EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
We are in a left turn and climbing to altitude given by tower. Handed off to Departure. Given the same heading and climb clearance. Then given a new climb to altitude. I am heads down working in the MCDU when the Captain (CA) pushes the nose down and pulls thrust levers back. I glance at the MFD for TCAS traffic (on lowest range) and see nothing and then look outside and see a small single engine aircraft moving left to right at 01:00 high. We then continue on with our assigned heading and altitude. I report the near miss to ATC who responds with a traffic report. I confirm traffic in sight with a near miss. I finally see the traffic on TCAS after we had climbed above and away. We are then handed off to Center and continue the flight with no further incident.This event illustrates the importance of keeping heads up; outside the aircraft and scanning for other aircraft to see and avoid.
EMB-175 First Officer attributed a 'near miss' with a small; single engine aircraft to being 'heads down' working in the MCDU on climb out. There was no TCAS alert until after evasive action had been taken.