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A B737 pilot reports a GPWS terrain alert at 3000 ft crossing the sunol ridge for oak at night. Aircraft was VMC and the terrain height about 2100 ft in the area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 763968 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200711 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : oak.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 231 |
| ASRS Report | 763968 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : gpws other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Cleared direct mitoe and then cleared for the visual runway 29 on a clear night with the airport and the line of 2000 ft ridges (pleasanton; sunol and walport; I believe) between us and the airport in sight. We set 2500 ft in the altitude box and began our descent. At about 15 mi and 3000 ft I began to slow for configuring. I have come in from this direction and on basically the same profile many times before. Shortly thereafter; we received a terrain alert and climbed. The alert discontinued and the remainder of the approach was normal. We had the terrain and clear line of sight to the airport in sight at all times. I will from now on maintain 4000 ft until beyond the ridge line.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS A GPWS TERRAIN ALERT AT 3000 FT CROSSING THE SUNOL RIDGE FOR OAK AT NIGHT. ACFT WAS VMC AND THE TERRAIN HEIGHT ABOUT 2100 FT IN THE AREA.
Narrative: CLRED DIRECT MITOE AND THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL RWY 29 ON A CLR NIGHT WITH THE ARPT AND THE LINE OF 2000 FT RIDGES (PLEASANTON; SUNOL AND WALPORT; I BELIEVE) BTWN US AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE SET 2500 FT IN THE ALT BOX AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT. AT ABOUT 15 MI AND 3000 FT I BEGAN TO SLOW FOR CONFIGURING. I HAVE COME IN FROM THIS DIRECTION AND ON BASICALLY THE SAME PROFILE MANY TIMES BEFORE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE RECEIVED A TERRAIN ALERT AND CLBED. THE ALERT DISCONTINUED AND THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WAS NORMAL. WE HAD THE TERRAIN AND CLR LINE OF SIGHT TO THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. I WILL FROM NOW ON MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL BEYOND THE RIDGE LINE.
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.