Definition
An emergency or abnormal-condition instruction meaning the landing site and duration of flight are at the pilot's discretion, but the flight should not be continued any longer than necessary. The condition is serious enough that continued flight should end at a suitable airport, but it does not require landing at the nearest available field.
Plain English
Land at a suitable airport reasonably soon. You can choose where, and you have time to plan, but don't keep flying just because you feel like it.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft checklists, emergency procedures, and FAA guidance when a problem makes continued flight unwise but does not require an immediate landing.
Derivation
Practical' here means 'sensible and workable given the circumstances.' It is deliberately weaker than 'possible' — the companion phrase 'land as soon as possible' demands the nearest field, while 'practical' allows the pilot to factor in suitability of the airport, weather, and services available.
Why Pilots Care
Guides safe decision-making during non-critical system issues by balancing urgency with practical options for a stable landing.
Intuition Check
Do not read “practical” as “whenever it is convenient.” Here it means “as soon as you can make a safe, reasonable landing decision.”
Example Sentence 1
After the alternator failed, the pilot elected to land as soon as practical at a nearby towered airport rather than continuing to the original destination.
Example Sentence 2
The procedure directed the crew to land as soon as practical after the low oil pressure indication appeared.