Narrative:

After checking in at imrad on A145, jeddah control, oeid, informed us that our 'destination was okbk' -- kuwait. We informed jeddah that our destination was al kharj. Jeddah informed us again that our destination was kuwait, cleared us to magala (mga) VOR, and that we did not have clearance to land at al kharj. (Grammar shortcuts follow.) phone patch to dispatch to resolve it. Held in bahrain airspace awaiting resolution. Didn't know if we needed, had or could get diplomatic/overflt clearance into kuwait. Told by dispatcher that military said to declare a fuel emergency and proceed to al kharj. By this time it was time to go somewhere for fuel (no emergency existed). We were closest to kuwait, with king khalid airport (riyadh) between us and al kharj. We did declare a fuel emergency. Told by riyadh control to proceed to king khalid -- cannot be cleared to al kharj. At military and air carrier suggestion, we disregarded riyadh control and proceeded toward al kharj. Much discussion and (unantagonistic) argument with riyadh control ensued. We were still at FL290. We contacted al kharj approach (oekh). They said we could land there, but they couldn't clear us to a lower altitude -- still in riyadh controled airspace. Riyadh control told us to proceed 'direct king khalid -- we were entering a prohibited area.' that was enough for us. We headed for king khalid to refuel. We were on the ground for over 3 hours. At least 1 1/2 hours of that was for airline to resolve how the fuel was to be paid for, airline said direct billing was arranged. A saudi oil company would only accept cash or credit card. Eventually airline authorized use of credit card. Clearance could not be obtained to go to al kharj. We ended up going back to sigonella with passenger. In hindsight, I question military's suggestion (and my decision) to: 1) declare a fuel 'emergency' and 2) 'be forceful' with riyadh control and proceed without authority/authorized to al kharj. All the controllers and ground personnel were courteous and even sympathetic, but no way in hell were they going to let us go to al kharj. Suggestions for crews for future flts: 1) question dispatch prior to departure as to suggested alternatives should this happen again. 2) be prepared for suggestions from the military that go against your training and instincts. 3) take as much fuel aboard as you can. 4) find out whether we can proceed to kuwait if it is not the intended destination or alternate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer was in the right seat of the B757-200 with the relief pilot in the left seat. As this occurred the captain came to the cockpit and monitored the situation. The flight was a military charter that had departed sigonella, sicily. Dispatch had filed the flight to oekh, with the military handling the coordination for the 'landing rights.' after the return to sicily, the crew was released and the flight left to oekh 18 hours later with a new crew after the landing rights issue was cleared up. The military coordinator took the blame for mismanaging the coordination between the agencies but it took 18 hours to do so. The military said it wouldn't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 MIL CHARTER PAX FLT DIVERTS TO RIYADH, AN ALTERNATE ARPT, WHEN JEDDAH CTL, OEJD, REFUSES LNDG AUTH AT THEIR DEST ARPT OF AL KHARJ, PRINCE SULTAN, OEKH, FO. FLT HELD FOR 1 PT 5 HRS AT MGA VORTAC WHILE ATTEMPTING A LNDG RESOLUTION.

Narrative: AFTER CHKING IN AT IMRAD ON A145, JEDDAH CTL, OEID, INFORMED US THAT OUR 'DEST WAS OKBK' -- KUWAIT. WE INFORMED JEDDAH THAT OUR DEST WAS AL KHARJ. JEDDAH INFORMED US AGAIN THAT OUR DEST WAS KUWAIT, CLRED US TO MAGALA (MGA) VOR, AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO LAND AT AL KHARJ. (GRAMMAR SHORTCUTS FOLLOW.) PHONE PATCH TO DISPATCH TO RESOLVE IT. HELD IN BAHRAIN AIRSPACE AWAITING RESOLUTION. DIDN'T KNOW IF WE NEEDED, HAD OR COULD GET DIPLOMATIC/OVERFLT CLRNC INTO KUWAIT. TOLD BY DISPATCHER THAT MIL SAID TO DECLARE A FUEL EMER AND PROCEED TO AL KHARJ. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TIME TO GO SOMEWHERE FOR FUEL (NO EMER EXISTED). WE WERE CLOSEST TO KUWAIT, WITH KING KHALID ARPT (RIYADH) BTWN US AND AL KHARJ. WE DID DECLARE A FUEL EMER. TOLD BY RIYADH CTL TO PROCEED TO KING KHALID -- CANNOT BE CLRED TO AL KHARJ. AT MIL AND ACR SUGGESTION, WE DISREGARDED RIYADH CTL AND PROCEEDED TOWARD AL KHARJ. MUCH DISCUSSION AND (UNANTAGONISTIC) ARGUMENT WITH RIYADH CTL ENSUED. WE WERE STILL AT FL290. WE CONTACTED AL KHARJ APCH (OEKH). THEY SAID WE COULD LAND THERE, BUT THEY COULDN'T CLR US TO A LOWER ALT -- STILL IN RIYADH CTLED AIRSPACE. RIYADH CTL TOLD US TO PROCEED 'DIRECT KING KHALID -- WE WERE ENTERING A PROHIBITED AREA.' THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR US. WE HEADED FOR KING KHALID TO REFUEL. WE WERE ON THE GND FOR OVER 3 HRS. AT LEAST 1 1/2 HRS OF THAT WAS FOR AIRLINE TO RESOLVE HOW THE FUEL WAS TO BE PAID FOR, AIRLINE SAID DIRECT BILLING WAS ARRANGED. A SAUDI OIL COMPANY WOULD ONLY ACCEPT CASH OR CREDIT CARD. EVENTUALLY AIRLINE AUTHORIZED USE OF CREDIT CARD. CLRNC COULD NOT BE OBTAINED TO GO TO AL KHARJ. WE ENDED UP GOING BACK TO SIGONELLA WITH PAX. IN HINDSIGHT, I QUESTION MIL'S SUGGESTION (AND MY DECISION) TO: 1) DECLARE A FUEL 'EMER' AND 2) 'BE FORCEFUL' WITH RIYADH CTL AND PROCEED WITHOUT AUTH TO AL KHARJ. ALL THE CTLRS AND GND PERSONNEL WERE COURTEOUS AND EVEN SYMPATHETIC, BUT NO WAY IN HELL WERE THEY GOING TO LET US GO TO AL KHARJ. SUGGESTIONS FOR CREWS FOR FUTURE FLTS: 1) QUESTION DISPATCH PRIOR TO DEP AS TO SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVES SHOULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. 2) BE PREPARED FOR SUGGESTIONS FROM THE MIL THAT GO AGAINST YOUR TRAINING AND INSTINCTS. 3) TAKE AS MUCH FUEL ABOARD AS YOU CAN. 4) FIND OUT WHETHER WE CAN PROCEED TO KUWAIT IF IT IS NOT THE INTENDED DEST OR ALTERNATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO WAS IN THE R SEAT OF THE B757-200 WITH THE RELIEF PLT IN THE L SEAT. AS THIS OCCURRED THE CAPT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND MONITORED THE SIT. THE FLT WAS A MIL CHARTER THAT HAD DEPARTED SIGONELLA, SICILY. DISPATCH HAD FILED THE FLT TO OEKH, WITH THE MIL HANDLING THE COORD FOR THE 'LNDG RIGHTS.' AFTER THE RETURN TO SICILY, THE CREW WAS RELEASED AND THE FLT LEFT TO OEKH 18 HRS LATER WITH A NEW CREW AFTER THE LNDG RIGHTS ISSUE WAS CLRED UP. THE MIL COORDINATOR TOOK THE BLAME FOR MISMANAGING THE COORD BTWN THE AGENCIES BUT IT TOOK 18 HRS TO DO SO. THE MIL SAID IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.