Narrative:

While captain was trying to call company operations for gate assignment (aircraft at 14000 ft and about 40-50 mi from airport), first officer responded to the approach clearance he thought was to descend to 10000 ft from 14000 ft. At about 25 mi from tus, approach control told crew they should be at 11000 ft. As first officer started an immediate climb, the GPWS gave one 'terrain' call. The controller cleared us to 6000 ft about 1 min after reaching 11000 ft. Although the crew was fatigued from a long day, a potential problem always exists when one (PF) is doing the flying and ATC radio work, while the PNF is using another radio. Much of this problem is eliminated on the new generation aircraft where information, such as gate assignments, are received well in advance by electronic ACARS. Supplemental information from acn 578112: approximately 25 mi east of tus, captain was on #2 radio talking to company. Received clearance from approach control to descend to what I thought was 10000 ft. Read back clearance as 'cleared to 10000 ft.' set in altitude and advised captain when he returned to frequency. Workload got high as we requested runway 29R instead of runway 11L. I was worried I would be too high on approach -- company page had note regarding high/unstable approachs due to terrain east of airport. About that time, approach control queried us on altitude, and said we were supposed to be at 11000 ft. We received GPWS terrain warning. Received only 1 'terrain, terrain' aural warning. I looked at radar altimeter and did not note any indication. Started immediate climb to 11000 ft, and complied with turn to heading assigned by approach control. Shortly thereafter, cleared to 6000 ft. Later cleared for visual approach and landed without further incident. In retrospect, should have been more aware of terrain height (minimum safe altitudes on approach plate) and queried clearance to 10000 ft. Would help to have digital ATIS information and ability to give company information through ACARS so that monitoring pilot is not off frequency.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD A GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING, AT THE SAME TIME THE APCH CTLR ADVISED THEM THEY WERE TOO LOW.

Narrative: WHILE CAPT WAS TRYING TO CALL COMPANY OPS FOR GATE ASSIGNMENT (ACFT AT 14000 FT AND ABOUT 40-50 MI FROM ARPT), FO RESPONDED TO THE APCH CLRNC HE THOUGHT WAS TO DSND TO 10000 FT FROM 14000 FT. AT ABOUT 25 MI FROM TUS, APCH CTL TOLD CREW THEY SHOULD BE AT 11000 FT. AS FO STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB, THE GPWS GAVE ONE 'TERRAIN' CALL. THE CTLR CLRED US TO 6000 FT ABOUT 1 MIN AFTER REACHING 11000 FT. ALTHOUGH THE CREW WAS FATIGUED FROM A LONG DAY, A POTENTIAL PROB ALWAYS EXISTS WHEN ONE (PF) IS DOING THE FLYING AND ATC RADIO WORK, WHILE THE PNF IS USING ANOTHER RADIO. MUCH OF THIS PROB IS ELIMINATED ON THE NEW GENERATION ACFT WHERE INFO, SUCH AS GATE ASSIGNMENTS, ARE RECEIVED WELL IN ADVANCE BY ELECTRONIC ACARS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 578112: APPROX 25 MI E OF TUS, CAPT WAS ON #2 RADIO TALKING TO COMPANY. RECEIVED CLRNC FROM APCH CTL TO DSND TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 10000 FT. READ BACK CLRNC AS 'CLRED TO 10000 FT.' SET IN ALT AND ADVISED CAPT WHEN HE RETURNED TO FREQ. WORKLOAD GOT HIGH AS WE REQUESTED RWY 29R INSTEAD OF RWY 11L. I WAS WORRIED I WOULD BE TOO HIGH ON APCH -- COMPANY PAGE HAD NOTE REGARDING HIGH/UNSTABLE APCHS DUE TO TERRAIN E OF ARPT. ABOUT THAT TIME, APCH CTL QUERIED US ON ALT, AND SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 11000 FT. WE RECEIVED GPWS TERRAIN WARNING. RECEIVED ONLY 1 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' AURAL WARNING. I LOOKED AT RADAR ALTIMETER AND DID NOT NOTE ANY INDICATION. STARTED IMMEDIATE CLB TO 11000 FT, AND COMPLIED WITH TURN TO HDG ASSIGNED BY APCH CTL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CLRED TO 6000 FT. LATER CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF TERRAIN HEIGHT (MINIMUM SAFE ALTS ON APCH PLATE) AND QUERIED CLRNC TO 10000 FT. WOULD HELP TO HAVE DIGITAL ATIS INFO AND ABILITY TO GIVE COMPANY INFO THROUGH ACARS SO THAT MONITORING PLT IS NOT OFF FREQ.

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.