A319
Flight Crew Commercial
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Airport; Human Factors
On the KENNO2 arrival into Reno; NorCal asked if we had the airport in sight at or near KLOCK. We called the airport and we were cleared for a visual approach to 16R. NorCal provided an MVA of 8700 feet which is what we continued our descent to with Terrain on ND activated. I advised the captain that I would continue on the downwind until just south of TAKLE where I would make a 90 degree turn to base and join the localizer outside of DICEY. Approaching the localizer course; I set the altitude to 6700 feet; reduced airspeed to 180; requested flaps 2; and extended speed brakes to capture the glideslope. As I began the turn to join the glideslope; I noticed the descent rate increasing momentarily to 2100 feet per minute as the IVSI indicator turned yellow. Simultaneously with the turn onto the localizer; a terrain warning was activated. Although I'm uncertain of the exact altitude at this time; I estimate it to have been near 7000 feet as 6700 feet was selected in the FCU. I initiated the escape maneuver immediately; and the warning ceased instantly. By the time we were wings level; we were on the localizer with the runway still in sight. I continued the approach and landed uneventfully. Having thought about the event since its occurrence; and having reviewed the charts over and over again; I suspect that the momentarily high rate of descent in the turn with flaps 2 and speedbrakes; along with a hill west of the localizer may have caused the terrain warning; such that at the time of the high rate of descent in the turn; the computer was sweeping ahead and as we briefly faced the hill west of the localizer; it issued the warning. In hindsight; regardless of the visibility; we should have asked for vectors to the localizer; and should have executed a go around after the escape maneuver with a return back to the localizer via vectors.
A319 First Officer experiences an EGPWS terrain warning during a night visual approach to Runway 16R at RNO. Evasive action is taken initially then the approach is continued to landing.