MD80 ACTIVATES GPWS 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN' DURING DSCNT INTO NEWBURGH; NY.

Narrative

ON DSCNT INTO NEWBURGH; NY; CLRED FROM 13000 FT TO 6000 FT MSL; WHILE BEING VECTORED OFF THE AIRWAYS W-NW OF ARPT IN APPROX VICINITY OF NDB; GPWS SOUNDED WITH TERRAIN WARNING. COPLT INITIATED FLT TRAINING ESCAPE PROC BUT CAPT PUSHED ACFT BACK OVER AND TOLD FO TO LEVEL OFF AT 6000 FT ASSIGNED. MOUNTAINS WERE VISIBLE IMMEDIATELY BELOW ACFT AND THE R SIDE THROUGH CLOUD LAYER. TERRAIN WARNING CONTINUED TO SOUND AS ACFT TRACKED E. THE CAPT WAS RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHILE ATC VECTORED ACFT FURTHER E. THE TERRAIN WARNING CEASED AFTER APPROX 3 MINS. CAPT BELIEVES SYS MALFUNCTIONED. FO IS UNSURE AND WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO CONTINUE EVASIVE PROCS. NO MAINT ENTRY WAS MADE. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX RPTED BEING CONCERNED WITH ACFT PROX TO MOUNTAINS WHILE HEARING GPWS TERRAIN WARNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR DISAGREED WITH THE CAPT REGARDING THE PROC FOR SILENCING THE GPWS. RPTR EXECUTED MANEUVER THE COMPANY DICTATES FOR THE GPWS TO BE SILENCED. THIS WAS TO CLB UNTIL WARNING SILENCED. CAPT PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND TOLD THE FLYING FO TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT. CAPT STATED IT WAS AN ERRONEOUS WARNING; BUT THE FO WAS UNSURE. FO COULD SEE MOUNTAINS IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND TO THE R AS SHE LOOKED THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK. FO JUST WANTED TO BE COMPLETELY SAFE. CAPT SAID THE GPWS WAS AT FAULT; BUT DID NOT WRITE IT UP FOR MAINT TO FIX WHEN THE FLT WAS CONCLUDED. FO REVIEWED INCIDENT WITH COMPANY TRAINING DEPT AND THEY STATED SHE TOOK THE PROPER ACTION. THEIR INSTRUCTION WHEN A GPWS SOUNDS; IS TO CLB UNTIL THE WARNING SILENCES.