Narrative:

Per oak 10-7 page, cautioned for GPWS warnings southeast, we were in level flight at 3100 ft, 210 KTS, and received GPWS warning 'too low, pull up.' captain immediately executed terrain avoidance maneuver and GPWS silenced out of 4000 ft, at which point we returned to 4000 ft and reported to controller our deviation from assigned altitude and why we deviated. Controller advised 3100 ft was MVA in our area and we acknowledged. She continued vectoring us and clearing us for ILS runway 11 oak and landed without further incident. During the avoidance maneuver we received a TCASII TA for traffic above us at 6000 ft which abated when we slowed our climb and returned to 4000 ft. There was frequency congestion and we couldn't contact controller for about 15 seconds during this process. We were in turbulent heavy precipitation throughout this sequence. Not much fun! Supplemental information from acn 579271: we were in level flight at 3100 ft assigned by the approach controller. This was also the MVA. As per the note on the 10-7 page for oak, we received a GPWS warning while in a left downwind vector for runway 11. The PF proceeded to comply with the 'terrain, terrain' procedure which amounted to a climb of 1000 ft to 4000 ft MSL. The controller was notified, who then in turn, continued further vectors to us for an uneventful landing. On the 10-1 chart for sfo, there are many areas right where we were, that could give level flight GPWS warnings. The MVA should be modified to possibly 4000 ft MSL. This would still allow plenty of time for a normal descent to landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW EXECUTED A GPWS EMER ESCAPE MANEUVER WITH CLB UNTIL THE GPWS TERRAIN WARNING STOPPED. ACFT WAS ABOVE THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE IN OAK CLASS C.

Narrative: PER OAK 10-7 PAGE, CAUTIONED FOR GPWS WARNINGS SE, WE WERE IN LEVEL FLT AT 3100 FT, 210 KTS, AND RECEIVED GPWS WARNING 'TOO LOW, PULL UP.' CAPT IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER AND GPWS SILENCED OUT OF 4000 FT, AT WHICH POINT WE RETURNED TO 4000 FT AND RPTED TO CTLR OUR DEV FROM ASSIGNED ALT AND WHY WE DEVIATED. CTLR ADVISED 3100 FT WAS MVA IN OUR AREA AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED. SHE CONTINUED VECTORING US AND CLRING US FOR ILS RWY 11 OAK AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING THE AVOIDANCE MANEUVER WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA FOR TFC ABOVE US AT 6000 FT WHICH ABATED WHEN WE SLOWED OUR CLB AND RETURNED TO 4000 FT. THERE WAS FREQ CONGESTION AND WE COULDN'T CONTACT CTLR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS DURING THIS PROCESS. WE WERE IN TURBULENT HVY PRECIPITATION THROUGHOUT THIS SEQUENCE. NOT MUCH FUN! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 579271: WE WERE IN LEVEL FLT AT 3100 FT ASSIGNED BY THE APCH CTLR. THIS WAS ALSO THE MVA. AS PER THE NOTE ON THE 10-7 PAGE FOR OAK, WE RECEIVED A GPWS WARNING WHILE IN A L DOWNWIND VECTOR FOR RWY 11. THE PF PROCEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' PROC WHICH AMOUNTED TO A CLB OF 1000 FT TO 4000 FT MSL. THE CTLR WAS NOTIFIED, WHO THEN IN TURN, CONTINUED FURTHER VECTORS TO US FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ON THE 10-1 CHART FOR SFO, THERE ARE MANY AREAS RIGHT WHERE WE WERE, THAT COULD GIVE LEVEL FLT GPWS WARNINGS. THE MVA SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO POSSIBLY 4000 FT MSL. THIS WOULD STILL ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME FOR A NORMAL DSCNT TO LNDG.

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.