Air carrier captain experiences GPWS terrain warning during night visual approach to runway 16R at r...

Attributes
ACN	864875
Time
Date	200912
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	RNO.Airport
State Reference	NV
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 98 Flight Crew Total 8130 Flight Crew Type 348
Events
Anomaly	Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

Flying visual approach to reno runway 16R; backed up with ILS 16R in excellent VMC at night; received GPWS 'caution terrain' followed very shortly by 'pull up' command. Disconnected autopilot and autothrottles; pitched up; and added significant thrust; with result that GPWS activation ceased almost immediately. Altitude gain was 200-300 feet; and firewall thrust was never reached. Point of this event was 2 miles north of dicey intersection descending to 6400 feet. Although we wound up a little above the ILS glide slope; we were able to use normal maneuvers to safely complete the visual approach and landing. I have made this visual approach many times before; but never at night. I have studied in detail the terrain contours along this flight path and so am very familiar with it. In the future I will allow a greater margin at night when I do not have the benefit of good visual cues of unlit terrain; even if it means joining final somewhat above the glidepath.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier Captain experiences GPWS terrain warning during night visual approach to Runway 16R at RNO. The escape maneuver is commenced resulting in the immediate silencing of the warning. Event occurred 2 NM north of DICEY at 6500 feet.

Narrative: Flying visual approach to Reno Runway 16R; backed up with ILS 16R in excellent VMC at night; received GPWS 'caution terrain' followed very shortly by 'Pull up' command. Disconnected autopilot and autothrottles; pitched up; and added significant thrust; with result that GPWS activation ceased almost immediately. Altitude gain was 200-300 feet; and firewall thrust was never reached. Point of this event was 2 miles north of Dicey intersection descending to 6400 feet. Although we wound up a little above the ILS glide slope; we were able to use normal maneuvers to safely complete the visual approach and landing. I have made this visual approach many times before; but never at night. I have studied in detail the terrain contours along this flight path and so am very familiar with it. In the future I will allow a greater margin at night when I do not have the benefit of good visual cues of unlit terrain; even if it means joining final somewhat above the glidepath.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Air carrier captain experiences GPWS terrain warning during night visual approach to runway 16R at rno. The escape maneuver is commenced resulting in the immediate silencing of the warning. Event occurred 2 NM north of dicey at 6500 feet.