Narrative:

I have just upgraded to captain in the cl-65 canadair regional jet. I have approximately 56 hours as PIC in this aircraft. We were on an IFR flight from rdu to swf. I was the pilot not flying, the first officer was the pilot flying with the autoplt engaged. We were on V-483 southeast of delancey (dny) VOR between rimba and filps around prnce intersection. Note: I would like to know why prnce is shown on the new york VFR sectional chart but is not on the commercial IFR chart? In any case, were at 6000 ft MSL when we were cleared to 4000 ft. Both the first officer and I confirmed this prior to dscnding. I answered the radio call and the first officer selected 4000 on the flight control panel. Then we both pointed at it and said 4000. At approximately 5000 ft MSL we broke out of the clouds and saw the mtns below. We shallowed out our descent as I looked at the commercial chart 45/46 low altitude enroute chart. I noted that the MEA was 6000 ft and was wondering if ATC had a lower MSA. We were about to call ATC when ATC called us and ask for our altitude. We said that we were cleared to 4000 ft. At about this time the GPWS went off and we started a climb. ATC then called us and said to climb to 6000 ft which we did. After another 10 miles or so ATC gave us direct swf and 4000 again. According to the flight crew operating manual, the GPWS will go off between 1650 AGL and 2450 AGL depending on the closure rate with the ground and the aircraft speed. We were never in any danger of hitting the mtns, but only because we saw them. All of this was caused by new york TRACON giving us 4000 ft too early. I would also like to note that after this happened, I discussed this with other crewmembers where I work. They said that the same thing has happened to them. I was simply new and was not expecting the GPWS to go off. I believe that this is a problem that needs to be addressed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after landing, pilot called swf tower, who referred them to N90, but no call was made to N90. Pilot advised that he, and other company air carrier crews, encounter frequent GPWS alerts while on the final approach course to swf and wonder if this is a result of N90 dscnding aircraft too soon or an anomaly with their equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 DSNDS CARJ FLC TO AN ALT ON V483 IN VICINITY OF PRNCE INTXN, ENRTE TO SWF, WHICH REQUIRES A GPWS ESCAPE MANEUVER.

Narrative: I HAVE JUST UPGRADED TO CAPT IN THE CL-65 CANADAIR REGIONAL JET. I HAVE APPROX 56 HRS AS PIC IN THIS ACFT. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT FROM RDU TO SWF. I WAS THE PLT NOT FLYING, THE FO WAS THE PLT FLYING WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. WE WERE ON V-483 SE OF DELANCEY (DNY) VOR BTWN RIMBA AND FILPS AROUND PRNCE INTXN. NOTE: I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY PRNCE IS SHOWN ON THE NEW YORK VFR SECTIONAL CHART BUT IS NOT ON THE COMMERCIAL IFR CHART? IN ANY CASE, WERE AT 6000 FT MSL WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT. BOTH THE FO AND I CONFIRMED THIS PRIOR TO DSCNDING. I ANSWERED THE RADIO CALL AND THE FO SELECTED 4000 ON THE FLT CTL PANEL. THEN WE BOTH POINTED AT IT AND SAID 4000. AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW THE MTNS BELOW. WE SHALLOWED OUT OUR DSCNT AS I LOOKED AT THE COMMERCIAL CHART 45/46 LOW ALTITUDE ENROUTE CHART. I NOTED THAT THE MEA WAS 6000 FT AND WAS WONDERING IF ATC HAD A LOWER MSA. WE WERE ABOUT TO CALL ATC WHEN ATC CALLED US AND ASK FOR OUR ALTITUDE. WE SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE GPWS WENT OFF AND WE STARTED A CLB. ATC THEN CALLED US AND SAID TO CLB TO 6000 FT WHICH WE DID. AFTER ANOTHER 10 MILES OR SO ATC GAVE US DIRECT SWF AND 4000 AGAIN. ACCORDING TO THE FLT CREW OPERATING MANUAL, THE GPWS WILL GO OFF BTWN 1650 AGL AND 2450 AGL DEPENDING ON THE CLOSURE RATE WITH THE GND AND THE ACFT SPEED. WE WERE NEVER IN ANY DANGER OF HITTING THE MTNS, BUT ONLY BECAUSE WE SAW THEM. ALL OF THIS WAS CAUSED BY NEW YORK TRACON GIVING US 4000 FT TOO EARLY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I DISCUSSED THIS WITH OTHER CREWMEMBERS WHERE I WORK. THEY SAID THAT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. I WAS SIMPLY NEW AND WAS NOT EXPECTING THE GPWS TO GO OFF. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER LNDG, PLT CALLED SWF TWR, WHO REFERRED THEM TO N90, BUT NO CALL WAS MADE TO N90. PLT ADVISED THAT HE, AND OTHER COMPANY ACR CREWS, ENCOUNTER FREQUENT GPWS ALERTS WHILE ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO SWF AND WONDER IF THIS IS A RESULT OF N90 DSCNDING ACFT TOO SOON OR AN ANOMALY WITH THEIR EQUIP.

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.