Narrative:

This was a revenue passenger flight from clt to tri. As we approached hmv VOR we were assigned a heading and told to descend to 4000 ft MSL. We were descending in IMC conditions and received a GPWS 'terrain' warning at about 4300 ft MSL. We stopped the descent and the GPWS warning ceased. Descent was then completed to 4000 ft without further warnings. A normal approach and landing followed. It is difficult to determine the exact location of this incident due to the primitive navigation equipment on the aircraft. Over the years I have received several similar GPWS warnings like this while approaching tri from the southeast. This is definitely a recurring problem! Every time a pilot hears an 'unnecessary' GPWS warning he will be less likely to respond promptly when it is necessary to do so. There have been many accidents where the crew totally ignored the GPWS. The situation of repeated unnecessary warnings at tri is unacceptable and will eventually lead to an CFIT accident. ATC procedures at tri must be modified, even if this leads to increased approach delays. I will report this situation to my company flight safety department. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is a first officer for a major air carrier. He did not contact the approach control supervisor to discuss MVA vectoring altitudes on these east and southeast arrs. He had not heard of any other flcs tell parallel stories about GPWS problems at tri. He did advise the air carrier of the incident via a standard report form and received their thanks. Aircraft was an F-28. When asked about his rate of descent he stated it was in excess of 1000 FPM. He was counseled to try 500 FPM next time to see if the rate of descent was part of the problem near the hills. He had stated that, when level, there was no GPWS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO COMPLAINT REGARDING THE MVA INTO TRI ARPT AND REPEATED GPWS ALERTS WHILE IN DSCNT TO 4000 FT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A REVENUE PAX FLT FROM CLT TO TRI. AS WE APCHED HMV VOR WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG AND TOLD TO DSND TO 4000 FT MSL. WE WERE DSNDING IN IMC CONDITIONS AND RECEIVED A GPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING AT ABOUT 4300 FT MSL. WE STOPPED THE DSCNT AND THE GPWS WARNING CEASED. DSCNT WAS THEN COMPLETED TO 4000 FT WITHOUT FURTHER WARNINGS. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG FOLLOWED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THIS INCIDENT DUE TO THE PRIMITIVE NAV EQUIP ON THE ACFT. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL SIMILAR GPWS WARNINGS LIKE THIS WHILE APCHING TRI FROM THE SE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A RECURRING PROB! EVERY TIME A PLT HEARS AN 'UNNECESSARY' GPWS WARNING HE WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO RESPOND PROMPTLY WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO DO SO. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ACCIDENTS WHERE THE CREW TOTALLY IGNORED THE GPWS. THE SIT OF REPEATED UNNECESSARY WARNINGS AT TRI IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO AN CFIT ACCIDENT. ATC PROCS AT TRI MUST BE MODIFIED, EVEN IF THIS LEADS TO INCREASED APCH DELAYS. I WILL RPT THIS SIT TO MY COMPANY FLT SAFETY DEPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS A FO FOR A MAJOR ACR. HE DID NOT CONTACT THE APCH CTL SUPVR TO DISCUSS MVA VECTORING ALTS ON THESE E AND SE ARRS. HE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY OTHER FLCS TELL PARALLEL STORIES ABOUT GPWS PROBS AT TRI. HE DID ADVISE THE ACR OF THE INCIDENT VIA A STANDARD RPT FORM AND RECEIVED THEIR THANKS. ACFT WAS AN F-28. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS RATE OF DSCNT HE STATED IT WAS IN EXCESS OF 1000 FPM. HE WAS COUNSELED TO TRY 500 FPM NEXT TIME TO SEE IF THE RATE OF DSCNT WAS PART OF THE PROB NEAR THE HILLS. HE HAD STATED THAT, WHEN LEVEL, THERE WAS NO GPWS.

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.