Eclipse 500
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 1600; Flight Crew Type 1100
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Conflict Airborne Conflict
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Aircraft
While enroute at 17;500 feet; I was distracted by troubleshooting an airspeed disagree CAS that resulted in loss of autopilot (and the need to hand fly raw data). I did set TCAS to unrestricted and checked periodically for targets in a 20 NM radius. However; I saw the conflicting target only when my TCAS issued a traffic advisory (it is not able to provide RAs) for a target directly underneath me; at 500 feet. At that point; I could not see the target (below me); I could not easily ascend (I was at 17;500 feet without a clearance into Class A); so I continued to hand fly my course and the target eventually descended. Contributing factors were the airspeed disagree (possibly due to a bad pitot tube). Next time; I will scan the TCAS information more frequently.
EA50 pilot reported an airborne conflict 500 feet below his cruise altitude of 17;500 feet.