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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of a B737-300 climbed off of assigned altitude in response to a GPWS warning. The warning came during a STAR arrival when the aircraft was level at 11000 ft over an area where the minimum MEA was 4000 ft. It happened just as another aircraft went by at 1000 ft below reporter. In addition, the reporter overshot their newly assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340304 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bos |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 15300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : cys |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zbw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 340304 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During night gardner 2 arrival to bos in IMC while level at 11000 ft/250 KTS, ATC advised us of traffic 1000 ft below crossing left to right. We had traffic on TCASII but no visual. MEA in this area is 4000 ft MSL. As the aircraft passed under us, we got a GPWS 'too low terrain' warning. Our radio altimeter read 980 ft in red numbers. We initiated a maximum power, 15 degree climb. The captain called ATC 3 times to advise them of our actions. The terrain warning continued to about 14500 ft MSL. ATC cleared us to level at 15000 ft MSL. We topped out at 15300 ft before coming back down to 15000 ft. We again notified ATC as to why we had climbed since they were very busy before. Rest of flight to bos was uneventful. GPWS system was checked by maintenance at bos.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B737-300 CLBED OFF OF ASSIGNED ALT IN RESPONSE TO A GPWS WARNING. THE WARNING CAME DURING A STAR ARR WHEN THE ACFT WAS LEVEL AT 11000 FT OVER AN AREA WHERE THE MINIMUM MEA WAS 4000 FT. IT HAPPENED JUST AS ANOTHER ACFT WENT BY AT 1000 FT BELOW RPTR. IN ADDITION, THE RPTR OVERSHOT THEIR NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: DURING NIGHT GARDNER 2 ARR TO BOS IN IMC WHILE LEVEL AT 11000 FT/250 KTS, ATC ADVISED US OF TFC 1000 FT BELOW XING L TO R. WE HAD TFC ON TCASII BUT NO VISUAL. MEA IN THIS AREA IS 4000 FT MSL. AS THE ACFT PASSED UNDER US, WE GOT A GPWS 'TOO LOW TERRAIN' WARNING. OUR RADIO ALTIMETER READ 980 FT IN RED NUMBERS. WE INITIATED A MAX PWR, 15 DEG CLB. THE CAPT CALLED ATC 3 TIMES TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR ACTIONS. THE TERRAIN WARNING CONTINUED TO ABOUT 14500 FT MSL. ATC CLRED US TO LEVEL AT 15000 FT MSL. WE TOPPED OUT AT 15300 FT BEFORE COMING BACK DOWN TO 15000 FT. WE AGAIN NOTIFIED ATC AS TO WHY WE HAD CLBED SINCE THEY WERE VERY BUSY BEFORE. REST OF FLT TO BOS WAS UNEVENTFUL. GPWS SYS WAS CHKED BY MAINT AT BOS.
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.