Landing Performance

FAR 23.2130 Landing Performance

FAR 23.2130 sets landing performance standards for Part 23 aircraft, including landing distance from 50 feet, approach speeds, and balked landing safety margins.

In Plain English

FAR 23.2130 is a Part 23 airworthiness standard that tells aircraft manufacturers what landing performance data they must determine and publish. It applies at standard temperatures and across critical combinations of weight and altitude within the airplane's operating limits.

Specifically, the applicant (manufacturer) must determine:

  • The landing distance, measured from a point 50 feet (15 meters) above the landing surface, required to touch down and come to a complete stop.
  • The approach and landing speeds, configurations, and procedures that let a pilot of average skill land within the published distance consistently and without causing damage or injury.

Those procedures must also allow a safe transition to a balked landing (go-around) and must account for:

  • Stall speed safety margin
  • Minimum control speeds

Why it matters operationally: this is the rule behind the landing distance charts and approach speeds in your POH/AFM. When you compute landing distance for your checkride or a real arrival, you're using data that was certified to this standard — which is why pilots must add their own safety margins for non-standard conditions, contamination, and technique.

Regulation Text
14 CFR § 23.2130
§ 23.2130 Landing. The applicant must determine the following, for standard temperatures at critical combinations of weight and altitude within the operational limits: (a) The distance, starting from a height of 50 feet (15 meters) above the landing surface, required to land and come to a stop. (b) The approach and landing speeds, configurations, and procedures, which allow a pilot of average skill to land within the published landing distance consistently and without causing damage or injury, and which allow for a safe transition to the balked landing conditions of this part accounting for: (1) Stall speed safety margin; and (2) Minimum control speeds.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1From what height above the runway is the certified landing distance measured?
Per FAR 23.2130, the landing distance is measured starting from a height of 50 feet (15 meters) above the landing surface to the point at which the airplane comes to a complete stop.
Q2Under what atmospheric and weight conditions must the manufacturer determine landing performance under Part 23?
FAR 23.2130 requires landing performance to be determined at standard temperatures across critical combinations of weight and altitude within the airplane's operational limits.
Q3What safety considerations must the published approach and landing procedures account for?
FAR 23.2130 requires the procedures to allow a pilot of average skill to land consistently within the published distance, permit a safe transition to a balked landing, and account for stall speed safety margin and minimum control speeds.
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FAR 23.2130 — Landing Distance & Approach Requirements