Narrative:

Cloudy, ragged winter WX over most of northern ca. Sjc ATIS: 4000 ft scattered 650 ft broken 10000 ft overcast, visibility 30 mi, wind 120 degree at 10 KTS, landing to south. We were being vectored on 270 degree heading for a northwest downwind to sjc, and given a descent from 8000 ft by bay approach (135.2) 'descend to 5100 ft minimum vectoring altitude in this sector.' first officer was flying and made a normal descent from 8000 ft, with 5100 ft set correctly and verified by both of us. IFR, and between 5500-5100 ft, we received a continuous GPWS of terrain, terrain, and immediately climbed above the clouds to approximately 6500 ft, explaining the warning to approach. At approximately the same time as the warning I noticed my ADI right altitude kick in at 2500 ft and immediately went to 2000 ft, 1800 ft, 1500 ft. Possibly the fast response of the right altitude triggered the GPWS, but at the time we were not about to analyze this warning. On the ground I called bay approach and talked to mr. X. I strongly recommended that approach control not use minimum vectoring altitudes in IFR in known terrain areas. Expediency, convenience, traffic flow, etc plays a part in the scheme of things in using MVA, but GPWS climbs are uncomfortable for passenger and unneeded excitement for the crew as well as unsafe. Also in a GPWS climb we don't have time to analyze traffic above, TCASII or no TCASII.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION DUE TO GPWS WARNING DURING MVA RADAR VECTORING.

Narrative: CLOUDY, RAGGED WINTER WX OVER MOST OF NORTHERN CA. SJC ATIS: 4000 FT SCATTERED 650 FT BROKEN 10000 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 30 MI, WIND 120 DEG AT 10 KTS, LNDG TO S. WE WERE BEING VECTORED ON 270 DEG HDG FOR A NW DOWNWIND TO SJC, AND GIVEN A DSCNT FROM 8000 FT BY BAY APCH (135.2) 'DSND TO 5100 FT MINIMUM VECTORING ALT IN THIS SECTOR.' FO WAS FLYING AND MADE A NORMAL DSCNT FROM 8000 FT, WITH 5100 FT SET CORRECTLY AND VERIFIED BY BOTH OF US. IFR, AND BTWN 5500-5100 FT, WE RECEIVED A CONTINUOUS GPWS OF TERRAIN, TERRAIN, AND IMMEDIATELY CLBED ABOVE THE CLOUDS TO APPROX 6500 FT, EXPLAINING THE WARNING TO APCH. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME AS THE WARNING I NOTICED MY ADI R ALT KICK IN AT 2500 FT AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO 2000 FT, 1800 FT, 1500 FT. POSSIBLY THE FAST RESPONSE OF THE R ALT TRIGGERED THE GPWS, BUT AT THE TIME WE WERE NOT ABOUT TO ANALYZE THIS WARNING. ON THE GND I CALLED BAY APCH AND TALKED TO MR. X. I STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT APCH CTL NOT USE MINIMUM VECTORING ALTS IN IFR IN KNOWN TERRAIN AREAS. EXPEDIENCY, CONVENIENCE, TFC FLOW, ETC PLAYS A PART IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS IN USING MVA, BUT GPWS CLBS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PAX AND UNNEEDED EXCITEMENT FOR THE CREW AS WELL AS UNSAFE. ALSO IN A GPWS CLB WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO ANALYZE TFC ABOVE, TCASII OR NO TCASII.

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.