A DH8 flight crew descends towards higher terrain after being cleared for the visual approach during...

Attributes
ACN	382673
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13600 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	382673
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I don't think that this is a potential violation, it could have been an equipment malfunction, but it definitely was an 'I'm never going to do that again.' I was cleared for a visual approach into runway 24 at roa about 15 mi out and I was on a 270 degree heading. It was a very clear, very dark night. The hills east of roa were just black spots on the surface and I could not tell where the tops of the hills were. I have flown into roa several times and pretty much knew where the hills were plus the first officer and myself had been watching the terrain and comparing it to the approach plate and the roads on the ground. I was making a very gradual descent into a position just east of runway 24 so that I could turn for a 2 mi final. It looked like I was on a normal approach path but there is no VASI into runway 24. At about 10 mi out I noticed the radar altimeter start decreasing pretty fast and I looked out to make sure we were away from the hills and everything looked good. Then the GPWS started saying 'terrain.' when I looked back at the radar altitude again it said 1080 ft. I added power, pitched up, and looked at the radar altitude again and it said 1800 ft. The GPWS continued to scream and after about 3 more times of hearing 'terrain' I thought that this was silly and I'm scaring the people for no reason. I punched the red light and turned it off and continued for a normal approach and landing. A few days later I flew into roa during the day and took a good look at the situation and followed the VOR DME approach in visual conditions. I couldn't tell what set off the GPWS from before but I felt real safe going to the clart intersection at 3700 ft and doing a visual approach from that position. Although you can't descend from 2.8 DME into runway 24, you can do a normal descent from the clart intersection and this keeps you clear of the hills. All of my visual approachs into 'mountainous' airports will be done in this manner from now on. Which makes me think, why doesn't ATC have a clearance that states 'cleared for the visual VOR (ILS, etc) approach' where appropriate!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DH8 FLC DSNDS TOWARDS HIGHER TERRAIN AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH DURING A NIGHT OP. PIC WAS NOT FOLLOWING ANY PUBLISHED APCH PROCS WHILE 10-15 MI E OF ROA, VA.

Narrative: I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL VIOLATION, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EQUIP MALFUNCTION, BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS AN 'I'M NEVER GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN.' I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH INTO RWY 24 AT ROA ABOUT 15 MI OUT AND I WAS ON A 270 DEG HDG. IT WAS A VERY CLR, VERY DARK NIGHT. THE HILLS E OF ROA WERE JUST BLACK SPOTS ON THE SURFACE AND I COULD NOT TELL WHERE THE TOPS OF THE HILLS WERE. I HAVE FLOWN INTO ROA SEVERAL TIMES AND PRETTY MUCH KNEW WHERE THE HILLS WERE PLUS THE FO AND MYSELF HAD BEEN WATCHING THE TERRAIN AND COMPARING IT TO THE APCH PLATE AND THE ROADS ON THE GND. I WAS MAKING A VERY GRADUAL DSCNT INTO A POS JUST E OF RWY 24 SO THAT I COULD TURN FOR A 2 MI FINAL. IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS ON A NORMAL APCH PATH BUT THERE IS NO VASI INTO RWY 24. AT ABOUT 10 MI OUT I NOTICED THE RADAR ALTIMETER START DECREASING PRETTY FAST AND I LOOKED OUT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE AWAY FROM THE HILLS AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. THEN THE GPWS STARTED SAYING 'TERRAIN.' WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE RADAR ALT AGAIN IT SAID 1080 FT. I ADDED PWR, PITCHED UP, AND LOOKED AT THE RADAR ALT AGAIN AND IT SAID 1800 FT. THE GPWS CONTINUED TO SCREAM AND AFTER ABOUT 3 MORE TIMES OF HEARING 'TERRAIN' I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SILLY AND I'M SCARING THE PEOPLE FOR NO REASON. I PUNCHED THE RED LIGHT AND TURNED IT OFF AND CONTINUED FOR A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. A FEW DAYS LATER I FLEW INTO ROA DURING THE DAY AND TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT THE SIT AND FOLLOWED THE VOR DME APCH IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. I COULDN'T TELL WHAT SET OFF THE GPWS FROM BEFORE BUT I FELT REAL SAFE GOING TO THE CLART INTXN AT 3700 FT AND DOING A VISUAL APCH FROM THAT POS. ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T DSND FROM 2.8 DME INTO RWY 24, YOU CAN DO A NORMAL DSCNT FROM THE CLART INTXN AND THIS KEEPS YOU CLR OF THE HILLS. ALL OF MY VISUAL APCHS INTO 'MOUNTAINOUS' ARPTS WILL BE DONE IN THIS MANNER FROM NOW ON. WHICH MAKES ME THINK, WHY DOESN'T ATC HAVE A CLRNC THAT STATES 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL VOR (ILS, ETC) APCH' WHERE APPROPRIATE!

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.

A DH8 flight crew descends towards higher terrain after being cleared for the visual approach during a night operation. PIC was not following any published approach procedures while 10-15 mi east of roa, va.