Narrative:

Approach offered visual to runway 15 on pristine evening. Enjoying excellent rapport with first officer (his leg). Had not shot this approach in nearly 10 yrs due to previous problems. Primarily, traffic conflicts over the hills north of airport and problems being high. Due to unusually good visibility in the valley and seemingly little traffic and the terrain mapping feature, I was not adverse to the option. I asked the first officer if he wanted runway 15 and he did. We were on a 110 degree heading and told to expect approach clearance in 5 mi. We were heading into rising terrain. We were aware both visually (silhouette) and with the terrain feature on the radar. We were becoming increasingly anxious for approach clearance. Approach had become busy since our initial call. We received approach clearance, albeit late, and the first officer began a turn to the airport when the GPWS commanded a climb for terrain. I took the aircraft and initiated a climb immediately. I gave the aircraft back to the first officer, but within seconds, the TCASII alerted us to climb at 1500 FPM. Simultaneously, ATC was alerting us to traffic head on, opposite direction. A gulfstream 5 was inbound to van nuys from east of burbank. We passed 300-500 ft directly above the G5. We saw him and he saw us as he commented on frequency that we were 'doing good.' I again returned control of the aircraft to first officer and asked to be sequenced for runway 8 at this time. We landed safely and I made PA at gate describing what happened. In hindsight, I will no longer use runway 15 (particularly at night) unless operationally required. The fact that we have to respond to GPWS commands at night make it unwise. Perhaps ATC should revise procedures so as not to place aircraft on heading into terrain pending approach clearance. If they cannot clear for approach early, then they should consider canceling the approach and turning aircraft west for resequence. While not confirmed, I suspect the G5 conflict may have been the reason for the delay of approach clearance. P.south. Multiple calls made to ATC specialist and no returned call?!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPT RPTED THAT SCT'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ISSUE AN APCH CLRNC TO LAX CAUSED THE CREW TO FIRST REACT TO A GPWS ALERT AND THEN TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: APCH OFFERED VISUAL TO RWY 15 ON PRISTINE EVENING. ENJOYING EXCELLENT RAPPORT WITH FO (HIS LEG). HAD NOT SHOT THIS APCH IN NEARLY 10 YRS DUE TO PREVIOUS PROBS. PRIMARILY, TFC CONFLICTS OVER THE HILLS N OF ARPT AND PROBS BEING HIGH. DUE TO UNUSUALLY GOOD VISIBILITY IN THE VALLEY AND SEEMINGLY LITTLE TFC AND THE TERRAIN MAPPING FEATURE, I WAS NOT ADVERSE TO THE OPTION. I ASKED THE FO IF HE WANTED RWY 15 AND HE DID. WE WERE ON A 110 DEG HDG AND TOLD TO EXPECT APCH CLRNC IN 5 MI. WE WERE HEADING INTO RISING TERRAIN. WE WERE AWARE BOTH VISUALLY (SILHOUETTE) AND WITH THE TERRAIN FEATURE ON THE RADAR. WE WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY ANXIOUS FOR APCH CLRNC. APCH HAD BECOME BUSY SINCE OUR INITIAL CALL. WE RECEIVED APCH CLRNC, ALBEIT LATE, AND THE FO BEGAN A TURN TO THE ARPT WHEN THE GPWS COMMANDED A CLB FOR TERRAIN. I TOOK THE ACFT AND INITIATED A CLB IMMEDIATELY. I GAVE THE ACFT BACK TO THE FO, BUT WITHIN SECONDS, THE TCASII ALERTED US TO CLB AT 1500 FPM. SIMULTANEOUSLY, ATC WAS ALERTING US TO TFC HEAD ON, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. A GULFSTREAM 5 WAS INBOUND TO VAN NUYS FROM E OF BURBANK. WE PASSED 300-500 FT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE G5. WE SAW HIM AND HE SAW US AS HE COMMENTED ON FREQ THAT WE WERE 'DOING GOOD.' I AGAIN RETURNED CTL OF THE ACFT TO FO AND ASKED TO BE SEQUENCED FOR RWY 8 AT THIS TIME. WE LANDED SAFELY AND I MADE PA AT GATE DESCRIBING WHAT HAPPENED. IN HINDSIGHT, I WILL NO LONGER USE RWY 15 (PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT) UNLESS OPERATIONALLY REQUIRED. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO GPWS COMMANDS AT NIGHT MAKE IT UNWISE. PERHAPS ATC SHOULD REVISE PROCS SO AS NOT TO PLACE ACFT ON HEADING INTO TERRAIN PENDING APCH CLRNC. IF THEY CANNOT CLR FOR APCH EARLY, THEN THEY SHOULD CONSIDER CANCELING THE APCH AND TURNING ACFT W FOR RESEQUENCE. WHILE NOT CONFIRMED, I SUSPECT THE G5 CONFLICT MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR THE DELAY OF APCH CLRNC. P.S. MULTIPLE CALLS MADE TO ATC SPECIALIST AND NO RETURNED CALL?!

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.