I'm not familiar with the specific GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System) in the AE Saabs. However, in general, they operate on predicition -- i.e., your current flight path will take you into terrain. They are NOT something like a radar altimeter that's telling you an absolute distance from terrain. Instead, they are designed on the principle of "if you continue this for XX seconds, you're in trouble."

So it is possible that they simply had a good sink rate (descent) going and triggered the GPWS because, if they didn't arrest the sink rate they would hit some terrain.

I know for a fact that high approaches descending into BUR generate GPWS alarms, for example, because there's a ridge that you are often descended towards, then you arrest the sink, sail beyond the ridge, and continue the descent. When you are starting the approach higher than normal, your sink rate towards that navigational fix is high enough that the GPWS gets concerned you will descend into the ridge, and the alarm goes off.

Steve

[edited to explain what GPWS stands for and not appear too pilot-geeky]

[This message has been edited by sllevin (edited 03-10-2003).]

[This message has been edited by sllevin (edited 03-10-2003).]

[This message has been edited by sllevin (edited 03-10-2003).]