B737 pilot may have deviated from SID to 'go sightseeing.'

Attributes
ACN	411980
Time
Date	199808
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	411980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As we taxied onto runway 1L at sfo, we told tower we were requesting a 'bay tour' departure. Tower cleared us for takeoff and said he would pass our request on to departure. Upon contacting bay departure, the first officer again requested a bay tour. Bay departure responded by clearing us to 3000 ft, adding that we would probably have to climb to 4000 ft. I continued to fly the bay tour. At about 6 DME, bay departure gave me some routing instructions and told me to climb to 4000 ft. As we passed the golden gate bridge, we were cleared to FL230. We asked for a heading to join the porte departure and were cleared directly to porte. Now here's the catch. The words 'cleared for the bay tour' were never transmitted to us. Without hearing this phrase, I should have either turned to 200 degrees at 4 DME or asked for verification that we were cleared for the bay tour prior to 4 DME. Although departure never indicated that there was any problem, I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that I should have verified the clearance. In the future, I certainly will!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PLT MAY HAVE DEVIATED FROM SID TO 'GO SIGHTSEEING.'

Narrative: AS WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 1L AT SFO, WE TOLD TWR WE WERE REQUESTING A 'BAY TOUR' DEP. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND SAID HE WOULD PASS OUR REQUEST ON TO DEP. UPON CONTACTING BAY DEP, THE FO AGAIN REQUESTED A BAY TOUR. BAY DEP RESPONDED BY CLRING US TO 3000 FT, ADDING THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO CLB TO 4000 FT. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE BAY TOUR. AT ABOUT 6 DME, BAY DEP GAVE ME SOME ROUTING INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD ME TO CLB TO 4000 FT. AS WE PASSED THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. WE ASKED FOR A HDG TO JOIN THE PORTE DEP AND WERE CLRED DIRECTLY TO PORTE. NOW HERE'S THE CATCH. THE WORDS 'CLRED FOR THE BAY TOUR' WERE NEVER XMITTED TO US. WITHOUT HEARING THIS PHRASE, I SHOULD HAVE EITHER TURNED TO 200 DEGS AT 4 DME OR ASKED FOR VERIFICATION THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE BAY TOUR PRIOR TO 4 DME. ALTHOUGH DEP NEVER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS ANY PROB, I GOT THAT SICK FEELING IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH KNOWING THAT I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THE CLRNC. IN THE FUTURE, I CERTAINLY WILL!

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.