Date: 201410
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737-800
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: GPWS
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Distraction
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Automation Aircraft Other Automation
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: At cruise we had briefed the approach and energy management because we were in an -800.  We talked about being configured by ZZZ intersection and treating it like a Localizer Approach even though it was VMC.  First Officer was flying and when we passed ZZZ intersection; we received a TA for a helicopter that Tower had pointed out earlier.  We then received a pull up terrain warning.  I said we have to go; just as the First Officer raised the pitch the warning stopped.  I said continue the approach because we were above glide path and four white on the PAPI and we were on the Localizer. We then received an obstacle caution and we were two white over two red.  We raised the pitch a bit to three white and one red. Continued and landed.   After we debriefed I said I should have stayed with my first reaction on the first warning and gone around; even though it was VMC and runway and PAPI and all terrain was in sight.  We then remembered that the aircraft was written up recently for multiple lightning strikes.  Nevertheless; the correct reaction is the escape maneuver for a warning.


Second narrative: While on approach the flight experienced a series of two GPWS cautions and one GPWS warning while on a visual approach backed up by the Localizer. As a Crew; both the Captain and I fully briefed the visual approach; being backed up by the Localizer and all the step-down altitudes and fixes that were associated with the Localizer Approach chart. We discussed the importance of being stable; fully configured and on speed prior to reaching ZZZ intersection; due to the 3.5 degree descent angle.While passing ZZZ1 intersection at an altitude of 3;600 feet; a Traffic Advisory (TA) was issued by the TCAS for traffic that was on a right base to our landing runway. There was no ATC Traffic Advisory; after making visual contact with the traffic. I started down to our next step-down; again during this entire event we were in visual contact with the airport; airport surroundings; and the runway; runway environment and the PAPI. At this time of leaving our altitude of 3;600 feet; and the TCAS advisory extinguished; we received a GPWS Caution Obstacle. Again during this time; we the Crew; had the PAPI in sight which was showing two red and two white showing us on glide path. Roughly seconds later; the GPWS issued a Pull Up warning; which at that time I disconnected the autothrottles and autopilot and increased the thrust levers and raised the nose; the GPWS warning extinguished. As a crew; we both saw the PAPI showing us clearly four white and well above glide path now after increasing the thrust levers and raising the nose we elected to continue the approach. The descent angle during this entire event never went above 1;000 feet per minute (FPM) nor was the speed at any time beyond the stable criteria for a visual approach. While obeying all altitude crossing restrictions and waypoints on the Localizer Approach; coming across ZZZ at 2;000 feet; fully configured; stable and on-speed; the aircraft once again experienced a caution obstacle GPWS caution. The Captain and I could clearly see we were three white and one red on the PAPI; so again we elected to continue.The Company policies and procedures (QRH non-normal maneuvers/profiles) state that whenever a GPWS caution is issued during a night approach regardless of visual conditions or not; that the Crew must execute a go-around. This would have not lead to the momentary GPWS Pull Up warning.


Synopsis: B737-800 flight crew experiences a TCAS TA and EGPWS cautions and warnings while on a night visual approach. The First Officer makes adjustments to the glide path to silence the warnings although no actual deviations below the glidepath are detected and the approach is continued to landing. The aircraft had been written-up for lightning strikes recently.