Narrative:

We were being vectored up the western side of the san francisco bay at 6000 ft, heading 110 degrees, in the vicinity of the sjc 210 degree radial. The bay approach controller asked us if we had the airport in sight. We confirmed the airport in sight and he cleared us for a fairgrounds visual to sjc runway 30L. At the time we were between the initial fix of the fairgrounds visual and runway 30L. We descended to 5000 ft, the recommended altitude on downwind for the fairgrounds visual approach prior to entering the terminal area. We had previously input the sjc 170 degree radial for 10.5 mi as a pbd in the FMS to help orient ourselves on the visual. When cleared for the fairgrounds visual, the captain directed me to turn right to go direct to the pbd, approximately 130 degrees. In the vicinity of the pbd, we were switched to sjc tower. We checked in and told the tower controller we were turning left base to runway 30L. He then cleared us to land. In the base turn we started descending from 5000 ft to 2500 ft as directed on the fairgrounds visual. Shortly after starting the turn, the captain directed me to tighten up the base turn since we were over high terrain. About 3500 ft, the GPWS warning activated and I immediately executed the escape maneuver. About the same time, the controller gave us an altitude alert. We climbed up to 4500 ft and the GPWS went silent. When the alert sounded, we were approximately 13 DME from the sjc VORTAC. The fairgrounds visual to runway 30L is a dangerous procedure, especially at night. If one follows recommended routing and overflies the sjc 170 degree radial 10.5 DME, he will be in trouble with the terrain around mount umunhum. There is no way this procedure should be flown at night. On dark nights, you cannot see any of the points depicted on the approach plate: the cement plant, power transmission lines, lexington reservoir, or mount umunhum -- especially with the minimum recommended WX of 2500 ft 5 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 FLC ON FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL APCH TO SJC RWY 31 TURNED TOWARD HIGH TERRAIN AND RECEIVED A GPWS WARNING.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED UP THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AT 6000 FT, HDG 110 DEGS, IN THE VICINITY OF THE SJC 210 DEG RADIAL. THE BAY APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE CONFIRMED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND HE CLRED US FOR A FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL TO SJC RWY 30L. AT THE TIME WE WERE BTWN THE INITIAL FIX OF THE FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL AND RWY 30L. WE DSNDED TO 5000 FT, THE RECOMMENDED ALT ON DOWNWIND FOR THE FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL APCH PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TERMINAL AREA. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY INPUT THE SJC 170 DEG RADIAL FOR 10.5 MI AS A PBD IN THE FMS TO HELP ORIENT OURSELVES ON THE VISUAL. WHEN CLRED FOR THE FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL, THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO TURN R TO GO DIRECT TO THE PBD, APPROX 130 DEGS. IN THE VICINITY OF THE PBD, WE WERE SWITCHED TO SJC TWR. WE CHKED IN AND TOLD THE TWR CTLR WE WERE TURNING L BASE TO RWY 30L. HE THEN CLRED US TO LAND. IN THE BASE TURN WE STARTED DSNDING FROM 5000 FT TO 2500 FT AS DIRECTED ON THE FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE TURN, THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO TIGHTEN UP THE BASE TURN SINCE WE WERE OVER HIGH TERRAIN. ABOUT 3500 FT, THE GPWS WARNING ACTIVATED AND I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED THE ESCAPE MANEUVER. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE CTLR GAVE US AN ALT ALERT. WE CLBED UP TO 4500 FT AND THE GPWS WENT SILENT. WHEN THE ALERT SOUNDED, WE WERE APPROX 13 DME FROM THE SJC VORTAC. THE FAIRGROUNDS VISUAL TO RWY 30L IS A DANGEROUS PROC, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IF ONE FOLLOWS RECOMMENDED ROUTING AND OVERFLIES THE SJC 170 DEG RADIAL 10.5 DME, HE WILL BE IN TROUBLE WITH THE TERRAIN AROUND MOUNT UMUNHUM. THERE IS NO WAY THIS PROC SHOULD BE FLOWN AT NIGHT. ON DARK NIGHTS, YOU CANNOT SEE ANY OF THE POINTS DEPICTED ON THE APCH PLATE: THE CEMENT PLANT, PWR XMISSION LINES, LEXINGTON RESERVOIR, OR MOUNT UMUNHUM -- ESPECIALLY WITH THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED WX OF 2500 FT 5 MI.

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.