EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
During final descent into UNV from the southeast; NY Center cleared us for a visual approach to Runway 24. We requested direct WOREX Intersection (FAF on ILS to 24) and were cleared as requested. The First Officer set 3;100 feet on the altitude preselect (platform altitude) and began a visual descent. He did not realize that we would have to overfly a mountain ridge as we continued north toward WOREX. I was distracted and did not realize he had descended so low until we got a GPWS warning for terrain. We both immediately realized what was happening and corrected the situation by climbing to a higher altitude. We were clear of terrain at all times and in day VMC conditions. We continued toward the runway and performed a normal visual approach without incident.I realized the First Officer had descended sooner than I had expected him to; and as I was getting ready to advise him that the GPWS alarm would most likely be triggered due to the mountain ridge; the GPWS went off.Lack of situational awareness. We should have known that descending so soon without the gear down would trigger a GPWS alarm. The First Officer executed a climb to higher altitude. This incident was caused by lack of situational awareness in both pilots. We will use more caution next time when cleared to descend into mountainous terrain.
EMB-145 Captain reported receiving a GPWS terrain alert on a day visual approach into UNV.