. Tower cleared us to Departure frequency. After switching to that frequency; we delayed contacting departure until we were at about 8;200 feet MSL; due to communications traffic. Departure gave us a traffic notification: (Traffic; a Bonanza at one o'clock (don't remember distance and altitude.) Both the pilot and I looked but did not see traffic. Departure gave a second notification: (Traffic; a Bonanza at one o'clock and (I believe) one mile; descending through 8;400 feet.) I looked; did not see traffic; and then noted that our altitude was climbing through 8;400 feet. I leaned forward and saw the Bonanza; previously hidden by the window post. We pitched up and allowed the Bonanza to pass in front of us at an estimated distance of 50 yards. I believe the pilot of the airplane I was in could not see the traffic due to the cowling obscuring his view of 'one o'clock' while in climb attitude. As the Bonanza was passing in front of us; Departure gave us a traffic alert and advised us to turn right.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.