Narrative:

At ticket counter spoke with passenger and passenger wife. Ticket agent and passenger advised me passenger was upset regarding having airline cancel earlier flight and re-booking, on our flight. Attempting to appease passenger I apologized and mentioned what a beautiful day it was for flying. Told passenger if ATC could approve we would go a little south of our normal route and he may get a glimpse of chesapeake bay, the bay bridge, the naval academy and perhaps gibson island where he lives. Passenger seemed pleased. Later on board aircraft during my initial welcome aboard announcement advised passenger of same. Earlier had talked to departure control and advised them of our proposal to head toward graco intersection if they were not too busy. Departure control advised no problem. After takeoff contacted departure control and was cleared direct to graco intersection, maintain 3000 ft, deviate as we liked. About half way to graco I queried departure control about their minimum vectoring altitude for our area just to make certain we were legal. Departure control cleared us to descend to 2000 ft, initiated descent just prior to abeam graco and started a turn to the northeast. About the same time departure control inquired when we could proceed on course. I advised 3 or 4 mi (after completing our turn) or whenever required by ATC. Then cleared to climb to ???? Ft, and contact dca ATC. Proceeded as cleared. The WX was cavu we were at all times under ATC approval and control and never deviated from our clearance or altitude. In an attempt to give the passenger a not often beautiful view of the area and to please some unhappy passenger I may have in some person's views given the impression of indiscretion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF BOEING 767 UNILATERALLY DEVIATES FROM DISPATCHED RTE FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES.

Narrative: AT TICKET COUNTER SPOKE WITH PAX AND PAX WIFE. TICKET AGENT AND PAX ADVISED ME PAX WAS UPSET REGARDING HAVING AIRLINE CANCEL EARLIER FLT AND RE-BOOKING, ON OUR FLT. ATTEMPTING TO APPEASE PAX I APOLOGIZED AND MENTIONED WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY IT WAS FOR FLYING. TOLD PAX IF ATC COULD APPROVE WE WOULD GO A LITTLE S OF OUR NORMAL RTE AND HE MAY GET A GLIMPSE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY, THE BAY BRIDGE, THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND PERHAPS GIBSON ISLAND WHERE HE LIVES. PAX SEEMED PLEASED. LATER ON BOARD ACFT DURING MY INITIAL WELCOME ABOARD ANNOUNCEMENT ADVISED PAX OF SAME. EARLIER HAD TALKED TO DEP CTL AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR PROPOSAL TO HEAD TOWARD GRACO INTXN IF THEY WERE NOT TOO BUSY. DEP CTL ADVISED NO PROB. AFTER TKOF CONTACTED DEP CTL AND WAS CLRED DIRECT TO GRACO INTXN, MAINTAIN 3000 FT, DEVIATE AS WE LIKED. ABOUT HALF WAY TO GRACO I QUERIED DEP CTL ABOUT THEIR MINIMUM VECTORING ALT FOR OUR AREA JUST TO MAKE CERTAIN WE WERE LEGAL. DEP CTL CLRED US TO DSND TO 2000 FT, INITIATED DSCNT JUST PRIOR TO ABEAM GRACO AND STARTED A TURN TO THE NE. ABOUT THE SAME TIME DEP CTL INQUIRED WHEN WE COULD PROCEED ON COURSE. I ADVISED 3 OR 4 MI (AFTER COMPLETING OUR TURN) OR WHENEVER REQUIRED BY ATC. THEN CLRED TO CLB TO ???? FT, AND CONTACT DCA ATC. PROCEEDED AS CLRED. THE WX WAS CAVU WE WERE AT ALL TIMES UNDER ATC APPROVAL AND CTL AND NEVER DEVIATED FROM OUR CLRNC OR ALT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO GIVE THE PAX A NOT OFTEN BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE AREA AND TO PLEASE SOME UNHAPPY PAX I MAY HAVE IN SOME PERSON'S VIEWS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION OF INDISCRETION.

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.