Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 24; Flight Crew Total 96; Flight Crew Type 37
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airspace Structure; Environment - Non Weather Related
I was under radar surveillance with Kalamazoo Approach control. I was being vectored for the RNAV 31 approach into BTL. I was currently flying with a view limiting device during my approach to simulate IFR conditions while my safety pilot was looking for traffic. We were flying at 2800 FT MSL when we monitored our traffic advisory system and spotted two additional aircraft in the vicinity of our route. One aircraft was 500 ft below us and climbing and to our left. An additional aircraft was 2 miles north of us and also being vectored for the RNAV Approach at 2500 MSL. As the aircraft that was 500 ft below us began to close in on our direction of flight and began their climb; I initiated my climb to avoid the traffic at which point we entered the cloud for 2 seconds and then broke out and descended back to our original altitude of 2;500. The traffic below passed below us and then off to our right heading eastbound as we were heading northeast bound now for our vectors. ATC warned us when the aircraft was 200 feet below us and within a 0.5 NM range. At which point I began to climb for traffic avoidance.
SR20 pilot reported an airborne conflict with another aircraft requiring evasive action. The traffic was detected by an onboard TCAS system and also reported by ATC.