Narrative:

We took off to sitka, ak (situation), via the marmn 2 departure with rodmn transition and from there cleared via the croww 2 arrival for the rwp runway 11 approach. Shortly after being established on R1022, ATC advised to hold for a medivac aircraft inbound to situation. Captain selected the present position in the hold function of the FMC. At that point, my guess would be that we were 1/2 way between marmn and rodmn. We went once around the hold and were told, 'you are cleared to situation via direct hawrd and the remainder of the rwp to runway 11. At that point we were at 16000 ft and the captain selected direct hawrd intersection. I checked the mora for our position and selected it. As we approached abeam rodmn, ATC advised to call them over rodmn. I replied that we had been cleared directly to hawrd. There was no reply, and the captain typed in rodmn in the FMC and we made a 90 degree right turn to put ourselves right over it. As we approached 10000 ft per our checklist we preselected zero ft in the MCP altitude window. The descent page and ehsi showed us slightly above ideal flight path. Approximately 2 mi prior to halex around 3000 ft, we heard 'terrain, terrain, pull up, pull up.' without any hesitation, the captain applied maximum power and pitched up and pressed toga switch (even though it did not give him guidance since we were above 2000 ft). After the alert went away, we were able to reconfigure the aircraft so as to put us back on the profile of the approach. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. I think the controller should have cleared directly to rodmn then via the croww 2 arrival to the rwp 11 in situation. The leg segment being so short and the workload so high, we failed to notice this requirement. Also, I find it awkward to see an IAF on an arrival plate and yet this IAF is not published on the situation rwp runway 11 approach. That might have also helped in the matter. The anp during our flight was 0.06 NM and the altimeter setting 29.44. According to our map we were right on course. I don't know what might have triggered the GPWS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 GPWS ALERT AND ESCAPE MANEUVER NEAR SIT, AK.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF TO SITKA, AK (SIT), VIA THE MARMN 2 DEP WITH RODMN TRANSITION AND FROM THERE CLRED VIA THE CROWW 2 ARR FOR THE RWP RWY 11 APCH. SHORTLY AFTER BEING ESTABLISHED ON R1022, ATC ADVISED TO HOLD FOR A MEDIVAC ACFT INBOUND TO SIT. CAPT SELECTED THE PRESENT POS IN THE HOLD FUNCTION OF THE FMC. AT THAT POINT, MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT WE WERE 1/2 WAY BTWN MARMN AND RODMN. WE WENT ONCE AROUND THE HOLD AND WERE TOLD, 'YOU ARE CLRED TO SIT VIA DIRECT HAWRD AND THE REMAINDER OF THE RWP TO RWY 11. AT THAT POINT WE WERE AT 16000 FT AND THE CAPT SELECTED DIRECT HAWRD INTXN. I CHKED THE MORA FOR OUR POS AND SELECTED IT. AS WE APCHED ABEAM RODMN, ATC ADVISED TO CALL THEM OVER RODMN. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECTLY TO HAWRD. THERE WAS NO REPLY, AND THE CAPT TYPED IN RODMN IN THE FMC AND WE MADE A 90 DEG R TURN TO PUT OURSELVES RIGHT OVER IT. AS WE APCHED 10000 FT PER OUR CHKLIST WE PRESELECTED ZERO FT IN THE MCP ALT WINDOW. THE DSCNT PAGE AND EHSI SHOWED US SLIGHTLY ABOVE IDEAL FLT PATH. APPROX 2 MI PRIOR TO HALEX AROUND 3000 FT, WE HEARD 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP, PULL UP.' WITHOUT ANY HESITATION, THE CAPT APPLIED MAX PWR AND PITCHED UP AND PRESSED TOGA SWITCH (EVEN THOUGH IT DID NOT GIVE HIM GUIDANCE SINCE WE WERE ABOVE 2000 FT). AFTER THE ALERT WENT AWAY, WE WERE ABLE TO RECONFIGURE THE ACFT SO AS TO PUT US BACK ON THE PROFILE OF THE APCH. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I THINK THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE CLRED DIRECTLY TO RODMN THEN VIA THE CROWW 2 ARR TO THE RWP 11 IN SIT. THE LEG SEGMENT BEING SO SHORT AND THE WORKLOAD SO HIGH, WE FAILED TO NOTICE THIS REQUIREMENT. ALSO, I FIND IT AWKWARD TO SEE AN IAF ON AN ARR PLATE AND YET THIS IAF IS NOT PUBLISHED ON THE SIT RWP RWY 11 APCH. THAT MIGHT HAVE ALSO HELPED IN THE MATTER. THE ANP DURING OUR FLT WAS 0.06 NM AND THE ALTIMETER SETTING 29.44. ACCORDING TO OUR MAP WE WERE RIGHT ON COURSE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAVE TRIGGERED THE GPWS.

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.