Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 130
Situational Awareness; Confusion
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Coming in to ROA we were cleared for the visual approach for Runway 34; I was PM and Captain was PF. We were set up for a left base and kept our descent coming down to 4;000 feet. On the descent down we received a GPWS warning for terrain and Captain took immediate action and we climbed out of the terrain we were near. Captain and I both had our terrain mode on; but it was not showing up on the MFD for both sides. ATC also reported to us if we saw the terrain ahead before we received the GPWS.I believe this started from the beginning of our trip both Captain and I were deadheading from ZZZ to ZZZ1 and the aircraft had a hydraulic issue which made our flight delayed. Which got rid of 2 of our 3 flights that we were supposed to operate and made this flight our first flight of the day together. This was also my first time at ROA and Captain told me that he has been there a couple times before so I was unfamiliar with the airport and the surrounding terrain. With it also being a moonless night it was very hard to see the terrain in front of us and with terrain mode on but it wasn't showing us anything made it very difficult to determine exactly where we were at on the ILS approach plate when we were in VFR conditions. I also should have spoken up when I was looking on the approach plate that the highest terrain was 3;508 and Captain was setting the altitude bug to 4;000 feet. I believe our vertical speed was also a factor but I don't remember exactly what Captain had it set to. Captain and I also debriefed together to figure out what we did wrong and what we did right and learn from our mistakes.Add terrain photos or jepp plates on the 10-7 pages to help with situational awareness.
Cleared for ILS 34 on an extended left base and received the ground proximity warning for terrain on decent to the final approach fix altitude. Initially cleared to altitude on our route to 9;000 feet crossing Pulaski (PSK) [VOR]. After PSK on rout to ROA we were then given a decent down to 6;000 feet. Clear night we called airport in sight for the sight of the rotating beacon we set up for ILS 34. On an extended left base approach control gave us heading 090 and we were cleared for the visual to 34. After our clearance I gave a further turn to heading 100 and tried to widen out the base for Runway 34. With our clearance I descended down to 4;000 initially keeping in mind we had a tailwind until turning on final for Runway 34. On our descent to 4;000 we both switched to terrain mode on the PFD and saw nothing. Initially I was still on my legs page on my IPAD and my First Officer on the approach plate. We got a call from Approach asking us if we know the terrain around us and while he asked leveling at 4;000 we got a a TERRAIN TERRAIN PULL UP WARNING. We exercised the escape maneuver and leveled at 6;000. We replied to the approach that we exercised the escape maneuver and discussed that we thought we were south of the terrain further back. At night it is hard to distinguish that but exercised extreme caution until back on final.Cause - No initial knowledge of the area of terrain at night even in terrain mode on PFD. Cross reference with iPad to select altitude until final. Suggestion - I will hold the last cleared altitude at 6;000 feet and go further out towards the IAF before turning for final and descending to final altitude before glide slope capture.
Air carrier flight crew reported a CFTT event during a visual approach to ROA airport.  Reportedly; ATC advised the crew of the terrain right before they received a GPWS warning.  The crew exercised an escape maneuver.