Narrative:

We encountered an small aircraft Y on the arwy at 5500' MSL heading southeast. Both aircraft were operating in VMC. I had to take evasive action to avoid possible collision. Our aircraft was below and at the other aircraft's 5 O'clock position. I estimate our overtake at 2.5 times. I discovered the aircraft when I looked up from my instrument scan. I rolled right 45 degrees, changed heading an estimated 45 degrees, then rolled level and returned to course line. They said aircraft had departed 10-15 mins prior to our departure on runway 17 at pnc. I don't recall hearing any radio transmission from the small aircraft. We had 2 airplanes leaving at the same time. I had a new copilot on my flight. My flight was in the lead. Since my copilot was new, I had decided to make the takeoff VFR and pick up our IFR clearance after departure. This would relieve my copilot of a chore (which we could do after takeoff) and allow the other aircraft access to their flight plan with no delay. After departure I elected to simply proceed under VFR rules with radar advisories. I instructed my copilot to cancel our IFR flight plan and request advisories. We received a code and climbed to 5500' MSL. The copilot was in the process of finishing the climb and cruise checklists. This included some discussion and instruction on my part as he was accomplishing the checklist, thus aircraft confign was taking longer. This was one contributing factor in not spotting the other aircraft. Another was that the aircraft may have been hidden by the windshield post (at the 10:30-11 O'clock position). We were climbing in haze until topping it around 4000-4500'. On this trip I was in the cockpit longer than usual. Because the copilot was involved in the checklist, he was not looking outside. If I had decided to use the IFR clearance, we might have had 500' sep, but both aircraft were following established procedure. If I had heard the other aircraft give any departure information, we could have been alerted to his direction of fly. I believe that I and we as a crew used usual and standard procedures. I believe that my choices were reasonable within the circumstances. If I had spent more time looking outside, I may have caught sight of the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP MDT TURBO PROP DEPARTS VFR TO MAKE BETTER TIME, OVERTAKES INNOCENT SMA ALONG AIRWAY. CONFLICT AIRBORNE LESS SEVERE RESULTS.

Narrative: WE ENCOUNTERED AN SMA Y ON THE ARWY AT 5500' MSL HDG SE. BOTH ACFT WERE OPERATING IN VMC. I HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID POSSIBLE COLLISION. OUR ACFT WAS BELOW AND AT THE OTHER ACFT'S 5 O'CLOCK POS. I ESTIMATE OUR OVERTAKE AT 2.5 TIMES. I DISCOVERED THE ACFT WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM MY INSTRUMENT SCAN. I ROLLED RIGHT 45 DEGS, CHANGED HDG AN ESTIMATED 45 DEGS, THEN ROLLED LEVEL AND RETURNED TO COURSE LINE. THEY SAID ACFT HAD DEPARTED 10-15 MINS PRIOR TO OUR DEP ON RWY 17 AT PNC. I DON'T RECALL HEARING ANY RADIO XMISSION FROM THE SMA. WE HAD 2 AIRPLANES LEAVING AT THE SAME TIME. I HAD A NEW COPLT ON MY FLT. MY FLT WAS IN THE LEAD. SINCE MY COPLT WAS NEW, I HAD DECIDED TO MAKE THE TKOF VFR AND PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC AFTER DEP. THIS WOULD RELIEVE MY COPLT OF A CHORE (WHICH WE COULD DO AFTER TKOF) AND ALLOW THE OTHER ACFT ACCESS TO THEIR FLT PLAN WITH NO DELAY. AFTER DEP I ELECTED TO SIMPLY PROCEED UNDER VFR RULES WITH RADAR ADVISORIES. I INSTRUCTED MY COPLT TO CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN AND REQUEST ADVISORIES. WE RECEIVED A CODE AND CLBED TO 5500' MSL. THE COPLT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING THE CLB AND CRUISE CHKLISTS. THIS INCLUDED SOME DISCUSSION AND INSTRUCTION ON MY PART AS HE WAS ACCOMPLISHING THE CHKLIST, THUS ACFT CONFIGN WAS TAKING LONGER. THIS WAS ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN NOT SPOTTING THE OTHER ACFT. ANOTHER WAS THAT THE ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN HIDDEN BY THE WINDSHIELD POST (AT THE 10:30-11 O'CLOCK POS). WE WERE CLBING IN HAZE UNTIL TOPPING IT AROUND 4000-4500'. ON THIS TRIP I WAS IN THE COCKPIT LONGER THAN USUAL. BECAUSE THE COPLT WAS INVOLVED IN THE CHKLIST, HE WAS NOT LOOKING OUTSIDE. IF I HAD DECIDED TO USE THE IFR CLRNC, WE MIGHT HAVE HAD 500' SEP, BUT BOTH ACFT WERE FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PROC. IF I HAD HEARD THE OTHER ACFT GIVE ANY DEP INFO, WE COULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO HIS DIRECTION OF FLY. I BELIEVE THAT I AND WE AS A CREW USED USUAL AND STANDARD PROCS. I BELIEVE THAT MY CHOICES WERE REASONABLE WITHIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF I HAD SPENT MORE TIME LOOKING OUTSIDE, I MAY HAVE CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT.

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.