Narrative:

Descending into roa for landing. Approach tried to get us to accept a visual approach. There was a cloud deck we would have to descend through so we requested an ILS to runway 33. Given a vector for that. A second voice came on and asked if we would accept an ASR approach. 'It would really help us.' since the final approach appeared clear, we accepted. Were given vectors and a descent to 2500 ft MSL. Our vectors were to the south and southeast of the airport. When we broke out, we were pointed, dead-on, to a huge mountain/hill with an antenna on it. We would clear the hill, but by an unknown amount, so we started a turn to avoid. At that moment we got a 'terrain, terrain' RA from the GPWS. We were nowhere near the centerline of the runway, in fact we were about a mi south of the runway centerline, probably about 5 mi or so from the airport. Our heading paralleled the runway. Had a 'chat' with approach supervisor and he said we were safe, that RA's were common and that training was being conducted. I told him that his version of safe was from sitting in a chair firmly attached to the ground, not having his butt scraped on a hill and that he should take a ride with me and I'd show him what we saw when we broke out. He was not responsive until I said the conversation was going nowhere. ASR's are supposed to line you up with the runway, not with the biggest mountain in the area. I told the supervisor that a terrain RA requires an immediate climb and he said that I should tell approach 'first' and I said I would climb first, then tell approach, that I didn't want my transmission interrupted by a collision with the hill. It was a good thing we got visual before we saw the hill and got the RA. Approach seemed to think it was no big deal. Have talked to the roa facility chief and he promised to look into the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CL65 TURNED DURING A RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH IN VFR CONDITION AFTER OBSERVING A MOUNTAIN STRAIGHT AHEAD AND THEN A GPWAS WARNING HORN.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO ROA FOR LNDG. APCH TRIED TO GET US TO ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH. THERE WAS A CLOUD DECK WE WOULD HAVE TO DSND THROUGH SO WE REQUESTED AN ILS TO RWY 33. GIVEN A VECTOR FOR THAT. A SECOND VOICE CAME ON AND ASKED IF WE WOULD ACCEPT AN ASR APCH. 'IT WOULD REALLY HELP US.' SINCE THE FINAL APCH APPEARED CLR, WE ACCEPTED. WERE GIVEN VECTORS AND A DSCNT TO 2500 FT MSL. OUR VECTORS WERE TO THE S AND SE OF THE ARPT. WHEN WE BROKE OUT, WE WERE POINTED, DEAD-ON, TO A HUGE MOUNTAIN/HILL WITH AN ANTENNA ON IT. WE WOULD CLR THE HILL, BUT BY AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT, SO WE STARTED A TURN TO AVOID. AT THAT MOMENT WE GOT A 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' RA FROM THE GPWS. WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY, IN FACT WE WERE ABOUT A MI S OF THE RWY CTRLINE, PROBABLY ABOUT 5 MI OR SO FROM THE ARPT. OUR HEADING PARALLELED THE RWY. HAD A 'CHAT' WITH APCH SUPVR AND HE SAID WE WERE SAFE, THAT RA'S WERE COMMON AND THAT TRAINING WAS BEING CONDUCTED. I TOLD HIM THAT HIS VERSION OF SAFE WAS FROM SITTING IN A CHAIR FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE GND, NOT HAVING HIS BUTT SCRAPED ON A HILL AND THAT HE SHOULD TAKE A RIDE WITH ME AND I'D SHOW HIM WHAT WE SAW WHEN WE BROKE OUT. HE WAS NOT RESPONSIVE UNTIL I SAID THE CONVERSATION WAS GOING NOWHERE. ASR'S ARE SUPPOSED TO LINE YOU UP WITH THE RWY, NOT WITH THE BIGGEST MOUNTAIN IN THE AREA. I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT A TERRAIN RA REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND HE SAID THAT I SHOULD TELL APCH 'FIRST' AND I SAID I WOULD CLB FIRST, THEN TELL APCH, THAT I DIDN'T WANT MY XMISSION INTERRUPTED BY A COLLISION WITH THE HILL. IT WAS A GOOD THING WE GOT VISUAL BEFORE WE SAW THE HILL AND GOT THE RA. APCH SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. HAVE TALKED TO THE ROA FACILITY CHIEF AND HE PROMISED TO LOOK INTO THE INCIDENT.

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.