An A320 exceeded the flaps 2 degree limit airspeed during a GPWS 'terrain' warning avoidance maneuve...

Attributes
ACN	635143
Time
Date	200410
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	635743
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure Weather
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

On 240 degree vector, leveling at 5000 ft GPWS 'terrain' warning received. Executed terrain recovery procedures. Flaps 2 degree limit exceeded. Excessive noise in cockpit due to maximum power, heavy rain, altitude alerter and overspd horn. Unable to communicate effectively with captain or ATC due to noise level. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was at 200 KTS and descending fairly rapidly but starting to level so as to capture 5000 ft when the GPWS 'terrain' warning sounded. After the avoidance maneuver, the controller stated that the minimum vectoring altitude for that area was 5000 ft. I questioned whether the rate of descent feature of the GPWS could have been responsible for the warning. The reporter thought possibly. The terrain feature worked as advertised and the srs commands activated following toga thrust selection. The reporter stated that the crew filed a report with the company in the event the anomaly was an aircraft malfunction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 EXCEEDED THE FLAPS 2 DEG LIMIT AIRSPD DURING A GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING AVOIDANCE MANEUVER.

Narrative: ON 240 DEG VECTOR, LEVELING AT 5000 FT GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING RECEIVED. EXECUTED TERRAIN RECOVERY PROCS. FLAPS 2 DEG LIMIT EXCEEDED. EXCESSIVE NOISE IN COCKPIT DUE TO MAX PWR, HVY RAIN, ALT ALERTER AND OVERSPD HORN. UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH CAPT OR ATC DUE TO NOISE LEVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS AT 200 KTS AND DSNDING FAIRLY RAPIDLY BUT STARTING TO LEVEL SO AS TO CAPTURE 5000 FT WHEN THE GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING SOUNDED. AFTER THE AVOIDANCE MANEUVER, THE CTLR STATED THAT THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT FOR THAT AREA WAS 5000 FT. I QUESTIONED WHETHER THE RATE OF DSCNT FEATURE OF THE GPWS COULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WARNING. THE RPTR THOUGHT POSSIBLY. THE TERRAIN FEATURE WORKED AS ADVERTISED AND THE SRS COMMANDS ACTIVATED FOLLOWING TOGA THRUST SELECTION. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE CREW FILED A RPT WITH THE COMPANY IN THE EVENT THE ANOMALY WAS AN ACFT MALFUNCTION.

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.

An A320 exceeded the flaps 2 degree limit airspeed during a GPWS 'terrain' warning avoidance maneuver.