Under what condition can you omit taking a SPECI when notified of an aircraft mishap?

The ability to omit a SPECI when notified of an aircraft mishap is grounded in the idea of maintaining the most accurate and current weather conditions for ongoing flight operations. If a METAR or SPECI observation has already been taken between occurrences of the incident, it means that there has already been an updated report reflecting the weather conditions at that moment. In such cases, the necessity to issue another SPECI is negated, as the current weather information is already available. This helps ensure that updates are not redundant and that the focus remains on significant changes in weather that may impact aviation safety.

In contrast, minor incidents or specific instructions from air traffic control do not directly relate to the weather observation requirements and would still likely necessitate a SPECI if the conditions warranted it. The directive to never omit taking a SPECI would be overly cautious and counterproductive in maintaining efficiency in reporting procedures.