Narrative:

We were flying a night visual approach to runway 34L at rno. We were on a right downwind at 9000 ft. There was a heavy overcast layer north of the airport but it was perfectly clear south of the airport. We had the field in sight and the terrain was highly visible due to the reflectivity of the snow caps on the mountains. We were cleared the visual abeam the fix giger. When we were cleared for the visual I kicked off the autoplt and started a r-hand turn to the airport. As I did this; the plane descended 200 ft. We got a 'terrain; terrain; pull up' alert. The autoplt was already off and the speed brakes were in. I simultaneously leveled the wings; raised the nose and began to add power. The alert immediately went away. I did not go to 'emergency thrust' because the alert went away so quickly. I never did apply emergency thrust because the alert went away immediately. Also; I was in a B-300 series with inoperative pmc's. We had spent the previous day flying a B-300 series with inoperative pmc's. That's 2 days of conditioning to move the throttles slower and smoother than usual. While this could be taken into consideration as a factor in some situations; I really don't think any pilot would have instantly fire-walled the throttles in this situation. I am a rule follower and do not selectively interpret the fom. This was just an unusual case where the alert went away before we could fully complete the procedure. I don't think there are any preventive measures to be taken. The alerting system worked as designed and we took action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW RECEIVES GPWS TERRAIN WARNING WHILE ON VISUAL APPROACH TO RWY 34L AT RNO.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34L AT RNO. WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND AT 9000 FT. THERE WAS A HVY OVCST LAYER N OF THE ARPT BUT IT WAS PERFECTLY CLR S OF THE ARPT. WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THE TERRAIN WAS HIGHLY VISIBLE DUE TO THE REFLECTIVITY OF THE SNOW CAPS ON THE MOUNTAINS. WE WERE CLRED THE VISUAL ABEAM THE FIX GIGER. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL I KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED A R-HAND TURN TO THE ARPT. AS I DID THIS; THE PLANE DSNDED 200 FT. WE GOT A 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN; PULL UP' ALERT. THE AUTOPLT WAS ALREADY OFF AND THE SPD BRAKES WERE IN. I SIMULTANEOUSLY LEVELED THE WINGS; RAISED THE NOSE AND BEGAN TO ADD PWR. THE ALERT IMMEDIATELY WENT AWAY. I DID NOT GO TO 'EMER THRUST' BECAUSE THE ALERT WENT AWAY SO QUICKLY. I NEVER DID APPLY EMER THRUST BECAUSE THE ALERT WENT AWAY IMMEDIATELY. ALSO; I WAS IN A B-300 SERIES WITH INOP PMC'S. WE HAD SPENT THE PREVIOUS DAY FLYING A B-300 SERIES WITH INOP PMC'S. THAT'S 2 DAYS OF CONDITIONING TO MOVE THE THROTTLES SLOWER AND SMOOTHER THAN USUAL. WHILE THIS COULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS A FACTOR IN SOME SITUATIONS; I REALLY DON'T THINK ANY PLT WOULD HAVE INSTANTLY FIRE-WALLED THE THROTTLES IN THIS SITUATION. I AM A RULE FOLLOWER AND DO NOT SELECTIVELY INTERPRET THE FOM. THIS WAS JUST AN UNUSUAL CASE WHERE THE ALERT WENT AWAY BEFORE WE COULD FULLY COMPLETE THE PROC. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN. THE ALERTING SYS WORKED AS DESIGNED AND WE TOOK ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.