What does a distress condition require?

A distress condition is characterized by a serious and immediate threat to the safety of an aircraft or its occupants. It explicitly requires immediate assistance. This means that the situation is critical, and the aircraft is in jeopardy, which can be due to situations like mechanical failure, fuel emergencies, or other life-threatening scenarios. The priority is to ensure the immediate safety of the aircraft and those on board, which necessitates prompt action from air traffic control and other nearby aircraft.

In contrast, routine monitoring of aircraft status would not suffice for a distress situation, as it does not provide the urgent response that is essential when safety is at stake. Permission to land at an alternate airport is typically a procedural task that may arise under different circumstances, such as diversions due to weather, but does not inherently denote a distress situation. Lastly, detailed flight plan submission is part of standard operating procedures and does not correlate with the urgency and immediate action that a distress condition demands.