Narrative:

On the morning of dec/xx/95, while at en route stop at pago pago island we were informed by pago pago tower that our route of flight would have to be changed because new zealand's air traffic controllers were on strike. We were instructed to call nandi control by land line to coordinate an alternate route. The nandi controller recommended a routing which was accepted by the flight crew. This new clearance, unfortunately took our aircraft over fiji airspace, in which we did not have diplomatic clearance. Although at no time, while in contact with nandi control, were we denied our new filed route of flight, not once did nandi control refer to us about a diplomatic clearance requirement. After landing at richmond raaf we discovered the discrepancy and thus wrote this report. We hope this report will be beneficial to other flcs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is a reserve military pilot. He was flying as '1ST pilot' on this C141B, the equivalent position of a 'first officer.' he is also a scheduled airline first officer. The flight crew was involved in the initial engine start at pago pago when ATC advised them of the need for a rerte. The engine starts were aborted and the crew went inside to talk with nandi center controller. The aircraft commander spoke with nandi so the first officer isn't sure of what was said. The aircraft commander was new to his position. He was surprised at the information received later at the raaf base. His first question was with reference to the fact that air carrier aircraft go into fiji all the time, so why don't they need a diplomatic clearance? He is going to investigate this situation of military aircraft visibility-a-visibility civilian aircraft flts and the need for 'dip clrncs' for military aircraft. It isn't known if the new zealand controllers are still on strike. It was this event that was the precursor to this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEGALITY OF MIL FLT OVER FIJI IS QUESTIONED AFTER C141B ARRIVES AT DEST RAAF BASE. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF DEC/XX/95, WHILE AT ENRTE STOP AT PAGO PAGO ISLAND WE WERE INFORMED BY PAGO PAGO TWR THAT OUR RTE OF FLT WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE NEW ZEALAND'S AIR TFC CTLRS WERE ON STRIKE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL NANDI CTL BY LAND LINE TO COORDINATE AN ALTERNATE RTE. THE NANDI CTLR RECOMMENDED A ROUTING WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY THE FLC. THIS NEW CLRNC, UNFORTUNATELY TOOK OUR ACFT OVER FIJI AIRSPACE, IN WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE DIPLOMATIC CLRNC. ALTHOUGH AT NO TIME, WHILE IN CONTACT WITH NANDI CTL, WERE WE DENIED OUR NEW FILED RTE OF FLT, NOT ONCE DID NANDI CTL REFER TO US ABOUT A DIPLOMATIC CLRNC REQUIREMENT. AFTER LNDG AT RICHMOND RAAF WE DISCOVERED THE DISCREPANCY AND THUS WROTE THIS RPT. WE HOPE THIS RPT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO OTHER FLCS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS A RESERVE MIL PLT. HE WAS FLYING AS '1ST PLT' ON THIS C141B, THE EQUIVALENT POS OF A 'FO.' HE IS ALSO A SCHEDULED AIRLINE FO. THE FLC WAS INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL ENG START AT PAGO PAGO WHEN ATC ADVISED THEM OF THE NEED FOR A RERTE. THE ENG STARTS WERE ABORTED AND THE CREW WENT INSIDE TO TALK WITH NANDI CTR CTLR. THE ACFT COMMANDER SPOKE WITH NANDI SO THE FO ISN'T SURE OF WHAT WAS SAID. THE ACFT COMMANDER WAS NEW TO HIS POS. HE WAS SURPRISED AT THE INFO RECEIVED LATER AT THE RAAF BASE. HIS FIRST QUESTION WAS WITH REF TO THE FACT THAT ACR ACFT GO INTO FIJI ALL THE TIME, SO WHY DON'T THEY NEED A DIPLOMATIC CLRNC? HE IS GOING TO INVESTIGATE THIS SIT OF MIL ACFT VIS-A-VIS CIVILIAN ACFT FLTS AND THE NEED FOR 'DIP CLRNCS' FOR MIL ACFT. IT ISN'T KNOWN IF THE NEW ZEALAND CTLRS ARE STILL ON STRIKE. IT WAS THIS EVENT THAT WAS THE PRECURSOR TO THIS INCIDENT.

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.