Narrative:

Flight to las. Takeoff and en route portion of flight proceeded normally through the grnpa arrival. Initially ATC assigned a heading after luxor and we were told to expect runway 25L for landing. After a short time on the vector; ATC changed our landing runway to runway 19L and gave us a new vector toward the stratosphere for a VFR arrival to runway 19L. We were eventually cleared for a visual approach to runway 19L on an approximately 10 mi base leg. The WX was clear and all obstacles were visually seen. After the change in landing runway; I quickly re-briefed the visual approach to include turnoff point and probable taxi route. While flying the approach; I briefed the terrain in front of us; as it was easily seen. I did not brief the MSL altitude of the terrain; but I said I would miss it. On the descent towards final; visually I thought I would easily clear the terrain. As we got closer; the captain asked that I stop my descent as he thought we were going to be too close to the terrain. Just as I started to comply with the captain's request; the GPWS terrain warning went off. I immediately started the recovery as required in the fom. By the time I was going through approximately 15 degrees nose high and had the power going towards maximum; we had climbed approximately 500 ft to approximately 4100 ft MSL. I asked the captain if he was comfortable with where we were and whether I could resume the visual approach to runway 19L. He said yes so I continued to configure and again began descending for the approach. When the incident happened; I was at flaps 5 degrees and 180 KTS. The landing was uneventful. The briefing should state how high the terrain is and an appropriate altitude to fly over the terrain on a visual approach and set that altitude in the altitude window. Do not just trust your visual cues. At no time did I feel I was in danger until the captain mentioned that he thought I was too low. I believe I became fixated on checking my position in regard to the runway without referencing the pre-briefed terrain. I was more concerned about not being high on the approach than about the high terrain that was right in front of me. In short; set a safe altitude in the window and don't get fixated on the runway when there are more important obstacles to worry about that are close to you.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW RECEIVES GPWS TERRAIN WARNING WHILE ON VISUAL APPROACH TO RWY 19L AT LAS. AFTER CLIMBING 500 FEET THE APPROACH IS CONTINUED TO A LANDING.

Narrative: FLT TO LAS. TKOF AND ENRTE PORTION OF FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY THROUGH THE GRNPA ARR. INITIALLY ATC ASSIGNED A HDG AFTER LUXOR AND WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 25L FOR LNDG. AFTER A SHORT TIME ON THE VECTOR; ATC CHANGED OUR LNDG RWY TO RWY 19L AND GAVE US A NEW VECTOR TOWARD THE STRATOSPHERE FOR A VFR ARR TO RWY 19L. WE WERE EVENTUALLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L ON AN APPROX 10 MI BASE LEG. THE WX WAS CLR AND ALL OBSTACLES WERE VISUALLY SEEN. AFTER THE CHANGE IN LNDG RWY; I QUICKLY RE-BRIEFED THE VISUAL APCH TO INCLUDE TURNOFF POINT AND PROBABLE TAXI RTE. WHILE FLYING THE APCH; I BRIEFED THE TERRAIN IN FRONT OF US; AS IT WAS EASILY SEEN. I DID NOT BRIEF THE MSL ALT OF THE TERRAIN; BUT I SAID I WOULD MISS IT. ON THE DSCNT TOWARDS FINAL; VISUALLY I THOUGHT I WOULD EASILY CLR THE TERRAIN. AS WE GOT CLOSER; THE CAPT ASKED THAT I STOP MY DSCNT AS HE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE TOO CLOSE TO THE TERRAIN. JUST AS I STARTED TO COMPLY WITH THE CAPT'S REQUEST; THE GPWS TERRAIN WARNING WENT OFF. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED THE RECOVERY AS REQUIRED IN THE FOM. BY THE TIME I WAS GOING THROUGH APPROX 15 DEGS NOSE HIGH AND HAD THE PWR GOING TOWARDS MAXIMUM; WE HAD CLBED APPROX 500 FT TO APPROX 4100 FT MSL. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE WERE AND WHETHER I COULD RESUME THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L. HE SAID YES SO I CONTINUED TO CONFIGURE AND AGAIN BEGAN DSNDING FOR THE APCH. WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED; I WAS AT FLAPS 5 DEGS AND 180 KTS. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE BRIEFING SHOULD STATE HOW HIGH THE TERRAIN IS AND AN APPROPRIATE ALT TO FLY OVER THE TERRAIN ON A VISUAL APCH AND SET THAT ALT IN THE ALT WINDOW. DO NOT JUST TRUST YOUR VISUAL CUES. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL I WAS IN DANGER UNTIL THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT HE THOUGHT I WAS TOO LOW. I BELIEVE I BECAME FIXATED ON CHKING MY POS IN REGARD TO THE RWY WITHOUT REFING THE PRE-BRIEFED TERRAIN. I WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT NOT BEING HIGH ON THE APCH THAN ABOUT THE HIGH TERRAIN THAT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. IN SHORT; SET A SAFE ALT IN THE WINDOW AND DON'T GET FIXATED ON THE RWY WHEN THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT OBSTACLES TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ARE CLOSE TO YOU.

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.