Medium Transport; High Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation
Environment - Non Weather Related; Company Policy; Procedure; Weather
We were set up to do the visual approach and circle to runway 33; as Aspen was reporting gusty winds out of the north. I descended through 15000 feet and fully configured the plane for the approach. We were still a bit high on the crossing altitudes on the LOC app that we had up for guidance. I did some maneuvering in an effort to get down. I had the terrain in sight the whole way down. As we neared the fix RAFTR; the terrain GPWS warning went off. We immediately went missed approach and the tower told us to track the Loc 15 missed approach course. We climbed out of the valley and away from the terrain. We ended up getting vectored around for another visual approach and circle to runway 33. We completed the second approach and landing without further incident. I think my descent rate (closure rate) towards the terrain is what set off the warning. I thought I was going to be further south of the terrain that RAFTR is on top of. In the future; I will be more mindful of my descent rates around terrain. This was a good reminder of how a day vmc approach can go wrong. The go around was the correct course of action.
[Report narrative contained no additional information].
An aircraft on a visual approach circling to land ASE Runway 33 in gusty conditions and high on approach developed an excessive rate of descent which triggered the EGPWS TERRAIN PULL UP alert. A go-around was executed followed by a second successful visual circle to land Runway 33.