Narrative:

The company I work for operates a cessna 172 under contract to report traffic in the chicago area. I was flying on this day with one traffic reporter on board the aircraft. The reporter and I are in communication with each other by an intercom and headsets. I was flying from the left seat of the airplane, and the reporter was sitting in the right rear seat. The WX was good and IFR conditions had just cleared an hour earlier. I told ground control that I was requesting a northeast departure and I had ATIS. Ground control advised that I was to use runway 34 for departure. After the before takeoff checklist was complete, I advised tower that I was ready for takeoff. I was cleared for takeoff on runway 34 with a right turnout. After my departure another aircraft, cessna X was cleared for takeoff on runway 30R also for a northeast departure. After X turned northeast, they were advised that they had traffic ahead (I was that traffic). X told tower that traffic was in sight. I was not advised of the traffic behind me by tower. I was climbing to 2000 ft, and I believe that X was also climbing. As I began leveling off (1-2 mi northeast of pwk) my reporter suddenly yelled that traffic was off to my right side and behind. I looked to the right, and saw X just slightly below and to the right, coming right at me. I immediately took evasive action by pulling up to climb. X's distance was no more than a wingspan away from me at the closest point. After catching my breath, I asked tower if they knew of the traffic in my vicinity, they advised me that X told them they had me in sight. The tower controller then asked X if they had me in sight because they came within 20 ft of me. X responded they thought they did. My flight this day was 20 ft from disaster. I do not understand how X did not see me unless they just were not looking outside. If it was not for my reporter looking out the side window, the outcome might have been different. The reporter flying with me that day had been reporting from our airplane for over 2 yrs. He is very helpful in looking for other airplanes. I feel that it is important for all GA passenger to assist in looking for other air traffic that may be unknown to the pilot. I also feel that pilots get too comfortable with ATC advisories. Just because ATC is there, pilots cannot stop looking for other airplanes, and I sometimes am just as guilty of this too. I will now take a more active role in looking for other air traffic in any airspace and while IFR in VMC. Since the aircraft was behind me, I do not think I could have seen X even with a better scan for traffic, but if all pilots were to look more actively, midairs would be few and far between.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. 2 SMALL ACFT CLBING OUT FROM ARPT. TWR ASKED SECOND ACFT IF IT SAW THE RPTR AND RESPONSE WAS AFFIRMATIVE, BUT APPARENTLY THEY DID NOT BECAUSE IT CLBED INTO RPTR ACFT AND ALMOST HIT IT.

Narrative: THE COMPANY I WORK FOR OPERATES A CESSNA 172 UNDER CONTRACT TO RPT TFC IN THE CHICAGO AREA. I WAS FLYING ON THIS DAY WITH ONE TFC RPTR ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE RPTR AND I ARE IN COM WITH EACH OTHER BY AN INTERCOM AND HEADSETS. I WAS FLYING FROM THE L SEAT OF THE AIRPLANE, AND THE RPTR WAS SITTING IN THE R REAR SEAT. THE WX WAS GOOD AND IFR CONDITIONS HAD JUST CLRED AN HR EARLIER. I TOLD GND CTL THAT I WAS REQUESTING A NE DEP AND I HAD ATIS. GND CTL ADVISED THAT I WAS TO USE RWY 34 FOR DEP. AFTER THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE, I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 34 WITH A R TURNOUT. AFTER MY DEP ANOTHER ACFT, CESSNA X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 30R ALSO FOR A NE DEP. AFTER X TURNED NE, THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THEY HAD TFC AHEAD (I WAS THAT TFC). X TOLD TWR THAT TFC WAS IN SIGHT. I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE TFC BEHIND ME BY TWR. I WAS CLBING TO 2000 FT, AND I BELIEVE THAT X WAS ALSO CLBING. AS I BEGAN LEVELING OFF (1-2 MI NE OF PWK) MY RPTR SUDDENLY YELLED THAT TFC WAS OFF TO MY R SIDE AND BEHIND. I LOOKED TO THE R, AND SAW X JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW AND TO THE R, COMING RIGHT AT ME. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY PULLING UP TO CLB. X'S DISTANCE WAS NO MORE THAN A WINGSPAN AWAY FROM ME AT THE CLOSEST POINT. AFTER CATCHING MY BREATH, I ASKED TWR IF THEY KNEW OF THE TFC IN MY VICINITY, THEY ADVISED ME THAT X TOLD THEM THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT. THE TWR CTLR THEN ASKED X IF THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT BECAUSE THEY CAME WITHIN 20 FT OF ME. X RESPONDED THEY THOUGHT THEY DID. MY FLT THIS DAY WAS 20 FT FROM DISASTER. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW X DID NOT SEE ME UNLESS THEY JUST WERE NOT LOOKING OUTSIDE. IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY RPTR LOOKING OUT THE SIDE WINDOW, THE OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. THE RPTR FLYING WITH ME THAT DAY HAD BEEN RPTING FROM OUR AIRPLANE FOR OVER 2 YRS. HE IS VERY HELPFUL IN LOOKING FOR OTHER AIRPLANES. I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL GA PAX TO ASSIST IN LOOKING FOR OTHER AIR TFC THAT MAY BE UNKNOWN TO THE PLT. I ALSO FEEL THAT PLTS GET TOO COMFORTABLE WITH ATC ADVISORIES. JUST BECAUSE ATC IS THERE, PLTS CANNOT STOP LOOKING FOR OTHER AIRPLANES, AND I SOMETIMES AM JUST AS GUILTY OF THIS TOO. I WILL NOW TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN LOOKING FOR OTHER AIR TFC IN ANY AIRSPACE AND WHILE IFR IN VMC. SINCE THE ACFT WAS BEHIND ME, I DO NOT THINK I COULD HAVE SEEN X EVEN WITH A BETTER SCAN FOR TFC, BUT IF ALL PLTS WERE TO LOOK MORE ACTIVELY, MIDAIRS WOULD BE FEW AND FAR BTWN.

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.