Narrative:

We were waiting for takeoff on 35L. A line of thunderstorms was moving from west to east toward the airport. Heavy lightning was clearly visible to the west. Aircraft from 35L and 35R were both being vectored to the east away from the storm which delayed takeoff even more. The captain was getting very irritable knowing the airport would probably close soon. Several aircraft (light transport, small transport and mdt) took off as winds were approximately 280 degrees at 15-19 KTS. 2 light transport's then taxied into position on 35L and decided not to takeoff. Rain had begun to fall and winds were approximately 280 degrees at 19 KTS, gusts to 35 KTS. This further aggravated the captain because they wasted time entering and clearing the runway. The captain then got on the radio and informed the tower that we would takeoff. We were cleared into position on 35L. We pulled onto the runway as the rain started falling hard, lightning was close and heavy both east and west of the airport. Winds were reported as 260 or 280 degrees at 29 KTS, gusts to 43 KTS. I asked the captain, 'are you sure you really want to takeoff in this?' we replied, 'yes,' in a gruff tone. The tower then asked if we were sure we wanted to takeoff and the captain said yes. We were cleared for takeoff (we also had a wind shear report of a 20 KT loss on the runway by the last aircraft to depart before us). We started our takeoff roll. I had to turn on the windshield wipers to even see the runway. Directional control was better than I expected. We went slightly left due to WX-vaning or overctl, but basically kept just left of center until rotation. No major turbulence or wind shear were encountered and the rest of the flight was solemn, but uneventful. This takeoff was in WX conditions way beyond my personal limits and I would definitely not have taken off if I had been the PIC. I feel I could have been more forceful in the situation. I did turn on the radar while we were waiting for takeoff and it was obviously just a small line of storms that would have quickly passed over the field. (Apparently they only lasted about 20 mins.) I should have pointed this out. Flts out of stapleton were delayed about 45 mins from this. The captain had a bad case of get homeitis and was in a bad mood due to the ground delays. This was our last leg of the day. My inexperience as an airline first officer (2 months) was another factor which prevented me from taking a stronger position in this situation. In the future, I plan to be more forceful. Also this was the first captain I had encountered at our airline who was willing to put schedule ahead of safety and this caught me somewhat by surprise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT DEPARTS DEN DURING TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: WE WERE WAITING FOR TKOF ON 35L. A LINE OF TSTMS WAS MOVING FROM W TO E TOWARD THE ARPT. HEAVY LIGHTNING WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE TO THE W. ACFT FROM 35L AND 35R WERE BOTH BEING VECTORED TO THE E AWAY FROM THE STORM WHICH DELAYED TKOF EVEN MORE. THE CAPT WAS GETTING VERY IRRITABLE KNOWING THE ARPT WOULD PROBABLY CLOSE SOON. SEVERAL ACFT (LTT, SMT AND MDT) TOOK OFF AS WINDS WERE APPROX 280 DEGS AT 15-19 KTS. 2 LTT'S THEN TAXIED INTO POS ON 35L AND DECIDED NOT TO TKOF. RAIN HAD BEGUN TO FALL AND WINDS WERE APPROX 280 DEGS AT 19 KTS, GUSTS TO 35 KTS. THIS FURTHER AGGRAVATED THE CAPT BECAUSE THEY WASTED TIME ENTERING AND CLRING THE RWY. THE CAPT THEN GOT ON THE RADIO AND INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WOULD TKOF. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS ON 35L. WE PULLED ONTO THE RWY AS THE RAIN STARTED FALLING HARD, LIGHTNING WAS CLOSE AND HEAVY BOTH E AND W OF THE ARPT. WINDS WERE RPTED AS 260 OR 280 DEGS AT 29 KTS, GUSTS TO 43 KTS. I ASKED THE CAPT, 'ARE YOU SURE YOU REALLY WANT TO TKOF IN THIS?' WE REPLIED, 'YES,' IN A GRUFF TONE. THE TWR THEN ASKED IF WE WERE SURE WE WANTED TO TKOF AND THE CAPT SAID YES. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF (WE ALSO HAD A WIND SHEAR RPT OF A 20 KT LOSS ON THE RWY BY THE LAST ACFT TO DEPART BEFORE US). WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. I HAD TO TURN ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO EVEN SEE THE RWY. DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. WE WENT SLIGHTLY LEFT DUE TO WX-VANING OR OVERCTL, BUT BASICALLY KEPT JUST LEFT OF CENTER UNTIL ROTATION. NO MAJOR TURB OR WIND SHEAR WERE ENCOUNTERED AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS SOLEMN, BUT UNEVENTFUL. THIS TKOF WAS IN WX CONDITIONS WAY BEYOND MY PERSONAL LIMITS AND I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE TAKEN OFF IF I HAD BEEN THE PIC. I FEEL I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE FORCEFUL IN THE SITUATION. I DID TURN ON THE RADAR WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR TKOF AND IT WAS OBVIOUSLY JUST A SMALL LINE OF STORMS THAT WOULD HAVE QUICKLY PASSED OVER THE FIELD. (APPARENTLY THEY ONLY LASTED ABOUT 20 MINS.) I SHOULD HAVE POINTED THIS OUT. FLTS OUT OF STAPLETON WERE DELAYED ABOUT 45 MINS FROM THIS. THE CAPT HAD A BAD CASE OF GET HOMEITIS AND WAS IN A BAD MOOD DUE TO THE GND DELAYS. THIS WAS OUR LAST LEG OF THE DAY. MY INEXPERIENCE AS AN AIRLINE F/O (2 MONTHS) WAS ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM TAKING A STRONGER POS IN THIS SITUATION. IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO BE MORE FORCEFUL. ALSO THIS WAS THE FIRST CAPT I HAD ENCOUNTERED AT OUR AIRLINE WHO WAS WILLING TO PUT SCHEDULE AHEAD OF SAFETY AND THIS CAUGHT ME SOMEWHAT BY SURPRISE.

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.