Narrative:

Flight was being vectored by slc approach control for an ILS approach to runway 34L. At 29 DME iuuh (approximately 2 1/2-3 mi west of the slc runway 34L localizer) from a heading of 155 degrees and at 9000 ft MSL, slc approach issued a left turn to 360 degrees, told us to maintain 9000 ft MSL until established on the localizer and cleared us for the ILS runway 34L approach. As we turned left towards the 360 degree intercept heading (passing through 060 degree heading and IMC) a 'pull up' GPWS warning sounded. The captain initiated a pull up (the radio altimeter indicated terrain at 1000-1100 ft) and upon climbing through 9500 ft MSL, the radio altimeter began increasing to 2000-2500 ft and the GPWS warning stopped. The first officer advised slc approach of the climb due to terrain. Avoidance and approach told us to descend to 9000 ft MSL as soon as possible due to traffic above us. We descended from 9600 ft MSL to 9000 ft MSL and were vectored to the runway 34L localizer. The flight continued the approach uneventfully to a landing on runway 34L. It should be noted that at no time during the 'pull up' maneuver did we get any RA's on TCASII and that our altitude deviation did not exceed 600 ft above assigned altitude. After discussing the GPWS 'pull up' event with slc approach, we were advised that the 9000 ft MSL vector altitude is routinely used in that sector and that approximately 1 flight out of 10 flts experiences a GPWS warning in the area where we got our warning. Approach control also confirmed that no traffic conflicts occurred during the 'pull up' maneuver. Since it has been documented by slc approach control that GPWS warnings occur at 9000 ft MSL in this sector, why hasn't this vectoring altitude been raised to a ht where the warnings are eliminated? A warning should also be published in the slc special pages to alert crews of the possibility of a GPWS warning in this sector at 9000 ft MSL. Clearly, the potential for a mid-air collision exists here when an aircraft has to execute a GPWS terrain pull up and while doing so, climbs into the path of inbound traffic above. Action needs to be taken as soon as possible to fix this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said he thought the GPWS was caused by a hill on which the fairfield VOR is located at a point approximately 32 mi south of slc. Reporter said he has flown by it during visual conditions and indicated that it is the only rising terrain in the area. Reporter felt that the problem could be resolved if the MVA were raised by 500 ft. Reporter indicated concern for being in a position of receiving a GPWS below another aircraft while performing the climb evasive maneuver from the terrain and what it might cause the other aircraft to do in response to a TCASII RA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 RECEIVED GPWS 'PULL UP' COMMAND AT 9000 FT WHILE ON VECTOR WITHIN MVA. FLC WERE ADVISED BY CTLR THAT 1 IN 10 FLTS EXPERIENCES A GPWS WARNING IN THE SAME AREA.

Narrative: FLT WAS BEING VECTORED BY SLC APCH CTL FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 34L. AT 29 DME IUUH (APPROX 2 1/2-3 MI W OF THE SLC RWY 34L LOC) FROM A HDG OF 155 DEGS AND AT 9000 FT MSL, SLC APCH ISSUED A L TURN TO 360 DEGS, TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 34L APCH. AS WE TURNED L TOWARDS THE 360 DEG INTERCEPT HDG (PASSING THROUGH 060 DEG HDG AND IMC) A 'PULL UP' GPWS WARNING SOUNDED. THE CAPT INITIATED A PULL UP (THE RADIO ALTIMETER INDICATED TERRAIN AT 1000-1100 FT) AND UPON CLBING THROUGH 9500 FT MSL, THE RADIO ALTIMETER BEGAN INCREASING TO 2000-2500 FT AND THE GPWS WARNING STOPPED. THE FO ADVISED SLC APCH OF THE CLB DUE TO TERRAIN. AVOIDANCE AND APCH TOLD US TO DSND TO 9000 FT MSL ASAP DUE TO TFC ABOVE US. WE DSNDED FROM 9600 FT MSL TO 9000 FT MSL AND WERE VECTORED TO THE RWY 34L LOC. THE FLT CONTINUED THE APCH UNEVENTFULLY TO A LNDG ON RWY 34L. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT NO TIME DURING THE 'PULL UP' MANEUVER DID WE GET ANY RA'S ON TCASII AND THAT OUR ALTDEV DID NOT EXCEED 600 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT. AFTER DISCUSSING THE GPWS 'PULL UP' EVENT WITH SLC APCH, WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE 9000 FT MSL VECTOR ALT IS ROUTINELY USED IN THAT SECTOR AND THAT APPROX 1 FLT OUT OF 10 FLTS EXPERIENCES A GPWS WARNING IN THE AREA WHERE WE GOT OUR WARNING. APCH CTL ALSO CONFIRMED THAT NO TFC CONFLICTS OCCURRED DURING THE 'PULL UP' MANEUVER. SINCE IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY SLC APCH CTL THAT GPWS WARNINGS OCCUR AT 9000 FT MSL IN THIS SECTOR, WHY HASN'T THIS VECTORING ALT BEEN RAISED TO A HT WHERE THE WARNINGS ARE ELIMINATED? A WARNING SHOULD ALSO BE PUBLISHED IN THE SLC SPECIAL PAGES TO ALERT CREWS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A GPWS WARNING IN THIS SECTOR AT 9000 FT MSL. CLRLY, THE POTENTIAL FOR A MID-AIR COLLISION EXISTS HERE WHEN AN ACFT HAS TO EXECUTE A GPWS TERRAIN PULL UP AND WHILE DOING SO, CLBS INTO THE PATH OF INBOUND TFC ABOVE. ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN ASAP TO FIX THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID HE THOUGHT THE GPWS WAS CAUSED BY A HILL ON WHICH THE FAIRFIELD VOR IS LOCATED AT A POINT APPROX 32 MI S OF SLC. RPTR SAID HE HAS FLOWN BY IT DURING VISUAL CONDITIONS AND INDICATED THAT IT IS THE ONLY RISING TERRAIN IN THE AREA. RPTR FELT THAT THE PROB COULD BE RESOLVED IF THE MVA WERE RAISED BY 500 FT. RPTR INDICATED CONCERN FOR BEING IN A POS OF RECEIVING A GPWS BELOW ANOTHER ACFT WHILE PERFORMING THE CLB EVASIVE MANEUVER FROM THE TERRAIN AND WHAT IT MIGHT CAUSE THE OTHER ACFT TO DO IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

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.