Narrative:

We departed las runway 25 on the idale departure. Takeoff was normal, we climbed through 400 ft. LNAV was engaged. Through 4000 ft MSL, we were cleared direct idale and we climbed to 8000 ft. We were given a traffic alert for traffic overhead. We were in IMC conditions at 7000 MSL, but I was able to observe the overhead traffic as it passed above. We were cleared direct shead intersection at 8000 ft in IMC conditions. We remained there for several mins and I remember thinking about 8000 ft being a little low for the area we were in, and I was mentally trying to recall the crossing distances and altitudes for the skebr arrival, because 8000 ft seemed low for our position. It was less than 20 seconds later, we got the 'terrain, terrain, pull up' warning and we were in solid IMC. The captain immediately disconnected the autoplt and pitched to 20 degrees up, while adding full power, and we began climbing. Through 10300 ft, the controller gave us a climb to FL180 and a turn to 180 degrees. While still rapidly climbing, I informed the controller we received a terrain warning. Controller's voice was 'nervous, apologetic' and replied 'right, that's why I gave you that heading' or something similar. I then replied 'we are IMC,' and he again said something to the effect of 'that's why I turned you...'. The captain and I were both a little shaken by the event, but we both noticed that the warning had stopped very quickly after our climb had begun. After a frequency change, the next controller advised us to contact las TRACON upon arrival at destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC, ON ALT RESTR LAS IDALE SID, INITIATES GPWS ESCAPE MANEUVER APPROX 18 MI SW OF LAS IN IFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED LAS RWY 25 ON THE IDALE DEP. TKOF WAS NORMAL, WE CLBED THROUGH 400 FT. LNAV WAS ENGAGED. THROUGH 4000 FT MSL, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT IDALE AND WE CLBED TO 8000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN A TFC ALERT FOR TFC OVERHEAD. WE WERE IN IMC CONDITIONS AT 7000 MSL, BUT I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE OVERHEAD TFC AS IT PASSED ABOVE. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT SHEAD INTXN AT 8000 FT IN IMC CONDITIONS. WE REMAINED THERE FOR SEVERAL MINS AND I REMEMBER THINKING ABOUT 8000 FT BEING A LITTLE LOW FOR THE AREA WE WERE IN, AND I WAS MENTALLY TRYING TO RECALL THE XING DISTANCES AND ALTS FOR THE SKEBR ARR, BECAUSE 8000 FT SEEMED LOW FOR OUR POS. IT WAS LESS THAN 20 SECONDS LATER, WE GOT THE 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP' WARNING AND WE WERE IN SOLID IMC. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PITCHED TO 20 DEGS UP, WHILE ADDING FULL PWR, AND WE BEGAN CLBING. THROUGH 10300 FT, THE CTLR GAVE US A CLB TO FL180 AND A TURN TO 180 DEGS. WHILE STILL RAPIDLY CLBING, I INFORMED THE CTLR WE RECEIVED A TERRAIN WARNING. CTLR'S VOICE WAS 'NERVOUS, APOLOGETIC' AND REPLIED 'RIGHT, THAT'S WHY I GAVE YOU THAT HDG' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. I THEN REPLIED 'WE ARE IMC,' AND HE AGAIN SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'THAT'S WHY I TURNED YOU...'. THE CAPT AND I WERE BOTH A LITTLE SHAKEN BY THE EVENT, BUT WE BOTH NOTICED THAT THE WARNING HAD STOPPED VERY QUICKLY AFTER OUR CLB HAD BEGUN. AFTER A FREQUENCY CHANGE, THE NEXT CTLR ADVISED US TO CONTACT LAS TRACON UPON ARR AT DEST.

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.