Narrative:

On arrival into mht in excellent visual conditions, we were cleared to 1800 ft MSL by mht approach, and then cleared for a visual approach to runway 17. There are hills clearly visible to the northwest of mht, and our flight path was clear of terrain as we approached the hills. Our rate of descent was approximately 1300 FPM as we approached level off at 1800 ft, and as we passed the hills, we received a single 'terrain, terrain -- pull up!' GPWS warning. We responded by climbing back up to approximately 2300 ft MSL until clear of the hills and then resumed our approach for a normal landing on runway 17. It is my opinion that this was caused by the GPWS reading our momentary rate and angle of descent, and it was valid as a warning, and our response was correct to climb until completely clear of terrain. Not traffic conflicts, no other safety issues, approach was normal and landing was normal. Later review of the approach chart to mht revealed the presence of 3 noted hills to the wnw of mht, elevations indicated on the chart were 2300 ft MSL and 2066 ft MSL respectively. One of these points was the probable cause for the warning, because of the heading to join final that approach control had assigned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW EXECUTED A GPWS EMER ESCAPE MANEUVER WITH CLB UNTIL THE GPWS TERRAIN WARNING STOPPED. ACFT WAS AT THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE, IN MHT CLASS D.

Narrative: ON ARR INTO MHT IN EXCELLENT VISUAL CONDITIONS, WE WERE CLRED TO 1800 FT MSL BY MHT APCH, AND THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17. THERE ARE HILLS CLRLY VISIBLE TO THE NW OF MHT, AND OUR FLT PATH WAS CLR OF TERRAIN AS WE APCHED THE HILLS. OUR RATE OF DSCNT WAS APPROX 1300 FPM AS WE APCHED LEVEL OFF AT 1800 FT, AND AS WE PASSED THE HILLS, WE RECEIVED A SINGLE 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN -- PULL UP!' GPWS WARNING. WE RESPONDED BY CLBING BACK UP TO APPROX 2300 FT MSL UNTIL CLR OF THE HILLS AND THEN RESUMED OUR APCH FOR A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 17. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE GPWS READING OUR MOMENTARY RATE AND ANGLE OF DSCNT, AND IT WAS VALID AS A WARNING, AND OUR RESPONSE WAS CORRECT TO CLB UNTIL COMPLETELY CLR OF TERRAIN. NOT TFC CONFLICTS, NO OTHER SAFETY ISSUES, APCH WAS NORMAL AND LNDG WAS NORMAL. LATER REVIEW OF THE APCH CHART TO MHT REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF 3 NOTED HILLS TO THE WNW OF MHT, ELEVATIONS INDICATED ON THE CHART WERE 2300 FT MSL AND 2066 FT MSL RESPECTIVELY. ONE OF THESE POINTS WAS THE PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE WARNING, BECAUSE OF THE HDG TO JOIN FINAL THAT APCH CTL HAD ASSIGNED.

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.