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An MD80 flight crew at FL290 learns of a WX balloon in their flight path as reported by another air carrier flight at FL350. Asks ZHU controller for vectors around traffic when 30 mi south of crp, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 625541 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200407 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : crp.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc tower : pwk.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 625541 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : crp.tracon |
Narrative:
The other airline flight about 30N mi ahead of us reported passing close by a WX balloon at FL350 over crp. ZHU, after checking with crp approach, confirmed the WX balloon release, and said it was not notamed. We asked for and received vectors around the area. I checked our paperwork as well as the chart NOTAMS in flight manual part ii and could not find any listing for WX balloons over corpus. My questions are: how are we supposed to know about these events? Why did ZHU not know in advance of the balloon launch and take measures to keep aircraft clear? And, finally, are we relying on the big sky, little balloon theory?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW AT FL290 LEARNS OF A WX BALLOON IN THEIR FLT PATH AS RPTED BY ANOTHER ACR FLT AT FL350. ASKS ZHU CTLR FOR VECTORS AROUND TFC WHEN 30 MI S OF CRP, TX.
Narrative: THE OTHER AIRLINE FLT ABOUT 30N MI AHEAD OF US RPTED PASSING CLOSE BY A WX BALLOON AT FL350 OVER CRP. ZHU, AFTER CHKING WITH CRP APCH, CONFIRMED THE WX BALLOON RELEASE, AND SAID IT WAS NOT NOTAMED. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED VECTORS AROUND THE AREA. I CHKED OUR PAPERWORK AS WELL AS THE CHART NOTAMS IN FLT MANUAL PART II AND COULD NOT FIND ANY LISTING FOR WX BALLOONS OVER CORPUS. MY QUESTIONS ARE: HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE EVENTS? WHY DID ZHU NOT KNOW IN ADVANCE OF THE BALLOON LAUNCH AND TAKE MEASURES TO KEEP ACFT CLR? AND, FINALLY, ARE WE RELYING ON THE BIG SKY, LITTLE BALLOON THEORY?
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.