BE18 AGRICULTURAL MISSION OVER RIV FAILS TO REACT TO CTLR ALERT OF TFC IN TIMELY MANNER.

Narrative

I FLY A 2 PLT CREW ENVIRONMENT AND I AM THE FO AND FOR THE OCCURRENCE; ALSO THE PNF. IT WAS AN XA00 TO XB00 LCL AND WE WERE ON THE SECOND FLT OF THE DAY. WE WERE WORKING N/S PASSES OVER PDZ VOR (PARADISE) BTWN 2 NM N OF ONT AND PLEASANTS PEAK. MY CAPT IS AN EXCELLENT CAPT AND I FEEL THIS DAY HIS MIND WAS NOT AT ALL ON FLYING. ON A NBOUND PASS AT 2 NM S OF PDZ SOCAL CALLED TFC 11 O'CLOCK POS MOVING TO 12 O'CLOCK POS SE AT OUR ALT -- IT WAS A TFC ALERT. I SAW THE ACFT (A C172) AS SOCAL WAS GIVING THE MESSAGE AND RESPONDED; 'IN SIGHT; WE'LL DSND AND PASS BEHIND.' MY CAPT MAINTAINED ALT AND HEADING. I ASKED 'DO YOU SEE HIM?' HE REPLIED 'YES.' 'WE NEED TO DSND' I REPLIED. HE SAID 'YES.' I THEN SAW IT WAS GETTING TOO CLOSE -- I CALLED OUT 'CAPT DSND!' AND PUSHED FORWARD ON THE STICK. IT WAS NOT SEVERELY LIFE THREATENING; JUST WAY TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT AND SAFETY. AFTER WE PASSED THE TFC MY CAPT SEEMED TO BE JARRED OUT OF A TRANCE. HE SAID 'I'M SORRY.' I WAS TOO IRRITATED TO RESPOND. I THINK THE PROB CAME FROM THE CAPT HAVING TOO MUCH ON HIS MIND. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS INTENTIONAL; JUST LACK OF ATTN. EVERYONE HAS OTHER PARTS OF LIFE THAT INFLUENCE THEIR FEELINGS -- FLYING IS NOT THE TIME TO BE DAYDREAMING.