CL65 receives terrain caution on approach to sba, executes missed approach.

Attributes
ACN	587844
Time
Date	200307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : spa.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	587844
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed missed approach
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While inside the final approach fix, the crew got 'terrain caution message.' we were VFR but could not except the visual approach due to a low cloud layer just south of field. Continued and got the terrain message at which point we immediately executed a missed approach. The only thing that I can think that caused the warning was flying too long at MDA. But the first officer and captain both crosschecked the DME when warning occurred, and we were still over shoreline, so I don't exactly know how to explain the warning.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 RECEIVES TERRAIN CAUTION ON APCH TO SBA, EXECUTES MISSED APCH.

Narrative: WHILE INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX, THE CREW GOT 'TERRAIN CAUTION MESSAGE.' WE WERE VFR BUT COULD NOT EXCEPT THE VISUAL APCH DUE TO A LOW CLOUD LAYER JUST S OF FIELD. CONTINUED AND GOT THE TERRAIN MESSAGE AT WHICH POINT WE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THINK THAT CAUSED THE WARNING WAS FLYING TOO LONG AT MDA. BUT THE FO AND CAPT BOTH XCHKED THE DME WHEN WARNING OCCURRED, AND WE WERE STILL OVER SHORELINE, SO I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THE WARNING.

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.