Narrative:

I departed pierce county airport (130) with my daughter for a local area pleasure flight. I was squawking 1200 with mode C; ceiling and visibility were unlimited. After departing I contacted mcchord AFB tower on my secondary radio and confirmed that the rainier MDA (R-6705) was cold. I leveled at 1800 ft for a while as I headed southwest, then I started a climb intending to go to 4500 ft. When I reached for my chart, I found that my daughter (age 7) had folded it neatly and lost my place. While getting the chart sorted out and looking for traffic, I believe I stopped my climb and may have descended slightly. During the entire time since takeoff I had been monitoring mcchord AFB on 124.80 but had heard no transmissions other than their reply to me. I had seen no other aircraft since leaving pierce county airport. I was about 10 NM ssw of mcchord AFB when out of the corner of my right eye I saw an mlt come from behind me banking to the right and descending. My impression is that the aircraft moved from behind and above me to below and to the right of me in a steep bank but I only saw it clearly when it was below and to the right in a bank. The mlt passed off to my right 300 to 500 ft away and descended below me while pulling well ahead. It then crossed under my course and departed to the east. I called mcchord to ask whether I had misunderstood about the MOA being cold and to report sighting the mlt. Mcchord confirmed the MOA cold and asked if I was sure I had seen an mlt. They asked for my altitude and position and I replied that it was around 3000 ft, 10 NM south of mcchord, and it appeared to be an mlt. I asked for guidance as to reports needed. After a pause mcchord tower told me that I could make a report if I wanted to, but they did not need one. I continued to monitor 124.80 and in about 5 mins an mlt made a position report. He was asked whether he had made a 'dog leg' and he stated that he had avoided a midair with a light aircraft. When advised that I had called in, he wanted my tail number so he could report the incident. He asserted that the incident had taken place at an IFR altitude. I called mcchord, reconfirmed my tail # and stated that I was climbing to my proposed altitude when I saw the mlt. As far as I know I did nothing illegal or unsafe, I was operating in VFR conditions, looking for traffic, squawking 1200 with mode C, and had and was using current charts. I was below the seattle TCA and slightly south of it. At the time of the incident I was climbing to a higher altitude but was still less than 3000 ft AGL. The only things I could have done better were to ask mcchord for TA's or to contact seattle on 126.5 for flight following so that I could have been assigned a discrete transponder code.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PIERCE COUNTY ARPT (130) WITH MY DAUGHTER FOR A LCL AREA PLEASURE FLT. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 WITH MODE C; CEILING AND VISIBILITY WERE UNLIMITED. AFTER DEPARTING I CONTACTED MCCHORD AFB TWR ON MY SECONDARY RADIO AND CONFIRMED THAT THE RAINIER MDA (R-6705) WAS COLD. I LEVELED AT 1800 FT FOR A WHILE AS I HEADED SW, THEN I STARTED A CLB INTENDING TO GO TO 4500 FT. WHEN I REACHED FOR MY CHART, I FOUND THAT MY DAUGHTER (AGE 7) HAD FOLDED IT NEATLY AND LOST MY PLACE. WHILE GETTING THE CHART SORTED OUT AND LOOKING FOR TFC, I BELIEVE I STOPPED MY CLB AND MAY HAVE DSNDED SLIGHTLY. DURING THE ENTIRE TIME SINCE TKOF I HAD BEEN MONITORING MCCHORD AFB ON 124.80 BUT HAD HEARD NO TRANSMISSIONS OTHER THAN THEIR REPLY TO ME. I HAD SEEN NO OTHER ACFT SINCE LEAVING PIERCE COUNTY ARPT. I WAS ABOUT 10 NM SSW OF MCCHORD AFB WHEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY R EYE I SAW AN MLT COME FROM BEHIND ME BANKING TO THE R AND DSNDING. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE ACFT MOVED FROM BEHIND AND ABOVE ME TO BELOW AND TO THE R OF ME IN A STEEP BANK BUT I ONLY SAW IT CLRLY WHEN IT WAS BELOW AND TO THE R IN A BANK. THE MLT PASSED OFF TO MY R 300 TO 500 FT AWAY AND DSNDED BELOW ME WHILE PULLING WELL AHEAD. IT THEN CROSSED UNDER MY COURSE AND DEPARTED TO THE E. I CALLED MCCHORD TO ASK WHETHER I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE MOA BEING COLD AND TO RPT SIGHTING THE MLT. MCCHORD CONFIRMED THE MOA COLD AND ASKED IF I WAS SURE I HAD SEEN AN MLT. THEY ASKED FOR MY ALT AND POS AND I REPLIED THAT IT WAS AROUND 3000 FT, 10 NM S OF MCCHORD, AND IT APPEARED TO BE AN MLT. I ASKED FOR GUIDANCE AS TO RPTS NEEDED. AFTER A PAUSE MCCHORD TWR TOLD ME THAT I COULD MAKE A RPT IF I WANTED TO, BUT THEY DID NOT NEED ONE. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR 124.80 AND IN ABOUT 5 MINS AN MLT MADE A POS RPT. HE WAS ASKED WHETHER HE HAD MADE A 'DOG LEG' AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD AVOIDED A MIDAIR WITH A LIGHT ACFT. WHEN ADVISED THAT I HAD CALLED IN, HE WANTED MY TAIL NUMBER SO HE COULD RPT THE INCIDENT. HE ASSERTED THAT THE INCIDENT HAD TAKEN PLACE AT AN IFR ALT. I CALLED MCCHORD, RECONFIRMED MY TAIL # AND STATED THAT I WAS CLBING TO MY PROPOSED ALT WHEN I SAW THE MLT. AS FAR AS I KNOW I DID NOTHING ILLEGAL OR UNSAFE, I WAS OPERATING IN VFR CONDITIONS, LOOKING FOR TFC, SQUAWKING 1200 WITH MODE C, AND HAD AND WAS USING CURRENT CHARTS. I WAS BELOW THE SEATTLE TCA AND SLIGHTLY S OF IT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS CLBING TO A HIGHER ALT BUT WAS STILL LESS THAN 3000 FT AGL. THE ONLY THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER WERE TO ASK MCCHORD FOR TA'S OR TO CONTACT SEATTLE ON 126.5 FOR FLT FOLLOWING SO THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A DISCRETE TRANSPONDER CODE.

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.