Narrative:

The captain, on his final leg before retirement, asked for and received a non-standard departure clearance for a closer look at waikiki beach. I voiced my opposition strongly several times in operations and before departure. Although, to the best of my knowledge, no FARS were broken, the departure resulted in a large power reduction at approximately 700 or 800 ft and a slower than normal rate of climb. Several of the flight attendants interpreted this as unsafe and promised to report the incident. This should be a good one for the cockpit resource management guys. Supplemental information from acn 312082: given clearance to turn right to heading of 120 degrees after takeoff. Made slow climb out with no restrs of rate of climb given. Aircraft was at least 1 mi offshore at all times. Callback conversation with reporter from acn #312082 revealed the following information: the reporter asked permission, and this was granted, to make a slow climb out and stay a little bit inside of the normal departure route. He flew over magic island, but was well outside of waikiki beach and diamond head. There were no complaints from the first officer, flight engineer, or any of the passenger. One of the cabin attendants was apparently frightened. The reporter received an 'loi' notice, then a letter from the hnl FSDO stating that there was no violation and the matter was closed. 'For some reason,' there were no altitude readouts on the early part of the trip.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETIRING CAPT BUZZES WAIKIKI BEACH.

Narrative: THE CAPT, ON HIS FINAL LEG BEFORE RETIREMENT, ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A NON-STANDARD DEP CLRNC FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT WAIKIKI BEACH. I VOICED MY OPPOSITION STRONGLY SEVERAL TIMES IN OPS AND BEFORE DEP. ALTHOUGH, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NO FARS WERE BROKEN, THE DEP RESULTED IN A LARGE PWR REDUCTION AT APPROX 700 OR 800 FT AND A SLOWER THAN NORMAL RATE OF CLB. SEVERAL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS INTERPRETED THIS AS UNSAFE AND PROMISED TO RPT THE INCIDENT. THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE FOR THE COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT GUYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312082: GIVEN CLRNC TO TURN R TO HDG OF 120 DEGS AFTER TKOF. MADE SLOW CLBOUT WITH NO RESTRS OF RATE OF CLB GIVEN. ACFT WAS AT LEAST 1 MI OFFSHORE AT ALL TIMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR FROM ACN #312082 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ASKED PERMISSION, AND THIS WAS GRANTED, TO MAKE A SLOW CLBOUT AND STAY A LITTLE BIT INSIDE OF THE NORMAL DEP RTE. HE FLEW OVER MAGIC ISLAND, BUT WAS WELL OUTSIDE OF WAIKIKI BEACH AND DIAMOND HEAD. THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS FROM THE FO, FE, OR ANY OF THE PAX. ONE OF THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WAS APPARENTLY FRIGHTENED. THE RPTR RECEIVED AN 'LOI' NOTICE, THEN A LETTER FROM THE HNL FSDO STATING THAT THERE WAS NO VIOLATION AND THE MATTER WAS CLOSED. 'FOR SOME REASON,' THERE WERE NO ALT READOUTS ON THE EARLY PART OF THE TRIP.

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.