Narrative:

On descent into newburgh, ny, cleared from 13000 ft to 6000 ft MSL, while being vectored off the airways w-nw of airport in approximately vicinity of NDB, GPWS sounded with terrain warning. Copilot initiated flight training escape procedure but captain pushed aircraft back over and told first officer to level off at 6000 ft assigned. Mountains were visible immediately below aircraft and the right side through cloud layer. Terrain warning continued to sound as aircraft tracked east. The captain was resetting circuit breakers while ATC vectored aircraft further east. The terrain warning ceased after approximately 3 mins. Captain believes system malfunctioned. First officer is unsure and would have preferred to continue evasive procedures. No maintenance entry was made. Flight attendants and passenger reported being concerned with aircraft proximity to mountains while hearing GPWS terrain warning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter disagreed with the captain regarding the procedure for silencing the GPWS. Reporter executed maneuver the company dictates for the GPWS to be silenced. This was to climb until warning silenced. Captain pushed the nose over and told the flying first officer to level at 6000 ft. Captain stated it was an erroneous warning, but the first officer was unsure. First officer could see mountains immediately below and to the right as she looked through the cloud deck. First officer just wanted to be completely safe. Captain said the GPWS was at fault, but did not write it up for maintenance to fix when the flight was concluded. First officer reviewed incident with company training department and they stated she took the proper action. Their instruction when a GPWS sounds, is to climb until the warning silences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ACTIVATES GPWS 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' DURING DSCNT INTO NEWBURGH, NY.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO NEWBURGH, NY, CLRED FROM 13000 FT TO 6000 FT MSL, WHILE BEING VECTORED OFF THE AIRWAYS W-NW OF ARPT IN APPROX VICINITY OF NDB, GPWS SOUNDED WITH TERRAIN WARNING. COPLT INITIATED FLT TRAINING ESCAPE PROC BUT CAPT PUSHED ACFT BACK OVER AND TOLD FO TO LEVEL OFF AT 6000 FT ASSIGNED. MOUNTAINS WERE VISIBLE IMMEDIATELY BELOW ACFT AND THE R SIDE THROUGH CLOUD LAYER. TERRAIN WARNING CONTINUED TO SOUND AS ACFT TRACKED E. THE CAPT WAS RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHILE ATC VECTORED ACFT FURTHER E. THE TERRAIN WARNING CEASED AFTER APPROX 3 MINS. CAPT BELIEVES SYS MALFUNCTIONED. FO IS UNSURE AND WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO CONTINUE EVASIVE PROCS. NO MAINT ENTRY WAS MADE. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX RPTED BEING CONCERNED WITH ACFT PROX TO MOUNTAINS WHILE HEARING GPWS TERRAIN WARNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR DISAGREED WITH THE CAPT REGARDING THE PROC FOR SILENCING THE GPWS. RPTR EXECUTED MANEUVER THE COMPANY DICTATES FOR THE GPWS TO BE SILENCED. THIS WAS TO CLB UNTIL WARNING SILENCED. CAPT PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND TOLD THE FLYING FO TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT. CAPT STATED IT WAS AN ERRONEOUS WARNING, BUT THE FO WAS UNSURE. FO COULD SEE MOUNTAINS IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND TO THE R AS SHE LOOKED THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK. FO JUST WANTED TO BE COMPLETELY SAFE. CAPT SAID THE GPWS WAS AT FAULT, BUT DID NOT WRITE IT UP FOR MAINT TO FIX WHEN THE FLT WAS CONCLUDED. FO REVIEWED INCIDENT WITH COMPANY TRAINING DEPT AND THEY STATED SHE TOOK THE PROPER ACTION. THEIR INSTRUCTION WHEN A GPWS SOUNDS, IS TO CLB UNTIL THE WARNING SILENCES.

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.