Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airport; Chart Or Publication; Procedure
Coming into CHO at night we could never hear the ATIS until about 45 miles out due to the same ATIS frequency with Chambers Field so we planned on Runway 21 straight in landing. Checked on and asked for Runway 21 and then changed us to Runway 3 because of the winds. I have been into this airport before many times but never from this direction from the north. I know significant terrain exists west of the airport but we were staying on the east side of the field on our right downwind at 3;000 feet on a clear night so terrain wasn't my immediate thought. We were cleared the visual approach Runway 3 and the Captain set in 2;200 feet which was about 1;500-1;600 feet AGL which is normal pattern altitude. At 2;200 feet we got a terrain EGPWS and climbed back up to our vectoring altitude of 3;000 feet and the EGPWS message cleared. At that time Tower gave us a low altitude alert as we climbed. We proceeded to the airport and landed uneventfully.The chart pages mention terrain up to 4;000 feet 10 miles west of the airport but make no mention of any terrain to the east. Looking at the MSA on the ILS Runway 3 shows an MSA of 2;000 feet in the east quadrant so I was confused but then realized it was referencing GVE which is east of the field. So we were in the west quadrant which has a higher MSA so that was an error.Definitely pay attention to the terrain more carefully. An airport doesn't have to be a designated mountainous airport to be a terrain threat.
On a night VMC approach to CHO from the east; an air carrier EGPWS alerted at 2;200 feet just as ATC issued a low altitude alerted so the crew climbed to 3;000 feet then continued the approach to a normal landing.