Narrative:

I was acting as pilot flying on flight. Cha was VFR when we checked on with chattanooga approach we were told to expect visual approach to runway 2. Approach instructed us to descend to 3;600 feet and vectored us to enter a left downwind to runway 2. The weather was VMC and visibility was good. We were visual with the surrounding terrain and lighted obstacles. I also had the terrain radar displayed on the mfd for additional situational awareness. Once we reported cha in sight when we were abeam the airport on the left downwind; approach control cleared us for the visual approach for runway 2 and told us to contact the tower. Tower cleared us to land runway 2. Approximately abeam mortt; the FAF for ILS 2; 2;500 feet was dialed into the altitude selector and we began our descent in order to cross mortt at 2;500 feet. Just as I was reaching for the heading knob on the fcp to start our base turn the GPWS 'terrain; terrain' aural alert sounded. I immediately executed a climb to clear the conflict and the captain informed tower. As we requested to be vectored for the ILS; tower handed us to approach control and we climbed to 4;000 feet. As we were still on a downwind heading; approach control; vectored us onto the final approach course for the ILS and cleared us for the ILS. We then landed in cha without further incident.suggestions: in the future when operating in an environment such as cha during a visual approach; it would probably be best to coordinate with ATC to extend downwind and not to start the decent until turning base or until established on the final approach course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier flight crew reported a CFTT incident during visual approach to CHA airport.

Narrative: I was acting as Pilot Flying on flight. CHA was VFR when we checked on with Chattanooga Approach we were told to expect visual approach to Runway 2. Approach instructed us to descend to 3;600 feet and vectored us to enter a left downwind to Runway 2. The weather was VMC and visibility was good. We were visual with the surrounding terrain and lighted obstacles. I also had the terrain radar displayed on the MFD for additional situational awareness. Once we reported CHA in sight when we were abeam the airport on the left downwind; Approach Control cleared us for the visual approach for Runway 2 and told us to contact the Tower. Tower cleared us to land Runway 2. Approximately abeam MORTT; the FAF for ILS 2; 2;500 feet was dialed into the altitude selector and we began our descent in order to cross MORTT at 2;500 feet. Just as I was reaching for the heading knob on the FCP to start our base turn the GPWS 'Terrain; Terrain' aural alert sounded. I immediately executed a climb to clear the conflict and the Captain informed Tower. As we requested to be vectored for the ILS; Tower handed us to Approach Control and we climbed to 4;000 feet. As we were still on a downwind heading; Approach Control; vectored us onto the final approach course for the ILS and cleared us for the ILS. We then landed in CHA without further incident.Suggestions: In the future when operating in an environment such as CHA during a visual approach; it would probably be best to coordinate with ATC to extend downwind and not to start the decent until turning base or until established on the final approach course.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.