A PA28 pilot departing slc reported a near midair collision with a weather balloon.

Attributes
ACN	874148
Time
Date	201002
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	SLC.Airport
State Reference	UT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise Climb
Route In Use	VFR Route
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Balloon
Flight Phase	Climb
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 29.6 Flight Crew Total 251.2 Flight Crew Type 240.3
Events
Anomaly	Conflict NMAC
Miss Distance	Horizontal 50 Vertical 25

Narrative:

I was cleared out of salt lake's bravo airspace at 5;500 ft. After taking off from runway 35 at slc the tower controller told me to make right downwind departure; fly over the numbers (35; 34L) and out on the I-80 transition. When I started my turn towards the numbers I noticed a weather balloon approximately 50 ft in front of me; at my altitude and climbing. Once I noticed the balloon I instantly increased the bank of my turn to approximately thirty-five degrees. I then continued out on the I-80 transition with out any problems. I recommend that the weather service advise salt lake tower when they are releasing a weather balloon so the tower can advise pilots when the balloon will be traveling through the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 pilot departing SLC reported a NMAC with a weather balloon.

Narrative: I was cleared out of Salt Lake's Bravo airspace at 5;500 FT. After taking off from Runway 35 at SLC the Tower Controller told me to make right downwind departure; fly over the numbers (35; 34L) and out on the I-80 transition. When I started my turn towards the numbers I noticed a weather balloon approximately 50 FT in front of me; at my altitude and climbing. Once I noticed the balloon I instantly increased the bank of my turn to approximately thirty-five degrees. I then continued out on the I-80 transition with out any problems. I recommend that the Weather Service advise Salt Lake Tower when they are releasing a weather balloon so the Tower can advise pilots when the balloon will be traveling through the area.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.