Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown
Conflict Airborne Conflict
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
I was IFR with broken clouds broken at 13;000 MSL; visibility was not unrestricted but still VFR maybe 20 miles. I was initially cleared to 7;000 after a short level off approach cleared me to continue my climb to my filed altitude of 9;000 after I started the climb at 500 FT/min they notified me of traffic at 2 O'clock 8;000 FT as I looked a Piper Seneca (maybe a Seminole) passed us from under my front cowling from about the 12:30 position at a 30 degree angle with my nose and under my left wing. It was close enough the profile of the aircraft fit between the nose and the spinner of my left engine. When this happened I was at about 7;700 FT about 35 miles out from BIL talking to Approach. I notified Approach and they asked if I saw him on TCAS. I informed him I did not have traffic in the aircraft. They notified me he was maneuvering VFR and they were not taking to him. I'm not sure what I could have done I did not take any evasive action because I saw him only as he passed from under my nose right to left and then was behind me. If I was unsure of his position relative to mine I could have sought vectors around him; however the time between them calling traffic and it passing under me was probably less than a minute.
Cessna Captain reports an airborne conflict with a PA34 at 7;700 FT during climb to 9;000 FT. The traffic was pointed out by ATC but not sighted until it was too late to maneuver.