Narrative:

I was the captain of flight X from mke to msp on jun/xa/99. We were in an A320 aircraft flying the eau claire 3 arrival into msp at approximately XA45. We had just passed twinz at 11000 ft on the arrival, and were proceeding towards wolvs. ATC cleared us to turn left to a heading of 230 degrees and descend to 7000 ft. Passing 10000 ft, the first officer called out traffic at our 12 O'clock position. It was a very large bright red hot air balloon. I instructed the first officer (the PF) to turn right to avoid the balloon's area. I looked down to see if the balloon registered on our TCASII display, but it did not. In a matter of seconds, the balloon grew extremely large and we appeared to be on a collision course due to the slow turn by the autoplt. I instructed the first officer to disconnect the autoplt and maneuver the aircraft to avoid the balloon target. The first officer maneuvered the aircraft hard right and up. I estimate that we started the maneuver approaching 9000 ft and the balloon was right in front of us. The balloon passed close underneath us and slightly to the left. We leveled off at approximately 9600 ft, heading approximately 270 degrees and I immediately notified ATC. They asked where the balloon was and I replied right underneath us. They asked what I estimated his altitude to be and I replied approximately 9000 ft. ATC said that their last report from the balloon stated that he was at 8500 ft. We proceeded to msp and landed on runway 30R. After we parked at the gate, I was saying good-bye to the passenger who were deplaning. At least 10 passenger asked me if we had 'missed what we avoided by the hard turn.' a couple of passenger said that they saw the balloon and how close it was. I contacted dispatcher who notified the proper personnel and ATC. I have 1 comment/question: if ATC knew of the balloon's position and altitude, and knew that we were given clearance to turn to a heading that was close to the balloon and through the balloon's reported altitude, why were we not notified of the potential balloon traffic? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said the arrival route they were descending on is a very busy sector and he could not understand how the hot air balloon could be permitted there at 8500 ft. He said it was becoming dusk and after spotting the balloon, it was extremely difficult to gauge its distance from the aircraft. He said it was necessary to make a hard turn and pull up above the balloon to avoid a collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW INBOUND TO MSP ENCOUNTERED A HOT AIR BALLOON DURING DSCNT THROUGH APPROX 9000 FT ON THE ARR RTE INTO MSP.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT X FROM MKE TO MSP ON JUN/XA/99. WE WERE IN AN A320 ACFT FLYING THE EAU CLAIRE 3 ARR INTO MSP AT APPROX XA45. WE HAD JUST PASSED TWINZ AT 11000 FT ON THE ARR, AND WERE PROCEEDING TOWARDS WOLVS. ATC CLRED US TO TURN L TO A HDG OF 230 DEGS AND DSND TO 7000 FT. PASSING 10000 FT, THE FO CALLED OUT TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. IT WAS A VERY LARGE BRIGHT RED HOT AIR BALLOON. I INSTRUCTED THE FO (THE PF) TO TURN R TO AVOID THE BALLOON'S AREA. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF THE BALLOON REGISTERED ON OUR TCASII DISPLAY, BUT IT DID NOT. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, THE BALLOON GREW EXTREMELY LARGE AND WE APPEARED TO BE ON A COLLISION COURSE DUE TO THE SLOW TURN BY THE AUTOPLT. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND MANEUVER THE ACFT TO AVOID THE BALLOON TARGET. THE FO MANEUVERED THE ACFT HARD R AND UP. I ESTIMATE THAT WE STARTED THE MANEUVER APCHING 9000 FT AND THE BALLOON WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. THE BALLOON PASSED CLOSE UNDERNEATH US AND SLIGHTLY TO THE L. WE LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 9600 FT, HDG APPROX 270 DEGS AND I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ATC. THEY ASKED WHERE THE BALLOON WAS AND I REPLIED RIGHT UNDERNEATH US. THEY ASKED WHAT I ESTIMATED HIS ALT TO BE AND I REPLIED APPROX 9000 FT. ATC SAID THAT THEIR LAST RPT FROM THE BALLOON STATED THAT HE WAS AT 8500 FT. WE PROCEEDED TO MSP AND LANDED ON RWY 30R. AFTER WE PARKED AT THE GATE, I WAS SAYING GOOD-BYE TO THE PAX WHO WERE DEPLANING. AT LEAST 10 PAX ASKED ME IF WE HAD 'MISSED WHAT WE AVOIDED BY THE HARD TURN.' A COUPLE OF PAX SAID THAT THEY SAW THE BALLOON AND HOW CLOSE IT WAS. I CONTACTED DISPATCHER WHO NOTIFIED THE PROPER PERSONNEL AND ATC. I HAVE 1 COMMENT/QUESTION: IF ATC KNEW OF THE BALLOON'S POS AND ALT, AND KNEW THAT WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TURN TO A HDG THAT WAS CLOSE TO THE BALLOON AND THROUGH THE BALLOON'S RPTED ALT, WHY WERE WE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL BALLOON TFC? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THE ARR RTE THEY WERE DSNDING ON IS A VERY BUSY SECTOR AND HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE HOT AIR BALLOON COULD BE PERMITTED THERE AT 8500 FT. HE SAID IT WAS BECOMING DUSK AND AFTER SPOTTING THE BALLOON, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GAUGE ITS DISTANCE FROM THE ACFT. HE SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE A HARD TURN AND PULL UP ABOVE THE BALLOON TO AVOID A COLLISION.

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.