Definition
On an electronic flight display, the System Status page or annunciation area shows the operational condition of the aircraft's avionics and related systems, including which sensors, radios, navigation sources, and equipment are functioning normally, degraded, or failed.
Plain English
A screen (or part of a screen) that tells the pilot which onboard systems are working properly and which are not.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument displays, GPS units, flight management systems, and system pages that show whether equipment is ready and reliable enough to use.
Derivation
System comes from a Greek word meaning a set of things placed together. Status comes from a Latin word meaning standing or condition. Together, the term points to the present condition of a connected set of equipment.
Why Pilots Care
Determines whether navigation or flight control information can be trusted for safe IFR flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read system status as just a general description. In aircraft use, it means the current usable condition of a specific system and whether the pilot can safely rely on it.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot checked the System Status page and confirmed that all navigation receivers and the autopilot were showing green.
Example Sentence 2
A warning changed the system status and prompted the crew to switch to backup navigation.