This warning is a known consequence of spoofing. According to the ABL, pilots reported this false alarm 460 times in 2024, a terrain warning named. In 2023, there were only 36. In all cases reported to the ABL, the pilots recognized this in time, so the aircraft were not in danger.
To assure
The pilots’ union is very concerned about the phenomenon. Chairman Camiel Verhagen of the Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV) talks about the risks for pilots: “You receive signals of which you cannot properly understand whether they are correct or not. You may chase incorrect information. You may receive a warning. that is not correct. And it means that you do not always follow what you see. So you become very suspicious of what you see, but as a result you can no longer follow signals that are correct.”
According to the pilots, spoofing can be dangerous, especially during night flights or in clouds, because visibility is poorer. Another risk is that unexpected responses, such as climbing quickly after a false warning, could surprise air traffic control. This is especially problematic in busy airspaces such as Beijing or Amsterdam, where such maneuvers are undesirable.