Narrative:

Date of incident began with unwanted wake-up at hotel about XA00 am from loud disturbance outside room by hotel guests apparently retiring after party on lower level. Unable to go back to sleep, anticipating XB00 am wake-up call. Cockpit preflight found GPWS fail light inoperative. Found bulbs missing, replaced bulbs, then tested normal. Clearance obtained, checklists completed. After boarding passenger, closed cabin door and had entire aircraft de-iced. During climb out shortly after takeoff, GPWS 'terrain' warning sounded frequently but intermittently, with radio altimeter needle jumping wildly between 0 ft to 2500 ft altitude indications. Climb continued at maximum power used for takeoff, and 'terrain' warnings continued, creating concern as well as distraction. Ottawa SID called for flying runway heading for radar vectors to 5000 ft. Additionally, noise abatement procedures suggested climb to 3000 ft before proceeding on course. Although the 'terrain' warnings were experienced on previous occasions following deicing, passing approximately 2000 ft MSL, began right turn toward yup beacon, knowing terrain was lower toward south. Departure controller later gave a heading for direct syr, which was acknowledged, then inquired as to the right turn, instead of maintaining runway heading per the SID. First officer replied turn was made toward the yup beacon, but did not indicate turn prompted by GPWS warnings. Controller then responded, 'ok.' obviously, the turn resulted in deviation from the published SID. GPWS warnings finally ceased above 10000 ft MSL about the time pulling circuit breakers was discussed (per afm procedures). Throughout departure and climb out, TCASII display showed no conflict with any other aircraft. Flight continued routinely to destination airport. In hindsight, would have been appropriate to advise controller of warnings by GPWS, and requesting right turn prior to commencing same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FALSE WARNING OF GPWS ALLOWS FLC TO BE DISTR TASK AND SUFFER A HDG TRACK DEV ON SID DEP.

Narrative: DATE OF INCIDENT BEGAN WITH UNWANTED WAKE-UP AT HOTEL ABOUT XA00 AM FROM LOUD DISTURBANCE OUTSIDE ROOM BY HOTEL GUESTS APPARENTLY RETIRING AFTER PARTY ON LOWER LEVEL. UNABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP, ANTICIPATING XB00 AM WAKE-UP CALL. COCKPIT PREFLT FOUND GPWS FAIL LIGHT INOP. FOUND BULBS MISSING, REPLACED BULBS, THEN TESTED NORMAL. CLRNC OBTAINED, CHKLISTS COMPLETED. AFTER BOARDING PAX, CLOSED CABIN DOOR AND HAD ENTIRE ACFT DE-ICED. DURING CLBOUT SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING SOUNDED FREQUENTLY BUT INTERMITTENTLY, WITH RADIO ALTIMETER NEEDLE JUMPING WILDLY BTWN 0 FT TO 2500 FT ALT INDICATIONS. CLB CONTINUED AT MAX PWR USED FOR TKOF, AND 'TERRAIN' WARNINGS CONTINUED, CREATING CONCERN AS WELL AS DISTR. OTTAWA SID CALLED FOR FLYING RWY HDG FOR RADAR VECTORS TO 5000 FT. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS SUGGESTED CLB TO 3000 FT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE. ALTHOUGH THE 'TERRAIN' WARNINGS WERE EXPERIENCED ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS FOLLOWING DEICING, PASSING APPROX 2000 FT MSL, BEGAN R TURN TOWARD YUP BEACON, KNOWING TERRAIN WAS LOWER TOWARD S. DEP CTLR LATER GAVE A HDG FOR DIRECT SYR, WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED, THEN INQUIRED AS TO THE R TURN, INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING RWY HDG PER THE SID. FO REPLIED TURN WAS MADE TOWARD THE YUP BEACON, BUT DID NOT INDICATE TURN PROMPTED BY GPWS WARNINGS. CTLR THEN RESPONDED, 'OK.' OBVIOUSLY, THE TURN RESULTED IN DEV FROM THE PUBLISHED SID. GPWS WARNINGS FINALLY CEASED ABOVE 10000 FT MSL ABOUT THE TIME PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WAS DISCUSSED (PER AFM PROCS). THROUGHOUT DEP AND CLBOUT, TCASII DISPLAY SHOWED NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT. FLT CONTINUED ROUTINELY TO DEST ARPT. IN HINDSIGHT, WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE TO ADVISE CTLR OF WARNINGS BY GPWS, AND REQUESTING R TURN PRIOR TO COMMENCING SAME.

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.