Narrative:

While cruising at 7000 ft we were cleared to 6000 ft by subic approach. At this time we were about 30 mi east of subic and cleared for the VOR approach to runway 7. The first officer was flying. He set 6000 ft in the altitude alert window and commenced the descent. Soon thereafter, we heard '1000 ft' from the GPWS. This is the normal call for 1000 ft above the ground not 1000 ft prior to leveloff. I looked at the radar altimeter and it was indicating we were more than 2500 ft above the ground. Then we heard 'too low terrain, too low terrain.' the first officer immediately initiated the GPWS escape maneuver, while I explained our situation to subic approach. Approach said that we were above minimum vectoring altitude and 6000 ft was no problem. We climbed and then proceeded to the subic VOR and completed the approach. After landing we analyzed the terrain in the area of the warning and found that we were well above the terrain. This was most likely a false alert. There have been numerous false alerts since 1994. Also occurring during this event was the mishandling of the escape maneuver by the first officer. During the maneuver, the first officer let the pitch get to above 35 degrees and the airspeed to 160 KTS plus or minus. Also during the recovery he had the bank over 30 degrees. Numerous times I instructed the first officer to lower the nose and level the wings but his aggressiveness and nervousness caused him to continue to climb until I attempted to take over. He, at first, would not let go of the controls and we finally leveled the aircraft at 11500 ft plus or minus. This first officer is an experienced and capable crew member with more than 4 yrs in the aircraft. When we discussed the event on the ground, he was surprised at what he did and commented that he paid no attention to the instruments. Also he mentioned that during recurrent training, although they practiced the GPWS escape maneuver as a crew, he had not handled the controls during the practice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CREW REACTS TO FALSE GPWS WARNING. PF DEMONSTRATES NON PROFICIENCY, BUT RECOVERS.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT 7000 FT WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT BY SUBIC APCH. AT THIS TIME WE WERE ABOUT 30 MI E OF SUBIC AND CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH TO RWY 7. THE FO WAS FLYING. HE SET 6000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW AND COMMENCED THE DSCNT. SOON THEREAFTER, WE HEARD '1000 FT' FROM THE GPWS. THIS IS THE NORMAL CALL FOR 1000 FT ABOVE THE GND NOT 1000 FT PRIOR TO LEVELOFF. I LOOKED AT THE RADAR ALTIMETER AND IT WAS INDICATING WE WERE MORE THAN 2500 FT ABOVE THE GND. THEN WE HEARD 'TOO LOW TERRAIN, TOO LOW TERRAIN.' THE FO IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE GPWS ESCAPE MANEUVER, WHILE I EXPLAINED OUR SIT TO SUBIC APCH. APCH SAID THAT WE WERE ABOVE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AND 6000 FT WAS NO PROB. WE CLBED AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE SUBIC VOR AND COMPLETED THE APCH. AFTER LNDG WE ANALYZED THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA OF THE WARNING AND FOUND THAT WE WERE WELL ABOVE THE TERRAIN. THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A FALSE ALERT. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FALSE ALERTS SINCE 1994. ALSO OCCURRING DURING THIS EVENT WAS THE MISHANDLING OF THE ESCAPE MANEUVER BY THE FO. DURING THE MANEUVER, THE FO LET THE PITCH GET TO ABOVE 35 DEGS AND THE AIRSPD TO 160 KTS PLUS OR MINUS. ALSO DURING THE RECOVERY HE HAD THE BANK OVER 30 DEGS. NUMEROUS TIMES I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO LOWER THE NOSE AND LEVEL THE WINGS BUT HIS AGGRESSIVENESS AND NERVOUSNESS CAUSED HIM TO CONTINUE TO CLB UNTIL I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OVER. HE, AT FIRST, WOULD NOT LET GO OF THE CTLS AND WE FINALLY LEVELED THE ACFT AT 11500 FT PLUS OR MINUS. THIS FO IS AN EXPERIENCED AND CAPABLE CREW MEMBER WITH MORE THAN 4 YRS IN THE ACFT. WHEN WE DISCUSSED THE EVENT ON THE GND, HE WAS SURPRISED AT WHAT HE DID AND COMMENTED THAT HE PAID NO ATTN TO THE INSTS. ALSO HE MENTIONED THAT DURING RECURRENT TRAINING, ALTHOUGH THEY PRACTICED THE GPWS ESCAPE MANEUVER AS A CREW, HE HAD NOT HANDLED THE CTLS DURING THE PRACTICE.

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.