Narrative:

The pilot filed an IFR flight plan to saint paul downtown airport (stp). Conditions were VMC as I approached the twin cities on a heading of approximately 270 degrees. The approach controller advised me to expect a visual approach to stp and requested a report when I had the airport in sight. At approximately 8 DME from stp as indicated by my RNAV unit, I observed a white and green airport beacon at my 12 O'clock and advised the controller. He requested cancellation on the ground or in the air and I canceled the IFR flight plan and proceeded toward the beacon. As I approached the airport, I was unable to identify the runway of intended landing and other cues. I then observed 2 jet airlines depart from the airport on parallel runways. Realizing that I had overshot the stp airport and was looking at the msp airport, I commenced a turn to the right. Simultaneously, a female voice on the stp tower frequency asked if I was on the frequency. I indicated that I was and was informed that I had approached the msp airport, should initiate a turn to the northeast immediately, and should change to a msp approach frequency which she supplied. I complied, turned toward stp and landed stp. After landing, the stp controller indicated that she had opened the tower 4 mins before and that I had not contacted her. This was surprising in that I had been back on the tower frequency for some time and had made 3 announcements in the blind. What followed was her explanation that the saint paul airport as the only non- standard airport beacon in the united states. It flashes white/white instead of the standard white/green. Apparently, I had overflown the stp airport because I was looking for a white/green beacon. After reviewing all pertinent pubs, including the airport facilities directory and NOTAMS, there is no publication of the existence of a non- standard beacon at stp. Coming from the east, the 2 airports are directly in line with each other. I flew to the msp beacon because it was the only standard beacon in sight and appeared where it should have appeared. Since the incident occurred in darkness and the stp runways were mostly snow-covered, no other visual cues were available. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that stp controller pointed out the beacon and he could easily see the flashing white, but obviously no green. He has researched and can find no mention of this non standard beacon anywhere. Even the msp controllers did not know of the double white, no green beacon. They argued with reporter when he talked to them and he said 'I am standing here looking right at it. It is a double white flashing beacon.' reporter feels it would be better to have no beacon at all if it is not changed since the city is so close there are dozens of flashing lights around. He has heard that the beacon is apparently on an indian burial ground and if they do anything major they will have to remove it. He does feel however that purchase and installation of a green light bulb would not be too major.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI OVERFLIES ARPT DUE TO NON STANDARD (DOUBLE WHITE) FLASHING BEACON. PENETRATES CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE PLT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO SAINT PAUL DOWNTOWN ARPT (STP). CONDITIONS WERE VMC AS I APCHED THE TWIN CITIES ON A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS. THE APCH CTLR ADVISED ME TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH TO STP AND REQUESTED A RPT WHEN I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT APPROX 8 DME FROM STP AS INDICATED BY MY RNAV UNIT, I OBSERVED A WHITE AND GREEN ARPT BEACON AT MY 12 O'CLOCK AND ADVISED THE CTLR. HE REQUESTED CANCELLATION ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR AND I CANCELED THE IFR FLT PLAN AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE BEACON. AS I APCHED THE ARPT, I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT THE RWY OF INTENDED LNDG AND OTHER CUES. I THEN OBSERVED 2 JET AIRLINES DEPART FROM THE ARPT ON PARALLEL RWYS. REALIZING THAT I HAD OVERSHOT THE STP ARPT AND WAS LOOKING AT THE MSP ARPT, I COMMENCED A TURN TO THE R. SIMULTANEOUSLY, A FEMALE VOICE ON THE STP TWR FREQ ASKED IF I WAS ON THE FREQ. I INDICATED THAT I WAS AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD APCHED THE MSP ARPT, SHOULD INITIATE A TURN TO THE NE IMMEDIATELY, AND SHOULD CHANGE TO A MSP APCH FREQ WHICH SHE SUPPLIED. I COMPLIED, TURNED TOWARD STP AND LANDED STP. AFTER LNDG, THE STP CTLR INDICATED THAT SHE HAD OPENED THE TWR 4 MINS BEFORE AND THAT I HAD NOT CONTACTED HER. THIS WAS SURPRISING IN THAT I HAD BEEN BACK ON THE TWR FREQ FOR SOME TIME AND HAD MADE 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE BLIND. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS HER EXPLANATION THAT THE SAINT PAUL ARPT AS THE ONLY NON- STANDARD ARPT BEACON IN THE UNITED STATES. IT FLASHES WHITE/WHITE INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD WHITE/GREEN. APPARENTLY, I HAD OVERFLOWN THE STP ARPT BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR A WHITE/GREEN BEACON. AFTER REVIEWING ALL PERTINENT PUBS, INCLUDING THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY AND NOTAMS, THERE IS NO PUB OF THE EXISTENCE OF A NON- STANDARD BEACON AT STP. COMING FROM THE E, THE 2 ARPTS ARE DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH EACH OTHER. I FLEW TO THE MSP BEACON BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY STANDARD BEACON IN SIGHT AND APPEARED WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE APPEARED. SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN DARKNESS AND THE STP RWYS WERE MOSTLY SNOW-COVERED, NO OTHER VISUAL CUES WERE AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT STP CTLR POINTED OUT THE BEACON AND HE COULD EASILY SEE THE FLASHING WHITE, BUT OBVIOUSLY NO GREEN. HE HAS RESEARCHED AND CAN FIND NO MENTION OF THIS NON STANDARD BEACON ANYWHERE. EVEN THE MSP CTLRS DID NOT KNOW OF THE DOUBLE WHITE, NO GREEN BEACON. THEY ARGUED WITH RPTR WHEN HE TALKED TO THEM AND HE SAID 'I AM STANDING HERE LOOKING RIGHT AT IT. IT IS A DOUBLE WHITE FLASHING BEACON.' RPTR FEELS IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE NO BEACON AT ALL IF IT IS NOT CHANGED SINCE THE CITY IS SO CLOSE THERE ARE DOZENS OF FLASHING LIGHTS AROUND. HE HAS HEARD THAT THE BEACON IS APPARENTLY ON AN INDIAN BURIAL GND AND IF THEY DO ANYTHING MAJOR THEY WILL HAVE TO REMOVE IT. HE DOES FEEL HOWEVER THAT PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF A GREEN LIGHT BULB WOULD NOT BE TOO MAJOR.

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.