DURING A VMC NIGHT APCH FLT CREW RECEIVED SEVERAL GPWS 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN' WARNINGS DURING BASE TURN TO FINAL.

Narrative

FO'S LEG. WE TALKED ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF THE TERRAIN; HAD THE GPWS SET ON 20 MI; HAD 5 MI RWY EXTENSION SET IN THE BOX AND BRIEFED WE COULD GET RECOMMENDED ALTS. WE ALSO HAD THE LOC FOR RWY 26 SET IN ORDER TO GET DME. FO COULD NOT SEE THE FIELD BECAUSE OF CROSSCOCKPIT AND HE BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH ORIENTATION OF THE FIELD. FULLY CONFIGURED ON L DSNDING BASE WITH 25 KT TAILWIND; WE RECEIVED A 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN' WARNING. AS SOON AS THE PWR WAS APPLIED AND THE NOSE PASSED LEVEL; THE WARNING CEASED. THE FO RELEASED BACK PRESSURE AND COMMENCED DSCNT. AGAIN WE RECEIVED A 'TERRAIN; TERRAIN' WARNING. AGAIN PWR WAS APPLIED AND AS SOON AS THE NOSE STARTED UP THE WARNING STOPPED. NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AFTER THAT. THERE MUST BE SOME WAY TO SET UP WAYPOINTS OR USE THE GPWS TO AVOID THIS FROM HAPPENING IN ABQ. OR EVEN WORSE A CONTACT WITH THE GND. THE GPWS WAS MOSTLY GREEN; WITH A LITTLE YELLOW; I LOOKED OUT AT THE ARPT AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW WE RECEIVED THE WARNING AND THE GPWS WAS RED. I WAS SURPRISED BY THE SUDDENNESS. IT WAS VERY DARK AND THE MOUNTAINS E OF THE FIELD WERE INVISIBLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 684069: NIGHT APCH INTO ABQ; WINDS 260 DEGS AT 25-30 KTS; SO WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 26.