distress phase

distress phase

A situation wherein there is reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger or require immediate assistance (ICAO). The code word for this phase is DETRESFA. This phase begins when the fuel on board is considered to be exhausted or insufficient to enable the aircraft to land safely; information is received that indicates that the operating efficiency of the aircraft has been impaired to the extent that a forced landing is likely; or information is received that the aircraft is about to make, or has made, a forced landing.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved