A320
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors
While on right base leg to Runway 28L at 3;000 FT. we were given a visual and accepted as airport was in sight. Airplane was at 170 KIAS and at flaps 3 with autopilot on. The vector put us on a heading to intercept final at 90 degree angle to final 28L and inside the FAF PITTZ which has a glide slope intercept altitude of 3;000 FT. The glide slope for 28L indicated we were high so I asked for gear down; managed speed; flaps full and final check as I recall. Then we set 2;000 FT in the altitude window and I selected open descent to start down and attempt to get on vertical profile while still correcting simultaneously to a 60 degree angle to final.We intercepted the glide slope and within 5-6 seconds of starting down we got a 'caution terrain;terrain' warning and immediately went to TOGA and disconnected autopilot and corrected situation and climbed back up to 3;000 MSL. We were 5 miles approximately north of the airport and I estimate we were at 2;500 FT MSL when we got the warning. We were not aligned with Runway 28L when intercepting glide slope but well north of the runway so we had no vertical protection. I then hand flew the airplane towards 28L but we were too high to make a safe landing so we proceeded to line up up with 28L and executed a normal go around and received vectors from ATC to return for a ILS 28L and made a uneventful approach and landing.
In my estimation; we were approximately 2;500 FT MSL (1;500 AGL) when the GPWS was triggered; on a vector of about 210 to pick up Runway 28L for the visual. It appeared we were taken inside the FAF (approximately 2-3 miles) during this vector; and with the field in sight we were cleared for the visual approach. It could have been a Tower or the ridge on the south side of the river that triggered the caution terrain. The weather was VMC so we could see the ground; although we appeared to be high on approach by virtue of our tight vectoring; wich put us on an aggressive intercept to 28L northeast of the field.
A320 Captain flying visual approach to PIT got a GPWS terrain warning; and after adjusting altitude was too high to continue approach.