Narrative:

Approach control frequency was busy and resulted in us being high for the approach. I notified approach at approximately 10 mi out that this approach (visual to runway 34L) would not be successful. They cleared us to do a 360 degree to the right. This seemed prudent with the terrain display and where we were on the approach chart. The turn would be on the procedure turn side of the localizer. The first officer made a nice; tight 360 degree turn utilizing the autoplt in heading mode to make the turn. The turn was working out well and was going to bring us right back on the localizer. I monitored the navigation display. The aircraft started to roll out of the turn about 40 degrees prior to the localizer alignment. The first officer immediately recognized this and slewed the heading bug around to the final approach course. Suddenly we received a single 'terrain; terrain pull up' warning. The first officer started to advance the thrust levers; perhaps as much in response to the airspeed/confign that the aircraft was in. The warning had stopped and the first officer asked if I wanted to do a go around; all of the warning indications were no longer present; so I told him to continue the approach; which was successful. We had a warning for 2-3 seconds and had not fully reacted (terrain avoidance maneuver) to it and assessed that it was no longer necessary. I believe that the egpws recognized the threat as the aircraft started to roll out of the turn early. However; in hindsight I question whether I should have been more aggressive and directed the maneuver or taken the aircraft and performed it myself. I teach and review this maneuver frequently and have no problem doing or directing a go around/missed approach. Perhaps this type of scenario should be experienced by everyone in the simulator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW REPORTS GPWS WARNING 10 NM SOUTH OF RNO ON THE LOC RWY 34 AT 9000 FEET. WARNING IS MOMENTARY AND FLT CREW CONTINUES FOR LANDING.

Narrative: APCH CTL FREQ WAS BUSY AND RESULTED IN US BEING HIGH FOR THE APCH. I NOTIFIED APCH AT APPROX 10 MI OUT THAT THIS APCH (VISUAL TO RWY 34L) WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. THEY CLRED US TO DO A 360 DEG TO THE R. THIS SEEMED PRUDENT WITH THE TERRAIN DISPLAY AND WHERE WE WERE ON THE APCH CHART. THE TURN WOULD BE ON THE PROC TURN SIDE OF THE LOC. THE FO MADE A NICE; TIGHT 360 DEG TURN UTILIZING THE AUTOPLT IN HDG MODE TO MAKE THE TURN. THE TURN WAS WORKING OUT WELL AND WAS GOING TO BRING US RIGHT BACK ON THE LOC. I MONITORED THE NAV DISPLAY. THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL OUT OF THE TURN ABOUT 40 DEGS PRIOR TO THE LOC ALIGNMENT. THE FO IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THIS AND SLEWED THE HDG BUG AROUND TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. SUDDENLY WE RECEIVED A SINGLE 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN PULL UP' WARNING. THE FO STARTED TO ADVANCE THE THRUST LEVERS; PERHAPS AS MUCH IN RESPONSE TO THE AIRSPD/CONFIGN THAT THE ACFT WAS IN. THE WARNING HAD STOPPED AND THE FO ASKED IF I WANTED TO DO A GAR; ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATIONS WERE NO LONGER PRESENT; SO I TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE THE APCH; WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL. WE HAD A WARNING FOR 2-3 SECONDS AND HAD NOT FULLY REACTED (TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER) TO IT AND ASSESSED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER NECESSARY. I BELIEVE THAT THE EGPWS RECOGNIZED THE THREAT AS THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL OUT OF THE TURN EARLY. HOWEVER; IN HINDSIGHT I QUESTION WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE AND DIRECTED THE MANEUVER OR TAKEN THE ACFT AND PERFORMED IT MYSELF. I TEACH AND REVIEW THIS MANEUVER FREQUENTLY AND HAVE NO PROB DOING OR DIRECTING A GAR/MISSED APCH. PERHAPS THIS TYPE OF SCENARIO SHOULD BE EXPERIENCED BY EVERYONE IN THE SIMULATOR.

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.