What happened
On April 13, 2003, an Airbus A310-204 operating a charter flight from Düsseldorf to Faro, Portugal, encountered a terrain warning during its approach to runway 28. The aircraft was flying under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) through a turbulent area. While descending through approximately 3,200 ft, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) issued a "TERRAIN, TERLEIN" and "WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP" alert.
In response to the warning, the flying pilot (a trainee first officer) disconnected the autopilot and autothrottle, increased engine power, and initiated a climb. The pilot in command (PIC) intervened to reduce the pitch angle, which had reached approximately +25°. During this recovery, the aircraft experienced significant vertical acceleration, reaching the upper limit of the operational manual at +2.5 g.
While the passengers were securely belted, four cabin crew members were working in the galleys and were not restrained. The aggressive pitch changes and vertical accelerations caused the crew members to be thrown against the ceiling and galley racks twice, resulting in four minor injuries.