Narrative:

On the evening of feb/sun/03, I was in command of a flight from ont to slc. The first officer was flying the aircraft. As we approached slc from the ssw, slc approach initially assigned us runway 34L, and subsequently assigned runway 34R. Regional jet traffic approaching from the southeast was being vectored to runway 34L, causing our flight paths to cross and us to be asked to descend below the rj. Our last clearance for descent prior to the incident was to descend to 9000 ft, expeditiously through 10000 ft, I assume to provide clearance from the rj. During that descent, we received a GPWS terrain warning passing through approximately 10000 ft. We immediately performed the terrain avoidance maneuver, climbing to 11000 ft. During the latter part of the descent and the maneuver, I had the rj in sight, losing sight with it as we leveled at 11000 ft due to WX, but knowing our paths had crossed and were divergent. The GPWS warning ceased soon after the maneuver was initiated. ATC was told of the warning and maneuver. ATC informed us that the MVA in that sector was 9000 ft. We were instructed to turn to 310 degrees to intercept the runway 34R localizer, which we did, continued the approach and landed without further incident. Perhaps crossing traffic to land at opposite sides of the airfield at night in the WX is not a good idea. An expedited descent to the MVA in mountainous terrain is probably not the best idea either. GPWS worked. Excellent simulator training really showed here. First officer reacted immediately and appropriately. Supplemental information from acn 573601: during descent to 9000 ft MSL near ffu, received GPWS warning. I executed 'standard recovery' procedures. Initially, we were cleared from 15000 ft MSL approximately 15 NM ssw of ffu to 11000 ft on a 010 degree heading to intercept runway 34R localizer at slc. At approximately 12500 ft, I put 9000 ft in the MCP altitude window and '-2000' in the 'vertical speed' window for a 2000 FPM descent. At approximately 9500 ft MSL, we received a GPWS terrain warning. I disengaged both autothrottle and autoplt. I estimate the warnings stopped as we were passing 10000 ft in the climb. Controller stated he never showed us below 9100 ft MSL. We reported this incident to maintenance so the engines could be inspected for possible over boost.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW EXECUTED A GPWS EMER ESCAPE MANEUVER WITH CLB UNTIL THE GPWS TERRAIN WARNING STOPPED. ACFT WAS ABOVE THE MVA AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE IN SLC CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF FEB/SUN/03, I WAS IN COMMAND OF A FLT FROM ONT TO SLC. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AS WE APCHED SLC FROM THE SSW, SLC APCH INITIALLY ASSIGNED US RWY 34L, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED RWY 34R. REGIONAL JET TFC APCHING FROM THE SE WAS BEING VECTORED TO RWY 34L, CAUSING OUR FLT PATHS TO CROSS AND US TO BE ASKED TO DSND BELOW THE RJ. OUR LAST CLRNC FOR DSCNT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT WAS TO DSND TO 9000 FT, EXPEDITIOUSLY THROUGH 10000 FT, I ASSUME TO PROVIDE CLRNC FROM THE RJ. DURING THAT DSCNT, WE RECEIVED A GPWS TERRAIN WARNING PASSING THROUGH APPROX 10000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY PERFORMED THE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER, CLBING TO 11000 FT. DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE DSCNT AND THE MANEUVER, I HAD THE RJ IN SIGHT, LOSING SIGHT WITH IT AS WE LEVELED AT 11000 FT DUE TO WX, BUT KNOWING OUR PATHS HAD CROSSED AND WERE DIVERGENT. THE GPWS WARNING CEASED SOON AFTER THE MANEUVER WAS INITIATED. ATC WAS TOLD OF THE WARNING AND MANEUVER. ATC INFORMED US THAT THE MVA IN THAT SECTOR WAS 9000 FT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO 310 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 34R LOC, WHICH WE DID, CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PERHAPS XING TFC TO LAND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE AIRFIELD AT NIGHT IN THE WX IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. AN EXPEDITED DSCNT TO THE MVA IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST IDEA EITHER. GPWS WORKED. EXCELLENT SIMULATOR TRAINING REALLY SHOWED HERE. FO REACTED IMMEDIATELY AND APPROPRIATELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573601: DURING DSCNT TO 9000 FT MSL NEAR FFU, RECEIVED GPWS WARNING. I EXECUTED 'STANDARD RECOVERY' PROCS. INITIALLY, WE WERE CLRED FROM 15000 FT MSL APPROX 15 NM SSW OF FFU TO 11000 FT ON A 010 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT RWY 34R LOC AT SLC. AT APPROX 12500 FT, I PUT 9000 FT IN THE MCP ALT WINDOW AND '-2000' IN THE 'VERT SPD' WINDOW FOR A 2000 FPM DSCNT. AT APPROX 9500 FT MSL, WE RECEIVED A GPWS TERRAIN WARNING. I DISENGAGED BOTH AUTOTHROTTLE AND AUTOPLT. I ESTIMATE THE WARNINGS STOPPED AS WE WERE PASSING 10000 FT IN THE CLB. CTLR STATED HE NEVER SHOWED US BELOW 9100 FT MSL. WE RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO MAINT SO THE ENGS COULD BE INSPECTED FOR POSSIBLE OVER BOOST.

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.