Narrative:

Aur VOR has been moved. Our air carrier not yet authority/authorized to do the new approach procedures. At night the wind is often from the north at gua. We cannot do tailwind lndgs there. Only usable approachs for us are for runway 19 circle to land runway 1. Due to terrain we must circle west. We need 1000 ft and 4.8 KM to circle. We thoroughly briefed approach, captain flying. WX was 5.0 KM and 2500 ft broken with a lower unrpted scattered layer. Due to terrain west of field we decided to keep downwind within 3 mi. On downwind at 1000 ft, we were all looking outside trying to keep the runway in sight and hills in view. I began an unintentional, but legal, slight descent to 800 ft, and we got GPWS mode 2A terrain warning. Recovery executed and warning stopped at 1200 ft. We continued circling and landed. The runway is difficult to keep in sight because of limited approach lights. This was my most uncomfortable and likely least safe few mins of flying in 13.5 yrs and I do not think that we should be doing night circling approachs in mountainous terrain to high elevation airports. If you circle at a higher and safer altitude, there is not much room to descend to land due to terrain and you need even more visibility to keep runway in sight farther out. Here 2000 ft is probably as high as you can go, but would need 6-7 mi visibility. Even though we had 5 KM visibility, it appeared to be more in-flight. Even with greater visibility and a 3 man crew we still were uncomfortable. I go there 3 more times this month and will not circle unless the WX is much better. We need the new approach procedures as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC ATTEMPTING A NIGHT CIRCLING APCH INTO A HIGH ALT ARPT SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS GETS A GPWS TERRAIN WARNING WHEN THE CAPT DSNDS SLIGHTLY WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THE RWY IN SIGHT.

Narrative: AUR VOR HAS BEEN MOVED. OUR ACR NOT YET AUTH TO DO THE NEW APCH PROCS. AT NIGHT THE WIND IS OFTEN FROM THE N AT GUA. WE CANNOT DO TAILWIND LNDGS THERE. ONLY USABLE APCHS FOR US ARE FOR RWY 19 CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 1. DUE TO TERRAIN WE MUST CIRCLE W. WE NEED 1000 FT AND 4.8 KM TO CIRCLE. WE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED APCH, CAPT FLYING. WX WAS 5.0 KM AND 2500 FT BROKEN WITH A LOWER UNRPTED SCATTERED LAYER. DUE TO TERRAIN W OF FIELD WE DECIDED TO KEEP DOWNWIND WITHIN 3 MI. ON DOWNWIND AT 1000 FT, WE WERE ALL LOOKING OUTSIDE TRYING TO KEEP THE RWY IN SIGHT AND HILLS IN VIEW. I BEGAN AN UNINTENTIONAL, BUT LEGAL, SLIGHT DSCNT TO 800 FT, AND WE GOT GPWS MODE 2A TERRAIN WARNING. RECOVERY EXECUTED AND WARNING STOPPED AT 1200 FT. WE CONTINUED CIRCLING AND LANDED. THE RWY IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IN SIGHT BECAUSE OF LIMITED APCH LIGHTS. THIS WAS MY MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND LIKELY LEAST SAFE FEW MINS OF FLYING IN 13.5 YRS AND I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING NIGHT CIRCLING APCHS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO HIGH ELEVATION ARPTS. IF YOU CIRCLE AT A HIGHER AND SAFER ALT, THERE IS NOT MUCH ROOM TO DSND TO LAND DUE TO TERRAIN AND YOU NEED EVEN MORE VISIBILITY TO KEEP RWY IN SIGHT FARTHER OUT. HERE 2000 FT IS PROBABLY AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GO, BUT WOULD NEED 6-7 MI VISIBILITY. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD 5 KM VISIBILITY, IT APPEARED TO BE MORE INFLT. EVEN WITH GREATER VISIBILITY AND A 3 MAN CREW WE STILL WERE UNCOMFORTABLE. I GO THERE 3 MORE TIMES THIS MONTH AND WILL NOT CIRCLE UNLESS THE WX IS MUCH BETTER. WE NEED THE NEW APCH PROCS ASAP.

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.