Narrative:

At 4000 ft while receiving vectors for an approach into morgantown, wv, in IMC, we heard an aural alert. It was our GPWS warning of 'terrain.' we simultaneously climbed and told approach frequency we were climbing because of a GPWS warning. He had no problem with that. In IMC we can't take chances that our GPWS is functioning properly or not, and we can't wait for approval to climb after receiving such a warning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROX OF GND NOTED BY SF34 GPWS. CREW EXECUTED A GPWS ESCAPE MANEUVER WITH AN EMER MAX RATE CLB UNTIL THE WARNING STOPPED.

Narrative: AT 4000 FT WHILE RECEIVING VECTORS FOR AN APCH INTO MORGANTOWN, WV, IN IMC, WE HEARD AN AURAL ALERT. IT WAS OUR GPWS WARNING OF 'TERRAIN.' WE SIMULTANEOUSLY CLBED AND TOLD APCH FREQ WE WERE CLBING BECAUSE OF A GPWS WARNING. HE HAD NO PROB WITH THAT. IN IMC WE CAN'T TAKE CHANCES THAT OUR GPWS IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY OR NOT, AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR APPROVAL TO CLB AFTER RECEIVING SUCH A WARNING.

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.