Narrative:

It was the first officer's leg. We were conducting a visibility approach with the ILS as a backup. I contacted cle tower at the marker. They asked if we could hold short of runway 28. I checked the approach plate and advised first officer that we would have 8400'. The second officer confirmed we still met the landing performance data for our weight. We then acknowledged affirmative and cle tower cleared us to land on runway 5R. We kept good speed to the marker and were slowing as we descended on the G/south. At 2 1/2 mi out, the tower asked us to slow to final speed due to a departure on runway 28. I acknowledged. At 500' AGL, with the gear down and flaps at 25 the tower cleared a light twin, a commuter turbo propeller (Y), on to runway 5R for an 'immediate' takeoff. I announced, 'be prepared for a go around.' the first officer, meanwhile, had called for flaps 30 (at 500' AGL) but I delayed for a few seconds as I watched light transport Y taxi on to the runway and begin a lazy acceleration. I then called, 'go around!' several seconds later, the tower also called for us to go around. The following events happened nearly simultaneously: the GPWS began to shout in our ears about flaps too low, etc. The first officer concurrently pushed the thrust levers up, called for go around thrust - flaps 25, and pulled back on the stick. The second officer responded by 'fine tuning' the thrust levers, and announced 'go around thrust set.' I would estimate that we were between 400' and 300' in the air when the first officer established go around pitch with the wings level. The GPWS is still shouting. The tower is saying something but I can't understand. The first officer calls, 'flaps 15.' I see that we have plenty of airspeed, and over 1000 FPM rate of climb so I set the flaps to 15 and (uncommanded) put the gear lever up. I see an air carrier medium large transport Z climbing out on runway 28 directly ahead and at our altitude. I pointed at the medium large transport Z (the first officer nodded) and said 'what did he (tower) say?' neither the first officer or the second officer responded. (They later tell me they said nothing as they could not hear the tower either). I know light transport Y is climbing out directly underneath us and I don't know which way to turn. The GPWS is now shouting in our ears what seems to be its' full vocabulary including 'gear, flaps, terrain, too low, whoop whoop pull up.' the tower is now repeating our missed approach instructions but I still can't hear due to the loudness of the GPWS! I, again, said out loud, 'what did he say?' I saw that we were out climbing the medium large transport Z and that even if we didn't turn we will cross above him, but I don't know where the light twin is. The second officer says, 'all I got was 4000', climb to 4000'.' I set in 4000 in the altitude alerter and attempted to silence the GPWS by pushing on the G/south inhibit button (I later realized how futile that would be, but I was getting desperate to shut the damn thing up). I did not respond to the tower as I knew I was getting only part of the instructions. Finally, at approximately 1000' AGL, the GPWS shut up. The tower repeated the missed approach instructions (for a third time) to immediately turn left to a heading of 320 degrees, and climb to 4000'. I acknowledged the tower's instructions even as the first officer was banking rapidly. We turned inside and above the medium large transport Z. I never did see the light transport Y. Climbing through 3450' MSL, tower switched us to departure who told us to maintain 3000' MSL and turn left to 230 degrees. We had retracted the flaps on schedule and upon calling for flaps up, the first officer called for the after takeoff checklist. We completed a visibility pattern back to runway 5R and landed uneventfully. Suggestion to prevent communication problems: on EFIS retrofitted medium large transport aircraft remove GPWS audio from the audio selector panels and install a dedicated speaker for the GPWS audio.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUDITORY INTERFERENCE FOR EFIS RETROFITTED FRT MLG FLC LEADS TO UNSAFE SITUATION DURING A GO AROUND. GPWS TOO LOUD.

Narrative: IT WAS THE F/O'S LEG. WE WERE CONDUCTING A VIS APCH WITH THE ILS AS A BACKUP. I CONTACTED CLE TWR AT THE MARKER. THEY ASKED IF WE COULD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28. I CHKED THE APCH PLATE AND ADVISED F/O THAT WE WOULD HAVE 8400'. THE S/O CONFIRMED WE STILL MET THE LNDG PERFORMANCE DATA FOR OUR WT. WE THEN ACKNOWLEDGED AFFIRMATIVE AND CLE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 5R. WE KEPT GOOD SPD TO THE MARKER AND WERE SLOWING AS WE DSNDED ON THE G/S. AT 2 1/2 MI OUT, THE TWR ASKED US TO SLOW TO FINAL SPD DUE TO A DEP ON RWY 28. I ACKNOWLEDGED. AT 500' AGL, WITH THE GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS AT 25 THE TWR CLRED A LIGHT TWIN, A COMMUTER TURBO PROP (Y), ON TO RWY 5R FOR AN 'IMMEDIATE' TKOF. I ANNOUNCED, 'BE PREPARED FOR A GAR.' THE F/O, MEANWHILE, HAD CALLED FOR FLAPS 30 (AT 500' AGL) BUT I DELAYED FOR A FEW SECS AS I WATCHED LTT Y TAXI ON TO THE RWY AND BEGIN A LAZY ACCELERATION. I THEN CALLED, 'GO AROUND!' SEVERAL SECS LATER, THE TWR ALSO CALLED FOR US TO GO AROUND. THE FOLLOWING EVENTS HAPPENED NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY: THE GPWS BEGAN TO SHOUT IN OUR EARS ABOUT FLAPS TOO LOW, ETC. THE F/O CONCURRENTLY PUSHED THE THRUST LEVERS UP, CALLED FOR GO AROUND THRUST - FLAPS 25, AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK. THE S/O RESPONDED BY 'FINE TUNING' THE THRUST LEVERS, AND ANNOUNCED 'GO AROUND THRUST SET.' I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE BTWN 400' AND 300' IN THE AIR WHEN THE F/O ESTABLISHED GO AROUND PITCH WITH THE WINGS LEVEL. THE GPWS IS STILL SHOUTING. THE TWR IS SAYING SOMETHING BUT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND. THE F/O CALLS, 'FLAPS 15.' I SEE THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF AIRSPD, AND OVER 1000 FPM RATE OF CLB SO I SET THE FLAPS TO 15 AND (UNCOMMANDED) PUT THE GEAR LEVER UP. I SEE AN ACR MLG Z CLBING OUT ON RWY 28 DIRECTLY AHEAD AND AT OUR ALT. I POINTED AT THE MLG Z (THE F/O NODDED) AND SAID 'WHAT DID HE (TWR) SAY?' NEITHER THE F/O OR THE S/O RESPONDED. (THEY LATER TELL ME THEY SAID NOTHING AS THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE TWR EITHER). I KNOW LTT Y IS CLBING OUT DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH US AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN. THE GPWS IS NOW SHOUTING IN OUR EARS WHAT SEEMS TO BE ITS' FULL VOCABULARY INCLUDING 'GEAR, FLAPS, TERRAIN, TOO LOW, WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP.' THE TWR IS NOW REPEATING OUR MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS BUT I STILL CAN'T HEAR DUE TO THE LOUDNESS OF THE GPWS! I, AGAIN, SAID OUT LOUD, 'WHAT DID HE SAY?' I SAW THAT WE WERE OUT CLBING THE MLG Z AND THAT EVEN IF WE DIDN'T TURN WE WILL CROSS ABOVE HIM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LIGHT TWIN IS. THE S/O SAYS, 'ALL I GOT WAS 4000', CLB TO 4000'.' I SET IN 4000 IN THE ALT ALERTER AND ATTEMPTED TO SILENCE THE GPWS BY PUSHING ON THE G/S INHIBIT BUTTON (I LATER REALIZED HOW FUTILE THAT WOULD BE, BUT I WAS GETTING DESPERATE TO SHUT THE DAMN THING UP). I DID NOT RESPOND TO THE TWR AS I KNEW I WAS GETTING ONLY PART OF THE INSTRUCTIONS. FINALLY, AT APPROX 1000' AGL, THE GPWS SHUT UP. THE TWR REPEATED THE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS (FOR A THIRD TIME) TO IMMEDIATELY TURN L TO A HDG OF 320 DEGS, AND CLB TO 4000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS EVEN AS THE F/O WAS BANKING RAPIDLY. WE TURNED INSIDE AND ABOVE THE MLG Z. I NEVER DID SEE THE LTT Y. CLBING THROUGH 3450' MSL, TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP WHO TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3000' MSL AND TURN L TO 230 DEGS. WE HAD RETRACTED THE FLAPS ON SCHEDULE AND UPON CALLING FOR FLAPS UP, THE F/O CALLED FOR THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. WE COMPLETED A VIS PATTERN BACK TO RWY 5R AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. SUGGESTION TO PREVENT COM PROBS: ON EFIS RETROFITTED MLG ACFT REMOVE GPWS AUDIO FROM THE AUDIO SELECTOR PANELS AND INSTALL A DEDICATED SPEAKER FOR THE GPWS AUDIO.

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.