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An A320 flight crew received a GPWS warning while receiving vector and descent clrncs for the localizer runway 27 approach into san. The flight crew responded with evasive action climb. Approach controller vectored the flight crew for the approach, again, stating that this was not unusual and that it was because of a hill in the area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 339617 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mzb airport : san |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 3800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : san |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 339617 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Received GPWS terrain avoidance while being vectored at 3800 ft MSL over a hill 2800 ft MSL. Complied with warning climbed to 4200 ft MSL. Notified san approach. Vectored for another approach and advised by ATC. This is a common occurrence over the hill. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter (A320 captain) and first officer had received procedures for GPWS at beginning of flight. They were receiving vectors and descent clrncs for the approach when they were cleared to slow down and descend at the same time. This was becoming frustrating for the flight crew and the captain stated, 'I can't do all of this at the same time, give me what is most important, first?' at about this time, and coincident with the autoplt level off (approximately 1000 FPM), the flight crew received the warning. The hill that the reporter is referencing is the hill that is less than 5 NM north of vydda and swatt, on the runway 27 localizer IAP. The flight crew immediately responded to the warning and notified approach controller. Just as they leveled off from the climb, the controller cleared them for the approach. The captain stated 'no way' could they continue the approach. The controller then vectored them over the airport and brought them back for another approach. He explained that he would vector them outside of the hill, but that he couldn't guarantee that they would not get another GPWS since it was a common occurrence. The controller told the flight crew that this happened all the time, as if it was no big deal. The flight crew had a B727 pilot on the jump seat who also stated that this had happened to him. The reporter is now on a trip with a first officer who says that he has experienced this also.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 FLC RECEIVED A GPWS WARNING WHILE RECEIVING VECTOR AND DSCNT CLRNCS FOR THE LOC RWY 27 APCH INTO SAN. THE FLC RESPONDED WITH EVASIVE ACTION CLB. APCH CTLR VECTORED THE FLC FOR THE APCH, AGAIN, STATING THAT THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL AND THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF A HILL IN THE AREA.
Narrative: RECEIVED GPWS TERRAIN AVOIDANCE WHILE BEING VECTORED AT 3800 FT MSL OVER A HILL 2800 FT MSL. COMPLIED WITH WARNING CLBED TO 4200 FT MSL. NOTIFIED SAN APCH. VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH AND ADVISED BY ATC. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE OVER THE HILL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR (A320 CAPT) AND FO HAD RECEIVED PROCS FOR GPWS AT BEGINNING OF FLT. THEY WERE RECEIVING VECTORS AND DSCNT CLRNCS FOR THE APCH WHEN THEY WERE CLRED TO SLOW DOWN AND DSND AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WAS BECOMING FRUSTRATING FOR THE FLC AND THE CAPT STATED, 'I CAN'T DO ALL OF THIS AT THE SAME TIME, GIVE ME WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT, FIRST?' AT ABOUT THIS TIME, AND COINCIDENT WITH THE AUTOPLT LEVEL OFF (APPROX 1000 FPM), THE FLC RECEIVED THE WARNING. THE HILL THAT THE RPTR IS REFING IS THE HILL THAT IS LESS THAN 5 NM N OF VYDDA AND SWATT, ON THE RWY 27 LOC IAP. THE FLC IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THE WARNING AND NOTIFIED APCH CTLR. JUST AS THEY LEVELED OFF FROM THE CLB, THE CTLR CLRED THEM FOR THE APCH. THE CAPT STATED 'NO WAY' COULD THEY CONTINUE THE APCH. THE CTLR THEN VECTORED THEM OVER THE ARPT AND BROUGHT THEM BACK FOR ANOTHER APCH. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WOULD VECTOR THEM OUTSIDE OF THE HILL, BUT THAT HE COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD NOT GET ANOTHER GPWS SINCE IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THE CTLR TOLD THE FLC THAT THIS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME, AS IF IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. THE FLC HAD A B727 PLT ON THE JUMP SEAT WHO ALSO STATED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO HIM. THE RPTR IS NOW ON A TRIP WITH A FO WHO SAYS THAT HE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS ALSO.
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.