GA pilot confused by light flashes from airport rotating beacon. Says beacon has been relocated belo...

Attributes
ACN	103430
Time
Date	198902
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 792 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2300
ASRS Report	103430
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

I broke out of the bases at 1700' MSL and stayed on the gauges until about 1600'. When I went visibility I noticed what I thought was a bird fly by the right side of the plane. (Seagulls were mentioned on the ATIS.) then I saw another bird then another. This distraction caused me to pay less attention to the situation of the approach and landing. I began looking for more birds. That's when I noticed the newly relocated rotating airport beacon was the cause of my distraction. The beacon is located below the heights of the surrounding hangar bldgs on the southwest of the airport. As the beacon rotates it flashes light on the hangars. These flashes cause the near bird strike visuals which causes the distraction. I recommend the beacon be relocated to the top of the new ATC tower facility located in the terminal area or on top of the hangars on the southwest of the field. Fortunately, this caused me only some distraction and I did not sway too much from final or G/south or airspeed. But, the WX conditions were not the greatest and I see great potential for some very grave results because of the poor location of the beacon.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT CONFUSED BY LIGHT FLASHES FROM ARPT ROTATING BEACON. SAYS BEACON HAS BEEN RELOCATED BELOW HANGAR BUILDINGS HIGHEST ELEVATION AND REFLECTS OFF THE BLDGS.

Narrative: I BROKE OUT OF THE BASES AT 1700' MSL AND STAYED ON THE GAUGES UNTIL ABOUT 1600'. WHEN I WENT VIS I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BIRD FLY BY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLANE. (SEAGULLS WERE MENTIONED ON THE ATIS.) THEN I SAW ANOTHER BIRD THEN ANOTHER. THIS DISTR CAUSED ME TO PAY LESS ATTN TO THE SITUATION OF THE APCH AND LNDG. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR MORE BIRDS. THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THE NEWLY RELOCATED ROTATING ARPT BEACON WAS THE CAUSE OF MY DISTR. THE BEACON IS LOCATED BELOW THE HEIGHTS OF THE SURROUNDING HANGAR BLDGS ON THE SW OF THE ARPT. AS THE BEACON ROTATES IT FLASHES LIGHT ON THE HANGARS. THESE FLASHES CAUSE THE NEAR BIRD STRIKE VISUALS WHICH CAUSES THE DISTR. I RECOMMEND THE BEACON BE RELOCATED TO THE TOP OF THE NEW ATC TWR FAC LOCATED IN THE TERMINAL AREA OR ON TOP OF THE HANGARS ON THE SW OF THE FIELD. FORTUNATELY, THIS CAUSED ME ONLY SOME DISTR AND I DID NOT SWAY TOO MUCH FROM FINAL OR G/S OR AIRSPD. BUT, THE WX CONDITIONS WERE NOT THE GREATEST AND I SEE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR SOME VERY GRAVE RESULTS BECAUSE OF THE POOR LOCATION OF THE BEACON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

GA pilot confused by light flashes from airport rotating beacon. Says beacon has been relocated below hangar buildings highest elevation and reflects off the bldgs.