Date: 201912
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ROA.Airport, VA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: Medium Transport
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class C ROA
ATC / advisory: TRACON ROA
Aircraft component: GPWS
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Check Pilot; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: On our decent into ROA we got a 'Terrain pull up message.' We were being vectored on to final for Runway 6 at 5;200 MSL. It appeared that the controller was vectoring us towards RAMKE a fix on the LDA. We briefed the highest terrain on the approach which was 4;011 MSL and was just to the south of RAMKE. I asked for a vector that would give us more time to get set up on the approach; avoiding that obstacle and making it so we could do a much shallower approach into the valley.  It was a very clear night with a very bright moon which was reflecting light off of the snow on top of the mountains. With the terrain in sight and just passing over the highest part of the mountain we called the airport in sight. The Captain in training started a very slow decent at probably -100 to -300 feet per minute. As soon as he did we got the 'Terrain pull up' aural message. We immediately did an EGPWS escape maneuver which turned off the terrain message immediately. We advised ATC and they advised us to climb to 6;000 on a heading 330. I requested a full LDA for the second approach and we got in just fine.While we had briefed our entry onto the approach extensively the aircraft warning made us react.The cause must have been how we were entering the approach with the mountainous terrain.Performed EGPWS maneuver. I should have requested the full LDA in the first place and avoided any chance of needing to do an escape maneuver. Even though we had great visibility we should have just added the extra 3 minutes and done the approach. Upon our escape maneuver I advised ATC. I also told ATC that this [model of] plane seems to have a very sensitive EGPWS in my experience and in the experience of other people I have talked to. Hoping to help out future controllers and crews avoid this problem I pointed out that we were basically vectored at the highest point on the approach chart. It would not be easy to descend on the approach while remaining stable where our initial heading had us going. After we landed and got to the hotel I received a call from Maintenance wondering if I had written anything up as ATC had advised them that the plane was broken. I think they mistook me telling them this model of aircraft as a whole as me telling them it was just that plane that had the issue. They never did issue a low terrain alert which thinking back may have been a reason they thought it could be that plane. Again in the future I will just do the full LDA approach.


Second narrative: While in radar vectors coming from the south at an altitude of 5;300 MSL in VFR conditions at night; we were cleared for the visual approach Runway 6 over the valley and once we passed the highest point south of RAMKE (FAF); I set on the pre-selected altitude 4;300 and begin a shallow descent of 300 FPM receiving a Terrain Warning around 5;000 feet. We executed a terrain escape maneuver and requesting vectors for the LDA Y Runway 6; landing without any other incident.


Synopsis: Air Carrier flight crew reported receiving a terrain warning inbound to ROA.