United Flight 314 (a CV-340) and American Flight 714 (a CV-240) both took off from Midway runway 22L around 19:00. Both crews had filed VFR flight plans using Airway Red 12 after takeoff and a cruising level of 11000 feet. While cruise power was being set by the United first officer, the captain caught a glimpse of the American plane in front of him and in an effort to pass under the CV-240, rolled the pitch control of the autopilot forward. Almost at that moment both aircraft made contact. The top of United’s fuselage over the right side of the cockpit struck the lower portion of American’s fuselage slightly forward of the tail group as United passed under the climbing American aircraft from left to right. The United aircraft landed safely at South Bend, and the American Convair returned safely to Chicago. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The primary cause of this accident was the failure of the United crew to observe and avoid the American aircraft while overtaking it on a converging course from the left and rear. However, the American crew demonstrated a lack of alertness in not observing United prior to passing and while abeam.”