Narrative:

During climb, on departure from sfo, passing approximately 6000' MSL, my peripheral vision detected a movement of an object in our 12 O'clock position. Upon focusing directly on the object, I realized it was in a potentially hazardous position, in relation to our current flight path, and approaching rapidly. By the time I could react to put forward pressure on the control column, the object had passed slightly above and to the right but not before I could get a real good look! It was a light yellow balloon, suspending a white cord attached to what looked like a parachute, which in turn suspended a silver box. After I caught my breath and asked the first officer if he 'saw that', I realized it was probably a WX balloon. We advised the controller of the potential conflict and asked if he knew anything about it. After a short period of research, the controller came back and said they had a memo indicating the WX balloons would be launched every four hours (current time was xx:11 local) and most likely launched from alameda NAS. While my heart was in it's 'warm down' from it's rapid acceleration, many thoughts ran through my brain. Why was I not advised of this potential hazard? Why would they launch a balloon in a high traffic area at peak hour? Why was the balloon not fluorescent orange? Why aren't xponders attached to these boxes so controllers can know the location? What would be the consequences if the metal box went in an engine, came through the cockpit, incapacitation, rapid depressurization, death, explosion, destroyed engines? What if I had been in IMC or at night? Easy answer to that one. I would not have become so excited, unless of course, it was not my day and decided to hit my aircraft! What about when the box has begun its descent under just the parachute? Has it become even less visible? Has the aviation industry been so lucky in the past that other conflicts/collisions have been avoided? How many of these hazards to aviation are launched every day? Gentlemen and ladies, does the 'big sky' theory apply here? Well, if it does, I sure don't like it! I would like to recommend that these boxes be equipped with a transponder and the balloons be colored a fluorescent orange.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW ON CLIMB OUT FROM SFO ENCOUNTER A WX OVER OAK AT 6000'.

Narrative: DURING CLB, ON DEP FROM SFO, PASSING APPROX 6000' MSL, MY PERIPHERAL VISION DETECTED A MOVEMENT OF AN OBJECT IN OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. UPON FOCUSING DIRECTLY ON THE OBJECT, I REALIZED IT WAS IN A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS POS, IN RELATION TO OUR CURRENT FLT PATH, AND APCHING RAPIDLY. BY THE TIME I COULD REACT TO PUT FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE CTL COLUMN, THE OBJECT HAD PASSED SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND TO THE R BUT NOT BEFORE I COULD GET A REAL GOOD LOOK! IT WAS A LIGHT YELLOW BALLOON, SUSPENDING A WHITE CORD ATTACHED TO WHAT LOOKED LIKE A PARACHUTE, WHICH IN TURN SUSPENDED A SILVER BOX. AFTER I CAUGHT MY BREATH AND ASKED THE F/O IF HE 'SAW THAT', I REALIZED IT WAS PROBABLY A WX BALLOON. WE ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND ASKED IF HE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF RESEARCH, THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THEY HAD A MEMO INDICATING THE WX BALLOONS WOULD BE LAUNCHED EVERY FOUR HRS (CURRENT TIME WAS XX:11 LCL) AND MOST LIKELY LAUNCHED FROM ALAMEDA NAS. WHILE MY HEART WAS IN IT'S 'WARM DOWN' FROM IT'S RAPID ACCELERATION, MANY THOUGHTS RAN THROUGH MY BRAIN. WHY WAS I NOT ADVISED OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD? WHY WOULD THEY LAUNCH A BALLOON IN A HIGH TFC AREA AT PEAK HR? WHY WAS THE BALLOON NOT FLUORESCENT ORANGE? WHY AREN'T XPONDERS ATTACHED TO THESE BOXES SO CTLRS CAN KNOW THE LOCATION? WHAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES IF THE METAL BOX WENT IN AN ENG, CAME THROUGH THE COCKPIT, INCAPACITATION, RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION, DEATH, EXPLOSION, DESTROYED ENGS? WHAT IF I HAD BEEN IN IMC OR AT NIGHT? EASY ANSWER TO THAT ONE. I WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME SO EXCITED, UNLESS OF COURSE, IT WAS NOT MY DAY AND DECIDED TO HIT MY ACFT! WHAT ABOUT WHEN THE BOX HAS BEGUN ITS DSNT UNDER JUST THE PARACHUTE? HAS IT BECOME EVEN LESS VISIBLE? HAS THE AVIATION INDUSTRY BEEN SO LUCKY IN THE PAST THAT OTHER CONFLICTS/COLLISIONS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? HOW MANY OF THESE HAZARDS TO AVIATION ARE LAUNCHED EVERY DAY? GENTLEMEN AND LADIES, DOES THE 'BIG SKY' THEORY APPLY HERE? WELL, IF IT DOES, I SURE DON'T LIKE IT! I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT THESE BOXES BE EQUIPPED WITH A XPONDER AND THE BALLOONS BE COLORED A FLUORESCENT ORANGE.

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.