Narrative:

I was flying VFR from ugn to msp, when contacting approach I told them I was landing at msp he thought I said st paul. I responded affirmative, minneapolis/st paul. I asked for permission to enter the TCA and they said negative do not enter. I asked a second time and was denied. I was then told to contact tower with a frequency. The controller never said the name of the tower. I called the tower and said I was with them. They did not here me so I called a second time. They asked my position and I told them my position was on the 120 right 11 pm out of msp. I was unknowingly talking to st paul tower thinking I was talking to minneapolis st paul tower. At a 1 mi final for runway 29R I asked for traffic which I had received instructions to follow. They again asked my position and I replied 1 mi final. They said I was not in sight and asked me the runway number I had in sight and I said runway 29R. They told me I was at minneapolis (where I thought I was talking to) and told me to contact tower. I was then cleared to land by minneapolis st paul tower. At that time, I realized the confusion. I was in the TCA and talking to the wrong tower. The situation could have been resolved a few ways. I asked but did not receive flight following on 3 different occasions. All my requests were to minneapolis/st paul. The approach controller saw me coming straight for msp but never inquired if I was familiar with st paul airport. I asked for and was denied clearance into the TCA 2 times. If I was landing at st paul I would not have needed clearance into the TCA. The airport names are another problem. You have minneapolis/st paul and st paul downtown which is referred to as st paul. The names are very similar for someone who is not familiar with the airport. The controller never directed me to the airport which would have been at me 2 O'clock and 10 mi not my 12 O'clock and 10 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA VFR APCHING MSP WAS DIRECTED TO ST PAUL TWR BUT CONTINUED TO MSP UNAWARE HE WAS TALKING TO WRONG TWR UNTIL IN MSP TCA AND CLOSE TO MSP RWY 29.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM UGN TO MSP, WHEN CONTACTING APCH I TOLD THEM I WAS LNDG AT MSP HE THOUGHT I SAID ST PAUL. I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE, MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL. I ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE TCA AND THEY SAID NEGATIVE DO NOT ENTER. I ASKED A SEC TIME AND WAS DENIED. I WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT TWR WITH A FREQ. THE CTLR NEVER SAID THE NAME OF THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AND SAID I WAS WITH THEM. THEY DID NOT HERE ME SO I CALLED A SEC TIME. THEY ASKED MY POS AND I TOLD THEM MY POSITION WAS ON THE 120 R 11 PM OUT OF MSP. I WAS UNKNOWINGLY TALKING TO ST PAUL TWR THINKING I WAS TALKING TO MINNEAPOLIS ST PAUL TWR. AT A 1 MI FINAL FOR RWY 29R I ASKED FOR TFC WHICH I HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW. THEY AGAIN ASKED MY POS AND I REPLIED 1 MI FINAL. THEY SAID I WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND ASKED ME THE RWY NUMBER I HAD IN SIGHT AND I SAID RWY 29R. THEY TOLD ME I WAS AT MINNEAPOLIS (WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS TALKING TO) AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND BY MINNEAPOLIS ST PAUL TWR. AT THAT TIME, I REALIZED THE CONFUSION. I WAS IN THE TCA AND TALKING TO THE WRONG TWR. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED A FEW WAYS. I ASKED BUT DID NOT RECEIVE FLT FOLLOWING ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ALL MY REQUESTS WERE TO MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL. THE APCH CTLR SAW ME COMING STRAIGHT FOR MSP BUT NEVER INQUIRED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ST PAUL ARPT. I ASKED FOR AND WAS DENIED CLRNC INTO THE TCA 2 TIMES. IF I WAS LNDG AT ST PAUL I WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED CLRNC INTO THE TCA. THE ARPT NAMES ARE ANOTHER PROB. YOU HAVE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL AND ST PAUL DOWNTOWN WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS ST PAUL. THE NAMES ARE VERY SIMILAR FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. THE CTLR NEVER DIRECTED ME TO THE ARPT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AT ME 2 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI NOT MY 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI.

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.