An A310 crew, on visual approach to geg, received a GPWS 'too low terrain' warning.

Attributes
ACN	557812
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : geg.vortac
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : geg.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	557812
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Tower controller complacent. Kept aircraft X headed toward geg (field lights were off) until turn to downwind was too close abeam the field. Visual approach with rising terrain to the east, caused actuation of terrain avoidance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A310 CREW, ON VISUAL APCH TO GEG, RECEIVED A GPWS 'TOO LOW TERRAIN' WARNING.

Narrative: TWR CTLR COMPLACENT. KEPT ACFT X HEADED TOWARD GEG (FIELD LIGHTS WERE OFF) UNTIL TURN TO DOWNWIND WAS TOO CLOSE ABEAM THE FIELD. VISUAL APCH WITH RISING TERRAIN TO THE E, CAUSED ACTUATION OF TERRAIN AVOIDANCE.

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.