Narrative:

We were cleared to takeoff sfo runway 01 and to turn to a heading of 350 degrees. Shortly after takeoff and contacting departure. We were told to maintain 3000' because of traffic at 4000'. While at 3000' we were given new heading of 180 degrees. We were on this heading for approximately 3 mins when terrain warning went off on GPWS. Throttles were advanced and immediate climb begun simultaneous with clearance to 7000'. GPWS remained activated until approximately 3300'. It appears that a GPWS will go off if approximately 1000' above sharply rising terrain. On the sfo approach chart, such terrain exists northwest of the airport and is in all probability what we went over. Since this is more than likely a normal GPWS occurrence, a warning should be printed on sfo approach charts stating that if at minimum sector altitude (in this case 3100'), GPWS might activate when passing over this hill. Such a warning is printed on our 'T' pages for nairobi airport. Exact reading follows: 'if radar vectored south of gg NDB at 9100' expect GPWS activation due to 8074' terrain approximately 3 NM south of gg NDB.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GPWS ACTIVATED ON ACR WDB DURING SID WITH RADAR VECTORS FROM OAK TRACON.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TKOF SFO RWY 01 AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND CONTACTING DEP. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 3000' BECAUSE OF TFC AT 4000'. WHILE AT 3000' WE WERE GIVEN NEW HDG OF 180 DEGS. WE WERE ON THIS HDG FOR APPROX 3 MINS WHEN TERRAIN WARNING WENT OFF ON GPWS. THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED AND IMMEDIATE CLB BEGUN SIMULTANEOUS WITH CLRNC TO 7000'. GPWS REMAINED ACTIVATED UNTIL APPROX 3300'. IT APPEARS THAT A GPWS WILL GO OFF IF APPROX 1000' ABOVE SHARPLY RISING TERRAIN. ON THE SFO APCH CHART, SUCH TERRAIN EXISTS NW OF THE ARPT AND IS IN ALL PROBABILITY WHAT WE WENT OVER. SINCE THIS IS MORE THAN LIKELY A NORMAL GPWS OCCURRENCE, A WARNING SHOULD BE PRINTED ON SFO APCH CHARTS STATING THAT IF AT MINIMUM SECTOR ALT (IN THIS CASE 3100'), GPWS MIGHT ACTIVATE WHEN PASSING OVER THIS HILL. SUCH A WARNING IS PRINTED ON OUR 'T' PAGES FOR NAIROBI ARPT. EXACT READING FOLLOWS: 'IF RADAR VECTORED S OF GG NDB AT 9100' EXPECT GPWS ACTIVATION DUE TO 8074' TERRAIN APPROX 3 NM S OF GG NDB.'

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.