ACR X GPWS ALERT NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC. EVASIVE ACTION CLB.

Narrative

ON ARR INTO SAN; THE ATIS RPTED ARRS WERE FLYING THE ILS TO RWY 9. DURING VECTORS FOR APCH; AFTER PASSING BARET; THE CTLR RPTED THE WINDS OUT OF LIMITS FOR RWY 9; AND CEILING/VISIBILITY TOO LOW FOR THE LOC APCH TO RWY 27. HE CONTINUED TO VECTOR US WHILE RECHKING THE VISIBILITY. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 7000 FT. EVENTUALLY; OUR VECTOR WAS FOR A TURN TO 090 DEGS; TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS NE OF SAN. ONCE NE OF THE ARPT WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 330 DEGS; AND SHORTLY ANOTHER L TURN TO 210 DEGS. DURING THE TURN TO 210 DEGS; WE RECEIVED A GPWS WARNING AND INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB. THE CAPT WATCHED THE RADIO ALTIMETER AND RPTED A MINIMUM CLOSURE WITH THE TERRAIN OF 1100 FT. PASSING 8000 FT MSL; WE CONTACTED THE APCH CTLR WHO CLRED US TO LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT. HE EXPLAINED THAT HIS MINIMUM VECTORING ALT IN THAT SECTOR IS 7000 FT. APPARENTLY; THE TERRAIN; IN RISING TO 1000 FT IN THAT SECTOR; RISES TOO RAPIDLY FOR THE GPWS. TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL GPWS WARNINGS WITH POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICTS; THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT SHOULD BE RAISED. THERE WAS A LOT OF OTHER TFC BEING VECTORED AROUND THE SAME AREA; AND WE WERE FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE A CONFLICT DURING OUR CLB.