Narrative:

This flight was the third of three for the day and the end of a 3 day trip. As the captain and I had finished all of our preflight planning and viewing of the radar in station operations, we were just sitting in the cockpit waiting for the passenger to board. Looking out my window, I saw the WX deteriorating to the west. The captain coordinated, through station operations and departure control, the best route around the building WX. We blocked out early so we could 'beat' the WX. As we were going to runway 14R, the winds shifted (#1 clue) to favor a runway 18 departure. We taxied out and were primed to go. The tower queried us as to whether we wanted to 'take a look' at the WX and the runway (clue #2). We had viewed it on the radar as we taxied out and decided we could 'press' (#3 clue). As we were rolling down the runway, the gust front overtook the field and required almost full rudder input to maintain runway centerline. Once we got airborne, I had to fight with the aircraft to maintain control. We experienced a gaining performance shear. The rest of the flight was uneventful except for the continuous conversation between both pilots as to how we got into the situation and how to prevent this in the future. We were definitely in the 'go' mode. We should have taken a much more restrained view towards the takeoff, read the clues and constantly reevaluated the 'threat.' had we done this, I believe we would have waited for the WX to pass and had an uneventful takeoff with much less risk to our passenger and ourselves.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW RETHINKS THE ADVISABILITY OF TAKING OFF INTO APCHING STORM GUST FRONT.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS THE THIRD OF THREE FOR THE DAY AND THE END OF A 3 DAY TRIP. AS THE CAPT AND I HAD FINISHED ALL OF OUR PREFLT PLANNING AND VIEWING OF THE RADAR IN STATION OPS, WE WERE JUST SITTING IN THE COCKPIT WAITING FOR THE PAX TO BOARD. LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW, I SAW THE WX DETERIORATING TO THE W. THE CAPT COORDINATED, THROUGH STATION OPS AND DEP CTL, THE BEST RTE AROUND THE BUILDING WX. WE BLOCKED OUT EARLY SO WE COULD 'BEAT' THE WX. AS WE WERE GOING TO RWY 14R, THE WINDS SHIFTED (#1 CLUE) TO FAVOR A RWY 18 DEP. WE TAXIED OUT AND WERE PRIMED TO GO. THE TWR QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER WE WANTED TO 'TAKE A LOOK' AT THE WX AND THE RWY (CLUE #2). WE HAD VIEWED IT ON THE RADAR AS WE TAXIED OUT AND DECIDED WE COULD 'PRESS' (#3 CLUE). AS WE WERE ROLLING DOWN THE RWY, THE GUST FRONT OVERTOOK THE FIELD AND REQUIRED ALMOST FULL RUDDER INPUT TO MAINTAIN RWY CTRLINE. ONCE WE GOT AIRBORNE, I HAD TO FIGHT WITH THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN CTL. WE EXPERIENCED A GAINING PERFORMANCE SHEAR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR THE CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION BTWN BOTH PLTS AS TO HOW WE GOT INTO THE SIT AND HOW TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. WE WERE DEFINITELY IN THE 'GO' MODE. WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A MUCH MORE RESTRAINED VIEW TOWARDS THE TKOF, READ THE CLUES AND CONSTANTLY REEVALUATED THE 'THREAT.' HAD WE DONE THIS, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE WX TO PASS AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF WITH MUCH LESS RISK TO OUR PAX AND OURSELVES.

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.