Narrative:

We were on a flight from sna en route to pbi in cruise flight at FL370. I had just asked my fellow pilot to hand me the en route chart. As he handed me the chart, I no sooner started to look up a frequency when he said, 'oh look here!' by the time he said, 'oh,' I started to look up. I automatically reached for the yoke, but it would have been in vain. What had just passed under the nose of the aircraft was a balloon. It was dark navy blue and had white cord, which was attached to a box the size of a shoe box. The color of the box was orange or orange and white striped. This balloon and its contents passed right under out nose, I would estimate at an altitude of 50-200' below us. I immediately asked center if they had any atmospheric testing in the area. He checked with his supervisor and said there was no military testing. I asked if he had any transponder or altitude information on the balloon, and he said no. There was an airliner going the opp direction at FL390. Center did advise him of our sighting, but he did not spot any balloon. Our position was 110 NM west of el paso, tx, on J86 headed east. The winds at the time were 274/47. I called ZAB once we arrived at pbi and they were going to try and get my exact position and time. We did not look at our FMS at the time. What made it possible to see the balloon was that we were just above the tops by 300 or 400'. The blue was visible on the balloon, and you could see the orange quite well at close range. I really feel this type of balloon operation should be more supervised and controled. There is a risk of a balloon hitting an aircraft and causing damage. A more dangerous scenario would be if it had hit the windshield or an engine and we were going 500 KTS. This could quite possibly down an aircraft. I would think the FAA or the NTSB would see to it that these types of equipment would have a tracking device in them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP LTT HAS NMAC WITH WX BALLOON ON J86.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A FLT FROM SNA ENRTE TO PBI IN CRUISE FLT AT FL370. I HAD JUST ASKED MY FELLOW PLT TO HAND ME THE ENRTE CHART. AS HE HANDED ME THE CHART, I NO SOONER STARTED TO LOOK UP A FREQ WHEN HE SAID, 'OH LOOK HERE!' BY THE TIME HE SAID, 'OH,' I STARTED TO LOOK UP. I AUTOMATICALLY REACHED FOR THE YOKE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN VAIN. WHAT HAD JUST PASSED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS A BALLOON. IT WAS DARK NAVY BLUE AND HAD WHITE CORD, WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO A BOX THE SIZE OF A SHOE BOX. THE COLOR OF THE BOX WAS ORANGE OR ORANGE AND WHITE STRIPED. THIS BALLOON AND ITS CONTENTS PASSED RIGHT UNDER OUT NOSE, I WOULD ESTIMATE AT AN ALT OF 50-200' BELOW US. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED CENTER IF THEY HAD ANY ATMOSPHERIC TESTING IN THE AREA. HE CHKED WITH HIS SUPVR AND SAID THERE WAS NO MIL TESTING. I ASKED IF HE HAD ANY XPONDER OR ALT INFO ON THE BALLOON, AND HE SAID NO. THERE WAS AN AIRLINER GOING THE OPP DIRECTION AT FL390. CENTER DID ADVISE HIM OF OUR SIGHTING, BUT HE DID NOT SPOT ANY BALLOON. OUR POS WAS 110 NM W OF EL PASO, TX, ON J86 HEADED E. THE WINDS AT THE TIME WERE 274/47. I CALLED ZAB ONCE WE ARRIVED AT PBI AND THEY WERE GOING TO TRY AND GET MY EXACT POS AND TIME. WE DID NOT LOOK AT OUR FMS AT THE TIME. WHAT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO SEE THE BALLOON WAS THAT WE WERE JUST ABOVE THE TOPS BY 300 OR 400'. THE BLUE WAS VISIBLE ON THE BALLOON, AND YOU COULD SEE THE ORANGE QUITE WELL AT CLOSE RANGE. I REALLY FEEL THIS TYPE OF BALLOON OPERATION SHOULD BE MORE SUPERVISED AND CTLED. THERE IS A RISK OF A BALLOON HITTING AN ACFT AND CAUSING DAMAGE. A MORE DANGEROUS SCENARIO WOULD BE IF IT HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD OR AN ENG AND WE WERE GOING 500 KTS. THIS COULD QUITE POSSIBLY DOWN AN ACFT. I WOULD THINK THE FAA OR THE NTSB WOULD SEE TO IT THAT THESE TYPES OF EQUIP WOULD HAVE A TRACKING DEVICE IN THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.