E190 captain reports striking novelty balloons on final approach.

Attributes
ACN	812963
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 1550
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 190/195 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	812963
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Stabilized in final landing confign; at final approach fix; briefly saw an object; at first thought to be a hot air balloon; hit the nose of the aircraft. A dull 'sweeping' sound was heard under the nose. Incident was quite startling since it appeared quickly out of the black night; shining in the nose landing gear light. Evaluated aircraft handling and power plant condition. No abnormalities noted. Continued approach to a normal touchdown. Upon parking and engine shutdown; on postflt inspection; observed a ribbon 5 ft long and 1-2 inches wide; streaming from the first officer ice detect probe. Suspect that ribbon was melted onto probe at attachment point. Believe object to have been novelty balloons.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E190 CAPTAIN REPORTS STRIKING NOVELTY BALLOONS ON FINAL APPROACH.

Narrative: STABILIZED IN FINAL LNDG CONFIGN; AT FINAL APCH FIX; BRIEFLY SAW AN OBJECT; AT FIRST THOUGHT TO BE A HOT AIR BALLOON; HIT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. A DULL 'SWEEPING' SOUND WAS HEARD UNDER THE NOSE. INCIDENT WAS QUITE STARTLING SINCE IT APPEARED QUICKLY OUT OF THE BLACK NIGHT; SHINING IN THE NOSE LNDG GEAR LIGHT. EVALUATED ACFT HANDLING AND PWR PLANT CONDITION. NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. CONTINUED APCH TO A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. UPON PARKING AND ENG SHUTDOWN; ON POSTFLT INSPECTION; OBSERVED A RIBBON 5 FT LONG AND 1-2 INCHES WIDE; STREAMING FROM THE FO ICE DETECT PROBE. SUSPECT THAT RIBBON WAS MELTED ONTO PROBE AT ATTACHMENT POINT. BELIEVE OBJECT TO HAVE BEEN NOVELTY BALLOONS.

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.