Nighttime expedited descent into ttpp triggers GPWS terrain warning.

Attributes
ACN	773435
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ttpp.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 4100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	773435
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Situation: dark night; little moon; scattered to broken cloud deck below; sea coast and ocean visible through cloud breaks. Poor radio reception and frequency congestion in a non radar IFR system caused a late descent. The hurry to descend resulted in a steeper than desired angle and rate. Continuing this descent through the MSA (in VMC) and searching for the field caused a rate of closure GPWS alert. This resulted in an aggressive terrain avoidance maneuver to return above the MSA. No terrain was ever sighted visually. Corrective action: request any time building maneuver available to use normal descent rates; especially in dark night; unfamiliar territory areas with few visual clues. Utilize instrument approachs even if others are conducting visual approachs. Especially in unfamiliar areas with unfamiliar terminology. Do not let yourself be hurried beyond your comfort zone. If you don't feel comfortable; you probably shouldn't be doing it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHTTIME EXPEDITED DESCENT INTO TTPP TRIGGERS GPWS TERRAIN WARNING.

Narrative: SITUATION: DARK NIGHT; LITTLE MOON; SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD DECK BELOW; SEA COAST AND OCEAN VISIBLE THROUGH CLOUD BREAKS. POOR RADIO RECEPTION AND FREQ CONGESTION IN A NON RADAR IFR SYS CAUSED A LATE DSCNT. THE HURRY TO DSND RESULTED IN A STEEPER THAN DESIRED ANGLE AND RATE. CONTINUING THIS DSCNT THROUGH THE MSA (IN VMC) AND SEARCHING FOR THE FIELD CAUSED A RATE OF CLOSURE GPWS ALERT. THIS RESULTED IN AN AGGRESSIVE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER TO RETURN ABOVE THE MSA. NO TERRAIN WAS EVER SIGHTED VISUALLY. CORRECTIVE ACTION: REQUEST ANY TIME BUILDING MANEUVER AVAILABLE TO USE NORMAL DSCNT RATES; ESPECIALLY IN DARK NIGHT; UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY AREAS WITH FEW VISUAL CLUES. UTILIZE INST APCHS EVEN IF OTHERS ARE CONDUCTING VISUAL APCHS. ESPECIALLY IN UNFAMILIAR AREAS WITH UNFAMILIAR TERMINOLOGY. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE HURRIED BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE. IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE; YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.