Narrative:

Trip segment sfo-ord, reserve-built trip. The captain, first officer, and I were all new to this aircraft. I had 1 1/2 months and the first officer had 4 months on the airplane. The captain had 2 months on the airplane, part of which included an extended vacation just after he completed training. Both pilots had previously flown 3-ENGINE large transport's. I am new to the company (i.e., no previous turbojet experience). We had just switched over to ord approach frequency when the captain (PNF) asked for an ILS. Since ord was shooting visuals, the controller asked 'why in the world do you want an ILS??' the captain replied 'operational', and the controller said 'I don't understand your request, stand by.' we were then cleared to 6000' and vectored far east over lake michigan. We had numerous targets to watch among the clouds and numerous vectors to comply with. Approach then vectored us onto 27R final approach and cleared us down to 5000'. I was extremely busy watching traffic, listening to approach, monitoring the captain and first officer (he nearly busted altitude twice), and monitoring aircraft systems. At 16 mi out, we were vectored off course, brought back around, descended to 4000', and cleared for the ILS. Before switching us to tower, approach gave us a phone # to call. This caused a brief bout of confusion. What did we do wrong? It took extra effort to block this out of my mind. (The captain phoned later, they just wanted to know if we were 'campaigning'.) at 1000' radio altitude, the GPWS gave a single 'pull-up' warning. I quickly looked at all the parameters, descent rate, gear down and locked, landing flaps, but everything was normal. Again, momentary confusion ensued, but the approach was continued. We got 3 more warnings at 500', 100', and 10' which the captain couldn't silence. The touchdown was normal, to my immense relief. This entire scenario lasted approximately 15 mins. Due to the type of flying in this aircraft, long legs with few takeoffs and lndgs, it takes at least 2 months of reserve flying to gain a comfortable routine. The pilots were making mistakes which greatly increased my own workload. Since they couldn't back me up, I made sure to triple-check everything I did, besides double-checking everything they did. The practice of pairing inexperienced crew members is unsafe. The strongest feature of this crew was that we got along very well and had no trouble communicating. Newly trained pilots should be paired with experienced crew members for their first 2 months of line flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB EXPERIENCES FALSE GPWS WARNINGS ON APCH.

Narrative: TRIP SEGMENT SFO-ORD, RESERVE-BUILT TRIP. THE CAPT, F/O, AND I WERE ALL NEW TO THIS ACFT. I HAD 1 1/2 MONTHS AND THE F/O HAD 4 MONTHS ON THE AIRPLANE. THE CAPT HAD 2 MONTHS ON THE AIRPLANE, PART OF WHICH INCLUDED AN EXTENDED VACATION JUST AFTER HE COMPLETED TRAINING. BOTH PLTS HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN 3-ENGINE LGT'S. I AM NEW TO THE COMPANY (I.E., NO PREVIOUS TURBOJET EXPERIENCE). WE HAD JUST SWITCHED OVER TO ORD APCH FREQ WHEN THE CAPT (PNF) ASKED FOR AN ILS. SINCE ORD WAS SHOOTING VISUALS, THE CTLR ASKED 'WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU WANT AN ILS??' THE CAPT REPLIED 'OPERATIONAL', AND THE CTLR SAID 'I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUEST, STAND BY.' WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 6000' AND VECTORED FAR E OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. WE HAD NUMEROUS TARGETS TO WATCH AMONG THE CLOUDS AND NUMEROUS VECTORS TO COMPLY WITH. APCH THEN VECTORED US ONTO 27R FINAL APCH AND CLRED US DOWN TO 5000'. I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WATCHING TFC, LISTENING TO APCH, MONITORING THE CAPT AND F/O (HE NEARLY BUSTED ALT TWICE), AND MONITORING ACFT SYSTEMS. AT 16 MI OUT, WE WERE VECTORED OFF COURSE, BROUGHT BACK AROUND, DESCENDED TO 4000', AND CLRED FOR THE ILS. BEFORE SWITCHING US TO TWR, APCH GAVE US A PHONE # TO CALL. THIS CAUSED A BRIEF BOUT OF CONFUSION. WHAT DID WE DO WRONG? IT TOOK EXTRA EFFORT TO BLOCK THIS OUT OF MY MIND. (THE CAPT PHONED LATER, THEY JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE 'CAMPAIGNING'.) AT 1000' RADIO ALT, THE GPWS GAVE A SINGLE 'PULL-UP' WARNING. I QUICKLY LOOKED AT ALL THE PARAMETERS, DSCNT RATE, GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, LNDG FLAPS, BUT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. AGAIN, MOMENTARY CONFUSION ENSUED, BUT THE APCH WAS CONTINUED. WE GOT 3 MORE WARNINGS AT 500', 100', AND 10' WHICH THE CAPT COULDN'T SILENCE. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL, TO MY IMMENSE RELIEF. THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO LASTED APPROX 15 MINS. DUE TO THE TYPE OF FLYING IN THIS ACFT, LONG LEGS WITH FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS, IT TAKES AT LEAST 2 MONTHS OF RESERVE FLYING TO GAIN A COMFORTABLE ROUTINE. THE PLTS WERE MAKING MISTAKES WHICH GREATLY INCREASED MY OWN WORKLOAD. SINCE THEY COULDN'T BACK ME UP, I MADE SURE TO TRIPLE-CHECK EVERYTHING I DID, BESIDES DOUBLE-CHECKING EVERYTHING THEY DID. THE PRACTICE OF PAIRING INEXPERIENCED CREW MEMBERS IS UNSAFE. THE STRONGEST FEATURE OF THIS CREW WAS THAT WE GOT ALONG VERY WELL AND HAD NO TROUBLE COMMUNICATING. NEWLY TRAINED PLTS SHOULD BE PAIRED WITH EXPERIENCED CREW MEMBERS FOR THEIR FIRST 2 MONTHS OF LINE FLYING.

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.