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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-acute-stress-meaning

In the FAA's terms, what is acute stress?

Short-term stress from an immediate threat, the kind that triggers fight or flight.

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  1. Short-term stress from an immediate threat ✔
  2. Stress that builds for months at work
  3. A sudden drop in blood pressure

Why: The PHAK splits stress into acute (short term) and chronic (long term). Acute stress comes from an immediate threat, real or imagined, and sets off the fight or flight response.

Huh, didn't know that: The PHAK warns that ongoing acute stress can grow into chronic stress, which calls for a doctor.

The dad joke
My flight instructor said not to stress about the landing. Easy for him, he was sitting in the right seat.
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References

Answer: Short-term stress from an immediate threat. The PHAK splits stress into acute (short term) and chronic (long term). Acute stress comes from an immediate threat, real or imagined, and sets off the fight or flight response.

  1. PHAK FAA-H-8083-25C Chapter 17, Aeromedical Factors www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/19_phak_ch17.pdf
    Acute stress involves an immediate threat that is perceived as danger.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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