Narrative:

Descending through 8500 ft for 8000 feet while deviating around weather between our departing city and hou; we received a continual 'pull up; pull up' from the egpws. The captain immediately initiated the terrain avoidance maneuver and started climbing. I saw that the reported obstacle was at 15000 ft and there was no way we would top it. I told the captain to start a left turn away from the obstacle. He started a slight turn and slowed the rate of climb; eventually leveling at around 9500 ft. The alert stopped after about 30 seconds and we coordinated with ATC to return to 8000 ft. ATC stated that the tethered balloon had not been there for quite some time. Communication throughout the evolution was extremely difficult due to the egpws yelling at us very loudly. If the balloon isn't there anymore; fix the database.callback conversation with reporter acn 773716 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his flight was inbound to hou on a weather deviation with clearance direct when able. Since it was nighttime and the flight was in weather avoiding a thunderstorm; the egpws was a total surprise; especially at their altitude. The reporter noted that usually his air carrier suggests that one pilot operate in the WX mode and the other pilot in the egpws mode. But because no terrain is located in that area and the fact that they were in a WX avoidance mode; both pilots had the WX mode selected. The captain responded exactly as training would dictate but the reporter saw the aircraft could not out climb the small red object indicated at 15000 ft so he suggested a turn to avoid. ATC believes that the balloon was not in that location. Consequently they were extremely surprised by the egpws warning. The reporter believes that the balloons are indicated by warning areas on charts but not on the aircraft's navigation charts.supplemental information from acn 773512: we were rerouted south of palacious VOR due to a thunderstorm near the VOR. We were descended to 8000 ft and received an 'obstacle/obstacle; pull up' warning at approximately the hobby (hob) 210 radial/70 NM mark. We initiated the terrain avoidance maneuver and informed houston center of what we had received. Houston mentioned that there used to be a tethered radar balloon in that vicinity; but had been removed for some time. I am submitting this report so that the egpws database can be updated to prevent any future occurrences. Update the egpws database.callback conversation with reporter 773512 revealed the following information: reporter had no additional information at the time of the callback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW DSNDING TO 8000 FT RCVD AN EGPWS 'PULL UP' WARNING FROM A BALLOON IN THE EGPWS DATABASE AT 15000 FT IN R-6320 SOUTH OF HOU. RESTRICTED AREA WITH THE BALLOON IS INTERMITTENT BUT EGPWS DATABASE ALWAYS ACTIVE.

Narrative: DESCENDING THROUGH 8500 FT FOR 8000 FEET WHILE DEVIATING AROUND WEATHER BETWEEN OUR DEPARTING CITY AND HOU; WE RECEIVED A CONTINUAL 'PULL UP; PULL UP' FROM THE EGPWS. THE CAPTAIN IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER AND STARTED CLIMBING. I SAW THAT THE REPORTED OBSTACLE WAS AT 15000 FT AND THERE WAS NO WAY WE WOULD TOP IT. I TOLD THE CAPTAIN TO START A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE OBSTACLE. HE STARTED A SLIGHT TURN AND SLOWED THE RATE OF CLIMB; EVENTUALLY LEVELING AT AROUND 9500 FT. THE ALERT STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND WE COORDINATED WITH ATC TO RETURN TO 8000 FT. ATC STATED THAT THE TETHERED BALLOON HAD NOT BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE EVOLUTION WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT DUE TO THE EGPWS YELLING AT US VERY LOUDLY. IF THE BALLOON ISN'T THERE ANYMORE; FIX THE DATABASE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 773716 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT HIS FLT WAS INBOUND TO HOU ON A WEATHER DEVIATION WITH CLEARANCE DIRECT WHEN ABLE. SINCE IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE FLT WAS IN WEATHER AVOIDING A TSTM; THE EGPWS WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE; ESPECIALLY AT THEIR ALTITUDE. THE REPORTER NOTED THAT USUALLY HIS ACR SUGGESTS THAT ONE PLT OPERATE IN THE WX MODE AND THE OTHER PILOT IN THE EGPWS MODE. BUT BECAUSE NO TERRAIN IS LOCATED IN THAT AREA AND THE FACT THAT THEY WERE IN A WX AVOIDANCE MODE; BOTH PILOTS HAD THE WX MODE SELECTED. THE CAPT RESPONDED EXACTLY AS TRAINING WOULD DICTATE BUT THE REPORTER SAW THE ACFT COULD NOT OUT CLIMB THE SMALL RED OBJECT INDICATED AT 15000 FT SO HE SUGGESTED A TURN TO AVOID. ATC BELIEVES THAT THE BALLOON WAS NOT IN THAT LOCATION. CONSEQUENTLY THEY WERE EXTREMELY SURPRISED BY THE EGPWS WARNING. THE REPORTER BELIEVES THAT THE BALLOONS ARE INDICATED BY WARNING AREAS ON CHARTS BUT NOT ON THE ACFT'S NAV CHARTS.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 773512: WE WERE REROUTED SOUTH OF PALACIOUS VOR DUE TO A THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE VOR. WE WERE DESCENDED TO 8000 FT AND RECEIVED AN 'OBSTACLE/OBSTACLE; PULL UP' WARNING AT APPROXIMATELY THE HOBBY (HOB) 210 RADIAL/70 NM MARK. WE INITIATED THE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER AND INFORMED HOUSTON CENTER OF WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED. HOUSTON MENTIONED THAT THERE USED TO BE A TETHERED RADAR BALLOON IN THAT VICINITY; BUT HAD BEEN REMOVED FOR SOME TIME. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT SO THAT THE EGPWS DATABASE CAN BE UPDATED TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE OCCURRENCES. UPDATE THE EGPWS DATABASE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 773512 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD NO ADDITIONAL INFO AT THE TIME OF THE CALLBACK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.