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Carj crew got a GPWS terrain warning after the captain thought it was ok to descend to the approach plate charted altitude, when not on the charted radial.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 580512 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | NH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mht.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Regional Jet 700 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 580512 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : gpws other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a right base for a visual approach to runway 17 at mht we had a GPWS 'terrain, terrain' alert. A new first officer was flying. We were at 2000 ft and cleared for the visual by approach. As we were backing up the approachs with the VOR (ILS inoperative) the chart shows that beyond 15 DME from con you may descend to 1200 ft. I set this active in the pre-selector after having been cleared for the visual. I set it with the intention of when the first officer was 'established' inbound he could then descend to that altitude safely. While I was setting the reference speed card, the first officer started a descent. As we appeared much closer to the runway than we were, I was not concerned. At about 1500-1800 ft we got a GPWS 'terrain, terrain' message. I immediately directed the first officer to climb back to 2000 ft. (ATC also noticed that we appeared low and queried us.) the alarm went away, a stabilized approach was accomplished once on final and an uneventful landing was completed. As visibility was better than 10 mi and all documented towers were in sight, the safe outcome of this flight was never in question. From now on I will not set a lower than minimum vectoring altitude after being cleared for a visual unless established on final!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CARJ CREW GOT A GPWS TERRAIN WARNING AFTER THE CAPT THOUGHT IT WAS OK TO DSND TO THE APCH PLATE CHARTED ALT, WHEN NOT ON THE CHARTED RADIAL.
Narrative: ON A R BASE FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17 AT MHT WE HAD A GPWS 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' ALERT. A NEW FO WAS FLYING. WE WERE AT 2000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL BY APCH. AS WE WERE BACKING UP THE APCHS WITH THE VOR (ILS INOP) THE CHART SHOWS THAT BEYOND 15 DME FROM CON YOU MAY DSND TO 1200 FT. I SET THIS ACTIVE IN THE PRE-SELECTOR AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I SET IT WITH THE INTENTION OF WHEN THE FO WAS 'ESTABLISHED' INBOUND HE COULD THEN DSND TO THAT ALT SAFELY. WHILE I WAS SETTING THE REF SPD CARD, THE FO STARTED A DSCNT. AS WE APPEARED MUCH CLOSER TO THE RWY THAN WE WERE, I WAS NOT CONCERNED. AT ABOUT 1500-1800 FT WE GOT A GPWS 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' MESSAGE. I IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED THE FO TO CLB BACK TO 2000 FT. (ATC ALSO NOTICED THAT WE APPEARED LOW AND QUERIED US.) THE ALARM WENT AWAY, A STABILIZED APCH WAS ACCOMPLISHED ONCE ON FINAL AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS COMPLETED. AS VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN 10 MI AND ALL DOCUMENTED TWRS WERE IN SIGHT, THE SAFE OUTCOME OF THIS FLT WAS NEVER IN QUESTION. FROM NOW ON I WILL NOT SET A LOWER THAN MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL UNLESS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL!
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.