Narrative:

The reporter departs bfi NORDO for pae. The reporter's flight instructor has 'briefed' the reporter on NORDO procedures, and has called bfi and pae towers to coordination NORDO departure and arrival. The reporter departs bfi, apparently with no difficulty. Upon arrival at the boundary of the pae control zone, the reporter begins rocking his wings to aid visual identification by the pae tower, and continuing the wing rocking activity, proceeds to approximately the midfield point. He then completed 2 360 degree turns to check for traffic as well as draw the attention of the tower. Turns completed, the reporter enters the 'pattern' apparently on downwind, and continues to rock his wings all the way to final, while watching for light signals from the tower. Turning on to final approach, the reporter notices a 'business jet holding on the runway'. Not having received any light signals, he begins a go around procedure but glancing at the tower, observes a steady green light. The reporter states that he is 'not in the usual place to land' but decides that he can land on the second half of the runway without difficulty, and does so. After taxiing to transient parking, the reporter is met by 2 firemen with a request to call the tower. The reporter calls the tower and is told: 1) no light signals were given. 2) the 'green light' observed by the reporter was in fact the green portion of the airport rotating beacon, and 3) that aircraft fly through the pae air traffic area all the time without calling, and that the reporter could have been one of these aircraft. Additionally the reporter is told that ATC considers this a serious situation, and that the reporter can expect to be contacted by the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT NORDO ACFT ENTERS ATA. CONFUSES GREEN ROTATING ARPT BEACON FOR TWR LIGHT SIGNAL FOR LNDG AUTHORIZATION.

Narrative: THE REPORTER DEPARTS BFI NORDO FOR PAE. THE REPORTER'S FLT INSTRUCTOR HAS 'BRIEFED' THE REPORTER ON NORDO PROCS, AND HAS CALLED BFI AND PAE TWRS TO COORD NORDO DEP AND ARR. THE REPORTER DEPARTS BFI, APPARENTLY WITH NO DIFFICULTY. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE PAE CTL ZONE, THE REPORTER BEGINS ROCKING HIS WINGS TO AID VISUAL IDENTIFICATION BY THE PAE TWR, AND CONTINUING THE WING ROCKING ACTIVITY, PROCEEDS TO APPROX THE MIDFIELD POINT. HE THEN COMPLETED 2 360 DEG TURNS TO CHECK FOR TFC AS WELL AS DRAW THE ATTN OF THE TWR. TURNS COMPLETED, THE REPORTER ENTERS THE 'PATTERN' APPARENTLY ON DOWNWIND, AND CONTINUES TO ROCK HIS WINGS ALL THE WAY TO FINAL, WHILE WATCHING FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. TURNING ON TO FINAL APCH, THE REPORTER NOTICES A 'BUSINESS JET HOLDING ON THE RWY'. NOT HAVING RECEIVED ANY LIGHT SIGNALS, HE BEGINS A GO AROUND PROC BUT GLANCING AT THE TWR, OBSERVES A STEADY GREEN LIGHT. THE REPORTER STATES THAT HE IS 'NOT IN THE USUAL PLACE TO LAND' BUT DECIDES THAT HE CAN LAND ON THE SECOND HALF OF THE RWY WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, AND DOES SO. AFTER TAXIING TO TRANSIENT PARKING, THE REPORTER IS MET BY 2 FIREMEN WITH A REQUEST TO CALL THE TWR. THE REPORTER CALLS THE TWR AND IS TOLD: 1) NO LIGHT SIGNALS WERE GIVEN. 2) THE 'GREEN LIGHT' OBSERVED BY THE REPORTER WAS IN FACT THE GREEN PORTION OF THE ARPT ROTATING BEACON, AND 3) THAT ACFT FLY THROUGH THE PAE ATA ALL THE TIME WITHOUT CALLING, AND THAT THE REPORTER COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THESE ACFT. ADDITIONALLY THE REPORTER IS TOLD THAT ATC CONSIDERS THIS A SERIOUS SITUATION, AND THAT THE REPORTER CAN EXPECT TO BE CONTACTED BY THE FAA.

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.