B737-300 crew got a egpws 'terrain' warning at 3800 ft going into runway 29 at oak.

Attributes
ACN	635706
Time
Date	200411
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : mitoe
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3800
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	635706
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After crossing sharr intersection, air carrier X was cleared direct to mitoe intersection. Subsequently we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 29, remain at or above 2000 ft MSL until 6 DME. The highest terrain depicted on the 11-3 for ILS runway 29 is 1834 ft MSL east of mitoe. Though clearance direct mitoe for the visual is standard, I have never been tracking to mitoe from a point as far north as sharr. At approximately 3800 ft MSL and 5 mi east of mitoe we received a terrain warning followed immediately by a pull up command. I immediately disengaged the autoplt and applied heavy back pressure, simultaneously the first officer (PF) applied thrust and the warning ceased. Oak runway 29 and the extended centerline ground track were clearly visible throughout the event. At the completion of the pull up maneuver the aircraft was approximately 1 mi from mitoe and already in a position requiring a turn to intercept the centerline. The 'terr' function of the egpws was on throughout the event but this was a hardball 300 and the radar/terrain display was obscured by the 'speedbook/toldcard' and thrust lever quadrant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW GOT A EGPWS 'TERRAIN' WARNING AT 3800 FT GOING INTO RWY 29 AT OAK.

Narrative: AFTER XING SHARR INTXN, ACR X WAS CLRED DIRECT TO MITOE INTXN. SUBSEQUENTLY WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29, REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT MSL UNTIL 6 DME. THE HIGHEST TERRAIN DEPICTED ON THE 11-3 FOR ILS RWY 29 IS 1834 FT MSL E OF MITOE. THOUGH CLRNC DIRECT MITOE FOR THE VISUAL IS STANDARD, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TRACKING TO MITOE FROM A POINT AS FAR N AS SHARR. AT APPROX 3800 FT MSL AND 5 MI E OF MITOE WE RECEIVED A TERRAIN WARNING FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A PULL UP COMMAND. I IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND APPLIED HVY BACK PRESSURE, SIMULTANEOUSLY THE FO (PF) APPLIED THRUST AND THE WARNING CEASED. OAK RWY 29 AND THE EXTENDED CTRLINE GND TRACK WERE CLRLY VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PULL UP MANEUVER THE ACFT WAS APPROX 1 MI FROM MITOE AND ALREADY IN A POS REQUIRING A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE CTRLINE. THE 'TERR' FUNCTION OF THE EGPWS WAS ON THROUGHOUT THE EVENT BUT THIS WAS A HARDBALL 300 AND THE RADAR/TERRAIN DISPLAY WAS OBSCURED BY THE 'SPEEDBOOK/TOLDCARD' AND THRUST LEVER QUADRANT.

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.