Narrative:

A line of thunderstorms oriented northeast to southwest lay southeast of the airport, essentially stopping all departures as no one elected to depart through them. Bwi ASR 9 showed the storms to be of level fire intensity with a few holes in between. Widebody transport requested departure and was put into position on runway 15R to look at the X. The first fix on the route was to a point 180 degrees from bwi, and south of the line of thunderstorms. The pilot looked at the WX and told the tower he saw a hole he could go through and there would be no problem going on course. I, as the departure controller, released the flight. Widebody transport departed and immediately started deviating, eventually to a point 70 mi off course when he left my scope. Several other flts, holding north of the WX were affected, as they had to be moved out of widebody transport's way. When asked why he told the tower he would go on course and did not, the pilot basically said that it was just a ploy to be released, knowing that once airborne he could pick his way around the WX. This created an unsafe situation as traffic was compacted already due to being stuck north of the WX, and practically all holding altitudes were taken. In summary, what I encountered was a supposedly professional flight crew lying to get airborne, knowing they would not do what they had said they would. By doing so, they endangered their aircraft as well as other flts already airborne.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING ACFT THAT HAD TO DEVIATE DUE TO ADVERSE WX CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR THE ATC SYSTEM.

Narrative: A LINE OF TSTMS ORIENTED NE TO SW LAY SE OF THE ARPT, ESSENTIALLY STOPPING ALL DEPS AS NO ONE ELECTED TO DEPART THROUGH THEM. BWI ASR 9 SHOWED THE STORMS TO BE OF LEVEL FIRE INTENSITY WITH A FEW HOLES IN BTWN. WDB REQUESTED DEP AND WAS PUT INTO POS ON RWY 15R TO LOOK AT THE X. THE FIRST FIX ON THE RTE WAS TO A POINT 180 DEGS FROM BWI, AND S OF THE LINE OF TSTMS. THE PLT LOOKED AT THE WX AND TOLD THE TWR HE SAW A HOLE HE COULD GO THROUGH AND THERE WOULD BE NO PROB GOING ON COURSE. I, AS THE DEP CTLR, RELEASED THE FLT. WDB DEPARTED AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED DEVIATING, EVENTUALLY TO A POINT 70 MI OFF COURSE WHEN HE LEFT MY SCOPE. SEVERAL OTHER FLTS, HOLDING N OF THE WX WERE AFFECTED, AS THEY HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF WDB'S WAY. WHEN ASKED WHY HE TOLD THE TWR HE WOULD GO ON COURSE AND DID NOT, THE PLT BASICALLY SAID THAT IT WAS JUST A PLOY TO BE RELEASED, KNOWING THAT ONCE AIRBORNE HE COULD PICK HIS WAY AROUND THE WX. THIS CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION AS TFC WAS COMPACTED ALREADY DUE TO BEING STUCK N OF THE WX, AND PRACTICALLY ALL HOLDING ALTS WERE TAKEN. IN SUMMARY, WHAT I ENCOUNTERED WAS A SUPPOSEDLY PROFESSIONAL FLT CREW LYING TO GET AIRBORNE, KNOWING THEY WOULD NOT DO WHAT THEY HAD SAID THEY WOULD. BY DOING SO, THEY ENDANGERED THEIR ACFT AS WELL AS OTHER FLTS ALREADY AIRBORNE.

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.