An air carrier B727 has an near midair collision with a WX balloon at FL310. There was no advisory and no time for avoidance action.

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Attributes
ACN	393416
Time
Date	199802
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mgm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 975
ASRS Report	393416
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 100

Narrative:

Very simply, a WX balloon passed extremely close by our cockpit window. It appeared so fast, there was no time to react. We notified center about the incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that ATC did not know of the WX balloon in their area and thus could not give any advisories. The area was near the WX front associated with the storm system going through the south. The balloon was apparently sent up to retrieve some of that information. Had the WX not been VMC at their cruise altitude they never would have seen the balloon. All the reporter said was that it was very close and frightening to see when the consequences of a midair were considered. They all felt 'very lucky' to have missed it. Reporter wonders why the balloons can't be fitted with and given a transponder code assignment to comply with an altitude reporting requirement/mode C. Reporter said, 'the skies are getting more crowded, it's only a matter of time with these things.' reporter stated that the pilot's union will be contacted with reference to these events.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 HAS AN NMAC WITH A WX BALLOON AT FL310. THERE WAS NO ADVISORY AND NO TIME FOR AVOIDANCE ACTION.

Narrative: VERY SIMPLY, A WX BALLOON PASSED EXTREMELY CLOSE BY OUR COCKPIT WINDOW. IT APPEARED SO FAST, THERE WAS NO TIME TO REACT. WE NOTIFIED CTR ABOUT THE INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT ATC DID NOT KNOW OF THE WX BALLOON IN THEIR AREA AND THUS COULD NOT GIVE ANY ADVISORIES. THE AREA WAS NEAR THE WX FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM SYS GOING THROUGH THE S. THE BALLOON WAS APPARENTLY SENT UP TO RETRIEVE SOME OF THAT INFO. HAD THE WX NOT BEEN VMC AT THEIR CRUISE ALT THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE SEEN THE BALLOON. ALL THE RPTR SAID WAS THAT IT WAS VERY CLOSE AND FRIGHTENING TO SEE WHEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF A MIDAIR WERE CONSIDERED. THEY ALL FELT 'VERY LUCKY' TO HAVE MISSED IT. RPTR WONDERS WHY THE BALLOONS CAN'T BE FITTED WITH AND GIVEN A XPONDER CODE ASSIGNMENT TO COMPLY WITH AN ALT RPTING REQUIREMENT/MODE C. RPTR SAID, 'THE SKIES ARE GETTING MORE CROWDED, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME WITH THESE THINGS.' RPTR STATED THAT THE PLT'S UNION WILL BE CONTACTED WITH REF TO THESE EVENTS.

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.