Diplomatic clearance to land is questioned as a military aircraft approachs lajes ab, portugal.

Attributes
ACN	490176
Time
Date	200010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lpla.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hercules (C-130)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	490176
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : military pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Upon arrival at lajes ab, portugal in the azores, I was told that I was not diplomatically cleared to land. This is a dispatch function unknown to me. I contacted my dispatch and relayed the problem. They replied that it is just a minor paper trail problem and that I was cleared diplomatically to land. Upon departure, everything appeared as planned, but on the return trip through lajes, it appeared again. Once again, dispatch was involved and the diplomatic clearance resolved. No further problems. This was a standard military mission.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIPLOMATIC CLRNC TO LAND IS QUESTIONED AS A MIL ACFT APCHS LAJES AB, PORTUGAL.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT LAJES AB, PORTUGAL IN THE AZORES, I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS NOT DIPLOMATICALLY CLRED TO LAND. THIS IS A DISPATCH FUNCTION UNKNOWN TO ME. I CONTACTED MY DISPATCH AND RELAYED THE PROB. THEY REPLIED THAT IT IS JUST A MINOR PAPER TRAIL PROB AND THAT I WAS CLRED DIPLOMATICALLY TO LAND. UPON DEP, EVERYTHING APPEARED AS PLANNED, BUT ON THE RETURN TRIP THROUGH LAJES, IT APPEARED AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN, DISPATCH WAS INVOLVED AND THE DIPLOMATIC CLRNC RESOLVED. NO FURTHER PROBS. THIS WAS A STANDARD MIL MISSION.

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.