NMAC BTWN A C172 IN LEVEL FLT AT 8500 FT AND A BEECH BONANZA ON AN INTERSECTING FLT PATH PASSING AS CLOSE AS 150 FT OF EACH OTHER.

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FLYING FROM MYF TO SJC ON VFR FLT PLAN. WE WERE CRUISING IN C172 AT 8500 FT; JUST COMPLETED HOLLYWOOD PARK TRANSITION TO VNY VOR. WE HAD FLT ADVISORIES ENTIRE RTE. OUT OF NOWHERE AT 11:30 O'CLOCK POS; I NOTICED ACFT CLBING RIGHT AT US. I WAS SAFETY PLT IN L SEAT; MY PARTNER HAD GOGGLES ON AND WAS FLYING INSTS FROM R SEAT. I SAW ACFT AND SAID 'MY AIRPLANE;' GRABBING YOKE; BUT NEVER MADE ANY CORRECTION OF SIGNIFICANCE. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD STEER R; AS ACFT SEEMED TO BE PASSING THROUGH US IN SAME DIRECTION I WOULD STEER TO. A DSCNT AND L TURN WERE ALSO OUT OF QUESTION. IT HAPPENED SO FAST; I FELT HELPLESS; UNABLE TO VEER OUT OF THE WAY. MY PARTNER NEVER SAW ACFT UNTIL SHE REMOVED GOGGLES AND SPOTTED HIM AT 4 O'CLOCK POS; FLYING AWAY AT SAME ALT. I SAW THE PLT OF SECOND PLANE HAD YELLOW SHIRT ON. I KNOW HE NEVER SAW US. ATC SAID ACFT WAS NOT TALKING TO HIM; NOR ANYONE ELSE; NOR WAS XPONDER ON. HE NEVER SAW HIM TO CALL TFC FOR US. 1) CLASSIC VFR DAY -- PERHAPS MY HEAD WAS IN COCKPIT TOO MUCH; CHKING MAPS AND NAV INFO; US LOOKING FOR TFC. 2) TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON ATC FOR HELP. I'M PIC AND WAS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE. 3) SECOND PLANE WAS FLYING AT EXACT ANGLE OF L WINDOW CORNER THAT BLOCKED MY VISION. I NEVER SAW HIM.