After receiving GPWS warnings on VOR-B approachs to hdn; B757-200 flight crew diverts to den. Advise...

Attributes
ACN	734698
Time
Date	200704
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hdn.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 9200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	734698
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Chart	airport : hdn.airport approach : vor b

Narrative:

The first time we got the WX for hayden; the winds favored the ILS for runway 10. When we got within 15 mins of the airport we got new WX and the winds and WX had changed and runway 28 was the better option. We briefed the VOR approach because it was IMC for that approach. The approach was going very well and we were right on the VOR radial at our proper altitude. Just as we got to approximately 9200 ft MSL (about 100 ft above an intermediate altitude just prior to the final approach fix) the GPWS went off saying 'terrain; terrain; pull-up; pull-up!' captain did the proper GPWS procedure and went missed approach. We went into holding over the hayden VOR. We calmed down and discussed what had happened. I noted that the screen never turned red; as it did during simulator training. We thought that GPWS system was not working properly. We discussed another approach and decided that if the GPWS went off again that we agreed that the GPWS was not working correctly and we would divert to denver. Even though salt lake city was our alternate; neither one of us had ever been to slc and that we both knew den very well and the WX was good. We informed ZDV of our intentions and did another VOR approach. The GPWS went off again at approximately the same area; so we went missed and got a clearance to den. Upon arrival captain talked to dispatch and the chief pilot on duty. The chief on duty told captain that the company airport pages stated that GPWS might go off during that approach. The pages stated that it is 'recommended' that we fly high on the approach. We could not believe what we were seeing. It was recommending that we fly high in IMC and dive down to the MDA. This is completely against our training and the safety of flight! Dispatch wanted us to go back and we elected not to do so. The greatest reason was that captain had never been to hdn and I had only been there twice in extreme VMC conditions. We were not comfortable staying high on a VOR approach; diving down to the MDA; not knowing what terrain was down there and all of this in IMC. What's wrong with this picture?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER RECEIVING GPWS WARNINGS ON VOR-B APCHS TO HDN; B757-200 FLT CREW DIVERTS TO DEN. ADVISED BY DISPATCH AND FLT MANAGER THAT THEY SHOULD RETURN AND FLY 'HIGH ON THE APCH' TO AVOID THE WARNINGS. REPORTERS REFUSED TO DO SO.

Narrative: THE FIRST TIME WE GOT THE WX FOR HAYDEN; THE WINDS FAVORED THE ILS FOR RWY 10. WHEN WE GOT WITHIN 15 MINS OF THE ARPT WE GOT NEW WX AND THE WINDS AND WX HAD CHANGED AND RWY 28 WAS THE BETTER OPTION. WE BRIEFED THE VOR APCH BECAUSE IT WAS IMC FOR THAT APCH. THE APCH WAS GOING VERY WELL AND WE WERE RIGHT ON THE VOR RADIAL AT OUR PROPER ALT. JUST AS WE GOT TO APPROX 9200 FT MSL (ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE AN INTERMEDIATE ALT JUST PRIOR TO THE FINAL APCH FIX) THE GPWS WENT OFF SAYING 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN; PULL-UP; PULL-UP!' CAPT DID THE PROPER GPWS PROC AND WENT MISSED APCH. WE WENT INTO HOLDING OVER THE HAYDEN VOR. WE CALMED DOWN AND DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I NOTED THAT THE SCREEN NEVER TURNED RED; AS IT DID DURING SIMULATOR TRAINING. WE THOUGHT THAT GPWS SYS WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE DISCUSSED ANOTHER APCH AND DECIDED THAT IF THE GPWS WENT OFF AGAIN THAT WE AGREED THAT THE GPWS WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND WE WOULD DIVERT TO DENVER. EVEN THOUGH SALT LAKE CITY WAS OUR ALTERNATE; NEITHER ONE OF US HAD EVER BEEN TO SLC AND THAT WE BOTH KNEW DEN VERY WELL AND THE WX WAS GOOD. WE INFORMED ZDV OF OUR INTENTIONS AND DID ANOTHER VOR APCH. THE GPWS WENT OFF AGAIN AT APPROX THE SAME AREA; SO WE WENT MISSED AND GOT A CLRNC TO DEN. UPON ARR CAPT TALKED TO DISPATCH AND THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY. THE CHIEF ON DUTY TOLD CAPT THAT THE COMPANY ARPT PAGES STATED THAT GPWS MIGHT GO OFF DURING THAT APCH. THE PAGES STATED THAT IT IS 'RECOMMENDED' THAT WE FLY HIGH ON THE APCH. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WE WERE SEEING. IT WAS RECOMMENDING THAT WE FLY HIGH IN IMC AND DIVE DOWN TO THE MDA. THIS IS COMPLETELY AGAINST OUR TRAINING AND THE SAFETY OF FLT! DISPATCH WANTED US TO GO BACK AND WE ELECTED NOT TO DO SO. THE GREATEST REASON WAS THAT CAPT HAD NEVER BEEN TO HDN AND I HAD ONLY BEEN THERE TWICE IN EXTREME VMC CONDITIONS. WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE STAYING HIGH ON A VOR APCH; DIVING DOWN TO THE MDA; NOT KNOWING WHAT TERRAIN WAS DOWN THERE AND ALL OF THIS IN IMC. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

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.

After receiving GPWS warnings on VOR-B approachs to hdn; B757-200 flight crew diverts to den. Advised by dispatch and flight manager that they should return and fly 'high on the approach' to avoid the warnings. Reporters refused to do so.