A320 crew received a GPWS 'terrain, terrain' warning at 7200 ft descending into geg on the hilie 1 S...

Attributes
ACN	541428
Time
Date	200203
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : ropes
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 7200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : geg.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : hilie 1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	541428
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent into geg, we received a terrain warning from the GPWS at approximately 7200 ft. We were just northeast of ropes on the hilie 1 arrival. We were at 250 KTS and had just received clearance to 6000 ft and a heading of 270 degrees. We then went to toga thrust and climbed back up to approximately 9000 ft. The terrain warning stopped at approximately 8000 ft. We informed ATC of our pull up. Then we continued our descent into spokane for a visual approach to runway 21. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft only had GPWS, not egpws. All aircraft equipment was operating normally. There was no evidence of map shift. The aircraft was descending power off at 250 KTS, and 1300-1500 FPM. The aircraft was in and out of the clouds. There was no precipitation present. The radio altimeters were behaving normally. The captain is at a loss as to why the warning was triggered. He submitted a company safety report but has heard nothing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW RECEIVED A GPWS 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN' WARNING AT 7200 FT DSNDING INTO GEG ON THE HILIE 1 STAR.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO GEG, WE RECEIVED A TERRAIN WARNING FROM THE GPWS AT APPROX 7200 FT. WE WERE JUST NE OF ROPES ON THE HILIE 1 ARR. WE WERE AT 250 KTS AND HAD JUST RECEIVED CLRNC TO 6000 FT AND A HDG OF 270 DEGS. WE THEN WENT TO TOGA THRUST AND CLBED BACK UP TO APPROX 9000 FT. THE TERRAIN WARNING STOPPED AT APPROX 8000 FT. WE INFORMED ATC OF OUR PULL UP. THEN WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT INTO SPOKANE FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT ONLY HAD GPWS, NOT EGPWS. ALL ACFT EQUIP WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MAP SHIFT. THE ACFT WAS DSNDING PWR OFF AT 250 KTS, AND 1300-1500 FPM. THE ACFT WAS IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THERE WAS NO PRECIP PRESENT. THE RADIO ALTIMETERS WERE BEHAVING NORMALLY. THE CAPT IS AT A LOSS AS TO WHY THE WARNING WAS TRIGGERED. HE SUBMITTED A COMPANY SAFETY RPT BUT HAS HEARD NOTHING.

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.

A320 crew received a GPWS 'terrain, terrain' warning at 7200 ft descending into geg on the hilie 1 STAR.