A B767 departing gru, brazil, comes close to a tethered advertising balloon located in line with the departure runway. Flight crew then alerts TRACON and tower of the obstacle to aid other departing aircraft who might not see it.

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Attributes
ACN	376952
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pco airport : gru
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5200 msl bound upper : 5200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gru
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	376952
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

ATC facility: gru departure control. Location: bco VOR. While on climb out from gru, a lighted aerial advertising balloon was sighted directly ahead of the aircraft at 2700 ft AGL (5200 ft MSL). Immediate evasive turn to the right was made, narrowly avoiding a collision with object estimated to have been a lighted advertisement suspended or attached to a balloon. Lighted portion believed to have been about 20 ft wide and 30 ft tall. Departure control was notified immediately as well as gru tower, as other flts were departing. Air carrier flight xx was alerted by us as to presence of this obstruction and also passed very close to it just 4 mins after we almost hit it. This was on the centerline of the departure runway 9L, and well within the sao paulo controled airspace. If some action is not taken to eliminate these devices from this area, I believe it will be only a matter of time before someone hits one and the result will likely be a total loss.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 DEPARTING GRU, BRAZIL, COMES CLOSE TO A TETHERED ADVERTISING BALLOON LOCATED IN LINE WITH THE DEP RWY. FLC THEN ALERTS TRACON AND TWR OF THE OBSTACLE TO AID OTHER DEPARTING ACFT WHO MIGHT NOT SEE IT.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: GRU DEP CTL. LOCATION: BCO VOR. WHILE ON CLBOUT FROM GRU, A LIGHTED AERIAL ADVERTISING BALLOON WAS SIGHTED DIRECTLY AHEAD OF THE ACFT AT 2700 FT AGL (5200 FT MSL). IMMEDIATE EVASIVE TURN TO THE R WAS MADE, NARROWLY AVOIDING A COLLISION WITH OBJECT ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN A LIGHTED ADVERTISEMENT SUSPENDED OR ATTACHED TO A BALLOON. LIGHTED PORTION BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN ABOUT 20 FT WIDE AND 30 FT TALL. DEP CTL WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AS WELL AS GRU TWR, AS OTHER FLTS WERE DEPARTING. ACR FLT XX WAS ALERTED BY US AS TO PRESENCE OF THIS OBSTRUCTION AND ALSO PASSED VERY CLOSE TO IT JUST 4 MINS AFTER WE ALMOST HIT IT. THIS WAS ON THE CTRLINE OF THE DEP RWY 9L, AND WELL WITHIN THE SAO PAULO CTLED AIRSPACE. IF SOME ACTION IS NOT TAKEN TO ELIMINATE THESE DEVICES FROM THIS AREA, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE HITS ONE AND THE RESULT WILL LIKELY BE A TOTAL LOSS.

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.