Situational Awareness; Workload
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Weather
Weather was 1;000 feet OVC. So we shot the RNAV Runway 18 approach. We crossed the FAF at 3;500 feet MSL and initiated descent to MDA; at approximately 1;000 feet AGL we received a 'terrain- pull up' GPWS warning. We initiated terrain avoidance procedure but as we were about to change configuration. We broke out to VMC conditions and continued the landing with terrain insight.In retrospect; French Valley is surrounded by high terrain and ATC does not have radar below 3;000 feet MSL. You are it. We did not go below MDA and vertical guidance was not available until we became visual.. Without the GPWS you would have little warning that terrain was near. GPWS should be mandatory for this approach..
If our GPWS warning was not spurious; due the lack of ATC radar coverage; for enhanced safety; I would suggest not conducting this approach in IMC past DISEY and below 2;600 feet without an operable GPWS.
While flying the RNAV GPS 18 Approach to F70 a medium sized turbo jet crew reported an EGPWS 'TERRAIN; PULL-UP' on profile at about 2;400 feet; past DISEY; with an 800 feet overcast. Terrain reference was obtained as the terrain avoidance maneuver was initiated so the flight continued to land.