I think the distinction between Land Immediately and Land As Soon As Possible is ridiculous.  They should be one and the same.  I know Airbus and MD both have that phrase definition, though, so we have to know it as PIC.

Question: How do you differentiate between the two (i.e., what scenario and what would you do differently)???

Land Immediately means you are going in the water or trees if they are below you.

Land as soon as possible means you may be able to fly to the open spot beyond the trees.

Land Immediately means you have NO Choice of landing spot, you're landing HERE.

Land As Soon As Possible means you have SOME choice of the landing spot, but I wouldn't advise you push that flexibility.

As was already said, if the engine quits you're landing in the water or trees, i.e., you have NO choice in that.  If you have an engine chip light, you can keep flying to the first safe spot to land, and not put the aircraft down in the water or trees.

So, unlike you comment, there is a definate distinction between the two.

Anyone else remember the two AH-64 guys who got a chip light and chose to land NOW.  Completed a normal shut down and everything before they were taken captive!  THey didn't understand that distinction.  I worked with a guy in the past who had an engine chip light and decided he'd just fly the aircraft back to the airport.  Hell, it was only 10 minutes away.  He lost the engine and rolled the aircraft over on landing.  "What the f, he'd done the same thing plenty of times and the engine had never quit befroe!"  He didn't understand the distinction either! 

immediately = look at the top of your toes and that's where you're going. if you're over mountains, trees, water, etc so be it. It's better to be down there wishing you were up in the air than up in the air wishing you were on the ground. Preservatoon of life over the aircraft is paramount as the aircraft has already failed you. 

LASAP = pick the nearest suitable landing area. IE not a confined area for a tail rotor control malfunction. Etc..

Although I've answered sincerely I really hope this is not a serious question.....

LASAP=Land at the first place a safe landing can be expected 

Land Immediately=Do it now, a safe landing may not be possible 

So the 2 "explanations" I hear the most, and what has been proposed so far in the replies, sound like either 1) both LASAP and LI aren't really much different; as in there is a slight bit more haste with LI - OR -  2) LI is basically "put it in the water/trees; i.e., controlled crash because it will fall apart in the sky anyway" (which I think is ludicrous).

MD puts it this way:

BOTH say the word "landing" not crash.  The first says "without delay" and the second says "nearest safe landing area" (so the "without delay" infers to land in an unsafe landing area meaning possible aircraft damage; i.e. a crash). 

So what REAL scenarios would constitute a Land Immediately? - i.e. crash the helicopter (the only EP's that fall in this category are aircraft fire and XMSN chip/pressure/temp depending on the airframe manufacturer).

I mean, I got it: get it down out of the air so nothing falls apart on you when up in the sky.  But once you're near the ground (10 ft or less) after entering an autorotative profile to get down there safely... why don't they say milk it slowly to a safe place?

A fire can spread quickly or slowly... so crash the helicopter even though you may have had enough time to get down on the deck and fly low/slow (within safe HV curve points) to your "safe landing area"? 

Same thing with XMSN chip/press/temp... crash instead of fly low and slow (where even a total lockup or disassembly of the system means you're falling from safe height/speed and have same chance of injury as autorotating into trees/water?) when maybe that problem was going to not be a catastrophic mechanical problem for a few more minutes; enough for you to get to a safe landing area.  Just a thought...  

I was raised on Bell products and they only have 2 options: Land ASAP and Land ASA Practical.  I always thought Land Immediately was weird.  You either rush or you don't - Land ASAP or Land ASA Practical.  

1.) Land immediately: Aircraft on fire / impending xmiss failure (chip, press. and secondary indications) / extreme vibrations / flight control failure.

2.) Land ASAP: xmiss/eng chip, no secondary indications.

3.) Land when practical: safety not in question 

You really don't see a difference in urgency between #1 & #2?

Land immediately is essentially a controlled crash when catostrophic failure is imminent. Very rare that such urgency is needed, but it can happen.