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Helium balloons released from the indianapolis 500 race track were encountered by air carrier flts at FL280 through FL370.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 555896 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc tower : ord.tower |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 25 controller non radar : 25 controller radar : 25 controller time certified in position1 : 9 |
| ASRS Report | 555896 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Helium balloons released from the indianapolis 500 race track. Many balloons were sighted by numerous aircraft from XA00 to dusk between FL280 and FL370, with most being about FL330. 1 aircraft reported more than 50. Another said it was like flying through a meteor shower. They bunched together and spread over 30-40 mi. They were reported to be silver in color. Some aircraft deviated. 1 reported a balloon bouncing off the windshield. WX conditions at the race were hot (90 degrees) and upper winds were little or none, so the balloons lingered all afternoon. This consumed a lot of frequency time issuing advisories and vectors to avoid the area. Problems include: how do you describe helium balloons and kiddy balloons? Festival balloon -- a term possibly adopted to aid communication? The color silver was possibly very difficult to see and may have helped them not explode sooner.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELIUM BALLOONS RELEASED FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE TRACK WERE ENCOUNTERED BY ACR FLTS AT FL280 THROUGH FL370.
Narrative: HELIUM BALLOONS RELEASED FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE TRACK. MANY BALLOONS WERE SIGHTED BY NUMEROUS ACFT FROM XA00 TO DUSK BTWN FL280 AND FL370, WITH MOST BEING ABOUT FL330. 1 ACFT RPTED MORE THAN 50. ANOTHER SAID IT WAS LIKE FLYING THROUGH A METEOR SHOWER. THEY BUNCHED TOGETHER AND SPREAD OVER 30-40 MI. THEY WERE RPTED TO BE SILVER IN COLOR. SOME ACFT DEVIATED. 1 RPTED A BALLOON BOUNCING OFF THE WINDSHIELD. WX CONDITIONS AT THE RACE WERE HOT (90 DEGS) AND UPPER WINDS WERE LITTLE OR NONE, SO THE BALLOONS LINGERED ALL AFTERNOON. THIS CONSUMED A LOT OF FREQ TIME ISSUING ADVISORIES AND VECTORS TO AVOID THE AREA. PROBS INCLUDE: HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE HELIUM BALLOONS AND KIDDY BALLOONS? FESTIVAL BALLOON -- A TERM POSSIBLY ADOPTED TO AID COM? THE COLOR SILVER WAS POSSIBLY VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AND MAY HAVE HELPED THEM NOT EXPLODE SOONER.
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.