Narrative:

Going to psp heading 260 degrees at 7000 ft approximately 25 mi out we got a GPWS terrain warning. We performed the escape procedure and shortly thereafter broke out of the clouds. We could see the terrain ahead of us so we informed approach control of what we had done and were descending back down to 7000 ft. Approach control then told us he did not understand why we had gotten the warning as he showed us on his radar as being about 1000 ft above his MVA. As we were descending and talking to approach control and trying to figure the problem, we inadvertently and momentarily descended below our 7000 ft assigned altitude. By the time we stopped the descent and started the climb we were about 400 ft low. We then continued and landed. I called approach control after landing and they said they had no problems with the altitude excursion, as it had caused no problems. They appreciated the call and said that they had other aircraft reports of GPWS warnings in that area. They thought we communicated well with them during the event. It is the age old problem of trying to do too many things while flying the aircraft. Lesson learned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING ACR MD80S FLC, CORRECTING FROM A GPWS ESCAPE PROC, OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT WHILE ON VECTOR TO ARPT. AFTER LNDG, PIC CALLS ATC AND SUPVR ADVISES NO PROB WITH ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: GOING TO PSP HDG 260 DEGS AT 7000 FT APPROX 25 MI OUT WE GOT A GPWS TERRAIN WARNING. WE PERFORMED THE ESCAPE PROC AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. WE COULD SEE THE TERRAIN AHEAD OF US SO WE INFORMED APCH CTL OF WHAT WE HAD DONE AND WERE DSNDING BACK DOWN TO 7000 FT. APCH CTL THEN TOLD US HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD GOTTEN THE WARNING AS HE SHOWED US ON HIS RADAR AS BEING ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE HIS MVA. AS WE WERE DSNDING AND TALKING TO APCH CTL AND TRYING TO FIGURE THE PROB, WE INADVERTENTLY AND MOMENTARILY DSNDED BELOW OUR 7000 FT ASSIGNED ALT. BY THE TIME WE STOPPED THE DSCNT AND STARTED THE CLB WE WERE ABOUT 400 FT LOW. WE THEN CONTINUED AND LANDED. I CALLED APCH CTL AFTER LNDG AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NO PROBS WITH THE ALT EXCURSION, AS IT HAD CAUSED NO PROBS. THEY APPRECIATED THE CALL AND SAID THAT THEY HAD OTHER ACFT RPTS OF GPWS WARNINGS IN THAT AREA. THEY THOUGHT WE COMMUNICATED WELL WITH THEM DURING THE EVENT. IT IS THE AGE OLD PROB OF TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS WHILE FLYING THE ACFT. LESSON LEARNED.

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.