Widebody transport flight crew encountered heavy rain just after takeoff. Deviated, advised tower.

Attributes
ACN	120628
Time
Date	198908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpe
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tpe
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	120628
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff in light to moderate rain a cell of heavy rain developed between 10-12:30 O'clock. Tower was advised and an immediate right turn was started. At this time, tower advised, 'contact departure control.' departure wanted heading and altitude, advised us to level 4000', and said we were 'very close' to another aircraft. No further action required. I don't think much can be done to prevent situations such as this, because that cell activity was changing so rapidly that people in the tower were not aware of the intensity of the cells. A delay of takeoff did not seem warranted at the start of takeoff, from what I observed on my radar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLT CREW ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN JUST AFTER TKOF. DEVIATED, ADVISED TWR.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF IN LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN A CELL OF HVY RAIN DEVELOPED BTWN 10-12:30 O'CLOCK. TWR WAS ADVISED AND AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN WAS STARTED. AT THIS TIME, TWR ADVISED, 'CONTACT DEP CTL.' DEP WANTED HDG AND ALT, ADVISED US TO LEVEL 4000', AND SAID WE WERE 'VERY CLOSE' TO ANOTHER ACFT. NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED. I DON'T THINK MUCH CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT SITUATIONS SUCH AS THIS, BECAUSE THAT CELL ACTIVITY WAS CHANGING SO RAPIDLY THAT PEOPLE IN THE TWR WERE NOT AWARE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE CELLS. A DELAY OF TKOF DID NOT SEEM WARRANTED AT THE START OF TKOF, FROM WHAT I OBSERVED ON MY RADAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.