Density altitude is best described as:
Why →
Density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature. It represents the altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) that corresponds to the actual air density. High density altitude means thin air. The aircraft "performs as if" at a higher altitude than its actual elevation.The trap →
Pressure altitude (altimeter at 29.92) is the baseline before temperature correction. Actual MSL height doesn't account for air density at all. Density altitude is the performance-relevant number, not pressure altitude.SOURCE → PHAK Chapter 11, Aircraft PerformanceCHECKED APR 21ACS III.B.K2MED