Narrative:

I was on a training mission to become a flight instructor with my current instructor under the hood. We were doing attitude instrument flight procedures as I was watching for traffic. In the maneuver in question, we had done several clearing turns prior and I had noticed nothing unusual. I looked over my instructor's shoulder for traffic and saw nothing so we started a 20 degree banked, climbing turn to the left (360 degrees). As we reached the 180 degree point, the sun was straight off the nose and I couldn't see outside, but strained to see if any traffic was out there, at the same time trying to correct the simulated errors that my instructor was giving me. We were passing through 4000 ft now and just before we leveled off, I saw the ATR-42 pass above the aircraft at no less than 400 ft vertically. I alerted my flight instructor and shaken, I decided to end the lesson and return to the airport. Later I realized that the ATR's flight path was coming from the same direction that the sun was coming from at the 180 degree point of our turn, and that, unfortunately, it was impossible for me to see the aircraft against the sun. ATC controlling aircraft going through and into the class C terminal area (airport 20 NM north of our field) tend to bring those aircraft in low over our practice area (outside their airspace) making for a potentially fatal situation which I should have been, and will be sufficiently more aware of in future training flts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PERFORMING TRAINING MANEUVERS HAS NMAC WITH ATR42.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TRAINING MISSION TO BECOME A FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH MY CURRENT INSTRUCTOR UNDER THE HOOD. WE WERE DOING ATTITUDE INST FLT PROCS AS I WAS WATCHING FOR TFC. IN THE MANEUVER IN QUESTION, WE HAD DONE SEVERAL CLRING TURNS PRIOR AND I HAD NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. I LOOKED OVER MY INSTRUCTOR'S SHOULDER FOR TFC AND SAW NOTHING SO WE STARTED A 20 DEG BANKED, CLBING TURN TO THE L (360 DEGS). AS WE REACHED THE 180 DEG POINT, THE SUN WAS STRAIGHT OFF THE NOSE AND I COULDN'T SEE OUTSIDE, BUT STRAINED TO SEE IF ANY TFC WAS OUT THERE, AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO CORRECT THE SIMULATED ERRORS THAT MY INSTRUCTOR WAS GIVING ME. WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 4000 FT NOW AND JUST BEFORE WE LEVELED OFF, I SAW THE ATR-42 PASS ABOVE THE ACFT AT NO LESS THAN 400 FT VERTICALLY. I ALERTED MY FLT INSTRUCTOR AND SHAKEN, I DECIDED TO END THE LESSON AND RETURN TO THE ARPT. LATER I REALIZED THAT THE ATR'S FLT PATH WAS COMING FROM THE SAME DIRECTION THAT THE SUN WAS COMING FROM AT THE 180 DEG POINT OF OUR TURN, AND THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE THE ACFT AGAINST THE SUN. ATC CONTROLLING ACFT GOING THROUGH AND INTO THE CLASS C TERMINAL AREA (AIRPORT 20 NM N OF OUR FIELD) TEND TO BRING THOSE ACFT IN LOW OVER OUR PRACTICE AREA (OUTSIDE THEIR AIRSPACE) MAKING FOR A POTENTIALLY FATAL SIT WHICH I SHOULD HAVE BEEN, AND WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY MORE AWARE OF IN FUTURE TRAINING FLTS.

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.