Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Distraction
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
Preparing for hold entry at MARIC intersection on the Gila One arrival. Made position report of location and intent seconds before TCAD warning alert of 1.7NM 12 o'clock +600 ft.; started looking for the traffic; and found seconds before evasive action needed to be taken. I dived the airplane abruptly to avoid traffic; last TCAD indication after was zero miles; and +200 feet; visually the distance looked like less than 100 feet. As the aircraft was directly head on and no prior traffic on the TCAD; traffic was not seen or heard. Unable to make suggestion for avoiding further recurrence other than visually looking for traffic.
While training in a heavy training area; the instructor pilot and student were in VFR conditions at 4;500 MSL (3;000 AGL) and not on an IFR flight plan or in communication with ATC. They typically make traffic reports in the blind but were unaware of the other non-local traffic.
A general aviation instructor pilot and student operating in a heavy training area were notified of an airborne conflict by the on-board TCAD system. After visually locating the traffic; and identifying it as an impending near-mid-air-collision; the instructor pilot took over the controls and performed an evasive maneuver.