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DC9-40 first officer disconnected the autoplt and pulled up to avoid 2 WX balloons during descent at 7500 ft MSL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 555699 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : aml.vortac |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 7500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 40 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 12 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 555699 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 50 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
On runway 12 localizer course and 34 DME from aml descending through 7500 ft with the autoplt on, the first officer sighted 3 large balloons with some device under them like a WX balloon. I was head down at the time. I heard a gasp and looked up just in time to see a blur go under our nose. The first officer had disconnected the autoplt and pulled up to miss hitting the balloons. Continued approach and notified approach control. There was no indication of us hitting anything on the subsequent walkaround. We came very close, though.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DC9-40 FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED UP TO AVOID 2 WX BALLOONS DURING DSCNT AT 7500 FT MSL.
Narrative: ON RWY 12 LOC COURSE AND 34 DME FROM AML DSNDING THROUGH 7500 FT WITH THE AUTOPLT ON, THE FO SIGHTED 3 LARGE BALLOONS WITH SOME DEVICE UNDER THEM LIKE A WX BALLOON. I WAS HEAD DOWN AT THE TIME. I HEARD A GASP AND LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE A BLUR GO UNDER OUR NOSE. THE FO HAD DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED UP TO MISS HITTING THE BALLOONS. CONTINUED APCH AND NOTIFIED APCH CTL. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF US HITTING ANYTHING ON THE SUBSEQUENT WALKAROUND. WE CAME VERY CLOSE, THOUGH.
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.