B767 flight crew on descent vectors in IMC to oak receive an egpws 'terrain' warning.

Attributes
ACN	690013
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3100
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	690013
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were being vectored on a downwind for an ILS to runway 11 at oak. We were heading approximately 290 degrees about 8 mi northeast of the FAF. We were solidly in IFR conditions in moderate rain. The MSA from the approach plate was transitioning from 5100 ft MSL to 3800 ft MSL. We had been given a descent from 4000 ft to 3100 ft MSL. I had terrain displayed on the HSI. I did not see any red on the terrain display but I'm not sure if there was any yellow displayed. As we were approaching 3100 ft; the GPWS gave a 'terrain; terrain' alert followed immediately by a 'pull up; whoop; whoop; pull up' warning. I disengaged the autoplt; raised the nose and firewalled the throttles. I stopped the climb at approximately 4900 ft. The first officer notified the controller that we had executed a climb as a result of a terrain warning. She started that the MVA in our area was 3100 ft. She then gave us a turn toward the southwest and a clearance to 2000 ft. We broke out of the WX and completed the approach in visual conditions without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW ON DSCNT VECTORS IN IMC TO OAK RECEIVE AN EGPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED ON A DOWNWIND FOR AN ILS TO RWY 11 AT OAK. WE WERE HDG APPROX 290 DEGS ABOUT 8 MI NE OF THE FAF. WE WERE SOLIDLY IN IFR CONDITIONS IN MODERATE RAIN. THE MSA FROM THE APCH PLATE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM 5100 FT MSL TO 3800 FT MSL. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A DSCNT FROM 4000 FT TO 3100 FT MSL. I HAD TERRAIN DISPLAYED ON THE HSI. I DID NOT SEE ANY RED ON THE TERRAIN DISPLAY BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS ANY YELLOW DISPLAYED. AS WE WERE APCHING 3100 FT; THE GPWS GAVE A 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN' ALERT FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A 'PULL UP; WHOOP; WHOOP; PULL UP' WARNING. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT; RAISED THE NOSE AND FIREWALLED THE THROTTLES. I STOPPED THE CLB AT APPROX 4900 FT. THE FO NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD EXECUTED A CLB AS A RESULT OF A TERRAIN WARNING. SHE STARTED THAT THE MVA IN OUR AREA WAS 3100 FT. SHE THEN GAVE US A TURN TOWARD THE SW AND A CLRNC TO 2000 FT. WE BROKE OUT OF THE WX AND COMPLETED THE APCH IN VISUAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.