Narrative:

Were told by norcal approach to expect a left downwind into sjc to land runway 12R. We were given a 300 degree heading and a descent to 5000 ft MSL. Upon receiving that clearance; I told the copilot that we would be over high terrain that is to the north of sjc and a GPWS warning might activate. Passing approximately 7000 ft MSL; norcal amended our altitude to 5400 ft MSL. Near the sjc 050 degree radial 10 DME fix we did in fact have a basic mode of the GPWS activate. The warning was 'terrain; terrain; pull up; pull up.' I immediately applied the flight manual steps for this type of warning and climbed the aircraft to approximately 6500 ft MSL. The warning ceased upon the climbing; partly because the radar altimeter was climbing and the fact that we had passed the terrain. I know the area well due to past civilian and military experience and knew that we were never below any terrain while at 5400 ft. The copilot immediately notified norcal that we had reacted to a GPWS event and climbed. Norcal responded that 5400 ft was his MVA in that area. The controller then gave us a 290 degree heading and reclred us to 5400 ft MSL. We also confirmed the altimeter setting for the sjc area with norcal. We had set the altimeters correctly for the local conditions. The left downwind vector to runway 12R is not a normal procedure for norcal but due to the runway confign and the late night it was an option for the controller. I might suggest that norcal reevaluate their MVA in this location and use 6000 ft MSL as the MVA. By the way the MSA for this approach was 5600 ft MSL. The flight proceeded uneventfully from that point and we landed safely on runway 12R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW REPORTS GPWS TERRAIN WARNING AT 5400 FEET 10 NM NE OF SJC WHILE ON VECTORS TO RWY 12.

Narrative: WERE TOLD BY NORCAL APCH TO EXPECT A L DOWNWIND INTO SJC TO LAND RWY 12R. WE WERE GIVEN A 300 DEG HDG AND A DSCNT TO 5000 FT MSL. UPON RECEIVING THAT CLRNC; I TOLD THE COPLT THAT WE WOULD BE OVER HIGH TERRAIN THAT IS TO THE N OF SJC AND A GPWS WARNING MIGHT ACTIVATE. PASSING APPROX 7000 FT MSL; NORCAL AMENDED OUR ALT TO 5400 FT MSL. NEAR THE SJC 050 DEG RADIAL 10 DME FIX WE DID IN FACT HAVE A BASIC MODE OF THE GPWS ACTIVATE. THE WARNING WAS 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN; PULL UP; PULL UP.' I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE FLT MANUAL STEPS FOR THIS TYPE OF WARNING AND CLBED THE ACFT TO APPROX 6500 FT MSL. THE WARNING CEASED UPON THE CLBING; PARTLY BECAUSE THE RADAR ALTIMETER WAS CLBING AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD PASSED THE TERRAIN. I KNOW THE AREA WELL DUE TO PAST CIVILIAN AND MIL EXPERIENCE AND KNEW THAT WE WERE NEVER BELOW ANY TERRAIN WHILE AT 5400 FT. THE COPLT IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED NORCAL THAT WE HAD REACTED TO A GPWS EVENT AND CLBED. NORCAL RESPONDED THAT 5400 FT WAS HIS MVA IN THAT AREA. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A 290 DEG HDG AND RECLRED US TO 5400 FT MSL. WE ALSO CONFIRMED THE ALTIMETER SETTING FOR THE SJC AREA WITH NORCAL. WE HAD SET THE ALTIMETERS CORRECTLY FOR THE LCL CONDITIONS. THE L DOWNWIND VECTOR TO RWY 12R IS NOT A NORMAL PROC FOR NORCAL BUT DUE TO THE RWY CONFIGN AND THE LATE NIGHT IT WAS AN OPTION FOR THE CTLR. I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT NORCAL REEVALUATE THEIR MVA IN THIS LOCATION AND USE 6000 FT MSL AS THE MVA. BY THE WAY THE MSA FOR THIS APCH WAS 5600 FT MSL. THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY FROM THAT POINT AND WE LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 12R.

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.