Narrative:

Coming out of airport abc we were leveled off at 7000 ft MSL for about 10 mins en route to airport bcd. I was the PIC and the PF at the time. I had cut myself early in the morning shaving and now I had started bleeding again. So I was busy attending to myself at the time when the first officer said do you see the balloon ahead. I was looking up but was not focused outside. As I did, I didn't see anything. I said 'where' with kind of a chuckle, because earlier on the climb out, I saw a small balloon that you hold around 4000 ft and thought to myself how could a balloon be this high. My first officer proceeded to say again 'do you see the balloon?' as I moved around in my seat I saw a hot air balloon at 7000 ft about 4 mi in front of us. The balloon was just to the left of our course and we had to alter our course to the right to make sure we would miss. The balloon was hidden behind one of the windscreen posts for a time and that is why I didn't see it right away. I have never met up with a hot air balloon at 7000 ft. I don't think he should have been there (right on a victor airway) but that doesn't excuse me from not seeing him sooner. I guess next time I should take the first officer a little more serious and look a little harder before just assuming it was a small balloon. You know those balloons don't move very fast and you catch up to them a bit quicker than expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER LTT AND HOT AIR BALLOON ON VICTOR AIRWAY AT 7000 FT.

Narrative: COMING OUT OF ARPT ABC WE WERE LEVELED OFF AT 7000 FT MSL FOR ABOUT 10 MINS ENRTE TO ARPT BCD. I WAS THE PIC AND THE PF AT THE TIME. I HAD CUT MYSELF EARLY IN THE MORNING SHAVING AND NOW I HAD STARTED BLEEDING AGAIN. SO I WAS BUSY ATTENDING TO MYSELF AT THE TIME WHEN THE FO SAID DO YOU SEE THE BALLOON AHEAD. I WAS LOOKING UP BUT WAS NOT FOCUSED OUTSIDE. AS I DID, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I SAID 'WHERE' WITH KIND OF A CHUCKLE, BECAUSE EARLIER ON THE CLB OUT, I SAW A SMALL BALLOON THAT YOU HOLD AROUND 4000 FT AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF HOW COULD A BALLOON BE THIS HIGH. MY FO PROCEEDED TO SAY AGAIN 'DO YOU SEE THE BALLOON?' AS I MOVED AROUND IN MY SEAT I SAW A HOT AIR BALLOON AT 7000 FT ABOUT 4 MI IN FRONT OF US. THE BALLOON WAS JUST TO THE L OF OUR COURSE AND WE HAD TO ALTER OUR COURSE TO THE R TO MAKE SURE WE WOULD MISS. THE BALLOON WAS HIDDEN BEHIND ONE OF THE WINDSCREEN POSTS FOR A TIME AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T SEE IT RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE NEVER MET UP WITH A HOT AIR BALLOON AT 7000 FT. I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE (RIGHT ON A VICTOR AIRWAY) BUT THAT DOESN'T EXCUSE ME FROM NOT SEEING HIM SOONER. I GUESS NEXT TIME I SHOULD TAKE THE FO A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS AND LOOK A LITTLE HARDER BEFORE JUST ASSUMING IT WAS A SMALL BALLOON. YOU KNOW THOSE BALLOONS DON'T MOVE VERY FAST AND YOU CATCH UP TO THEM A BIT QUICKER THAN EXPECTED.

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.