Narrative:

Air carrier X reported a balloon (presumed WX balloon) at his location and altitude. Are we going to wait until an aircraft collides with a balloon before we scrap the outdated system of gathering WX? Since most aircraft have inertial navigation system, they can provide better and more frequent information than WX balloons. I know that some communities will lose some money and perhaps a job or two, but let's try to improve the system before an accident happens. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the flight crew reported they missed the balloon by 200 ft same altitude, on follow-up, the balloon was found to have been released from gjt WX station. Reporter stated the balloons are released twice a day for winds aloft reports. WX gets pilot reports of winds aloft from flcs via data link.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD NMAC WITH UNMANNED WX BALLOON.

Narrative: ACR X RPTED A BALLOON (PRESUMED WX BALLOON) AT HIS LOCATION AND ALT. ARE WE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL AN ACFT COLLIDES WITH A BALLOON BEFORE WE SCRAP THE OUTDATED SYS OF GATHERING WX? SINCE MOST ACFT HAVE INERTIAL NAV SYS, THEY CAN PROVIDE BETTER AND MORE FREQUENT INFO THAN WX BALLOONS. I KNOW THAT SOME COMMUNITIES WILL LOSE SOME MONEY AND PERHAPS A JOB OR TWO, BUT LET'S TRY TO IMPROVE THE SYS BEFORE AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE FLC RPTED THEY MISSED THE BALLOON BY 200 FT SAME ALT, ON FOLLOW-UP, THE BALLOON WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM GJT WX STATION. RPTR STATED THE BALLOONS ARE RELEASED TWICE A DAY FOR WINDS ALOFT RPTS. WX GETS PLT RPTS OF WINDS ALOFT FROM FLCS VIA DATA LINK.

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.