Boeing 767-400ER landing speed is usually 135–150 KIAS at VREF. Learn how landing weight, flap setting and wind determine the right target.
The Boeing 767-400ER normally uses a VREF of roughly 135–150 KIAS at typical airline landing weights, with final approach commonly flown around 140–155 KIAS after the required speed additive. There is no single landing speed: actual weight, flap 25 or 30, wind and operating procedure determine the reference and target speeds.
In aviation and real-world flying, “landing speed” may mean VREF, the commanded final-approach speed or the speed at touchdown. These are not interchangeable; our explanation of VREF, approach and touchdown speeds covers the distinction.
What 767-400ER approach speed should I use?
Use the VREF calculated by the aircraft’s FMC for the expected landing weight and selected flap setting, not a rounded figure copied from a specification sheet.
| Speed | Representative 767-400ER figure | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| VREF | Roughly 135–150 KIAS | The reference speed calculated for landing weight and flap configuration. |
| Final-approach target | Often about 140–155 KIAS | VREF plus the applicable minimum or wind correction. |
| Touchdown speed | No fixed figure | Usually several knots below the approach target after the flare. |
These are planning ranges, not certified values for every landing. A light aircraft can fall below them, while a heavy aircraft or a large gust correction can produce a higher target. If you need one rough figure before configuring a simulator, about 145 KIAS is a reasonable starting point, but replace it with the FMC result before final approach.
How do I set the landing speed in the 767 FMC?
The correct simulator workflow is to calculate VREF from the aircraft’s predicted landing weight, then apply the required speed additive.
- Verify the landing weight. Check that zero-fuel weight, payload and fuel are correct. Bad weight data produces a bad VREF.
- Assess the runway and weather. Runway length, surface condition, wind and braking performance influence the flap choice and whether the landing is acceptable.
- Select flaps 25 or 30. Use the planned landing configuration and its displayed reference speed on the FMC’s
APPROACH REFpage. - Apply the approved correction. Add the minimum or wind additive required by the aircraft documentation or operator procedure represented by the simulation.
- Set and cross-check the target. Confirm the commanded speed, speed bug and flap indication agree before the stabilised-approach gate.
CDU operation varies between simulator aircraft, but the calculation principle does not. Our broader method for calculating the correct landing speed explains how weight, configuration and wind fit together. In an actual aircraft, crews must use approved performance data and company procedures.
How do flaps and wind change the landing speed?
Flap configuration changes VREF, while wind normally changes the commanded approach target rather than the underlying no-wind VREF.
Flaps 25 versus flaps 30
Flaps 30 normally provides the lower reference speed and usually favours landing-distance performance, although it creates more drag. Flaps 25 normally requires several additional knots and may be used when runway performance and the operator’s procedure permit it. The difference is weight-dependent, so a fixed correction should not be assumed.
Wind and gust correction
Many Boeing-style procedures use at least a small additive and increase it for headwind or gusts, subject to an operator-defined maximum. A commonly encountered method uses part of the steady headwind plus the gust increment, but the exact formula is procedural rather than universal.
Do not subtract speed below VREF because of a tailwind. A tailwind raises groundspeed and landing distance even though the indicated reference speed remains based on aircraft weight and configuration.
Why does the groundspeed look higher or lower?
The 767 is flown using indicated airspeed on approach, while groundspeed changes with wind and airport elevation.
A headwind reduces groundspeed; a tailwind increases it. At a high-elevation airport, true airspeed and groundspeed are also higher for the same indicated speed because the air is less dense. A replay showing a groundspeed different from the FMC target therefore does not, by itself, indicate an incorrect approach.
What landing-speed mistakes cause floating or hard touchdowns?
Most speed-related landing problems come from using the wrong reference or carrying an unnecessary additive.
- Copying 767-300 figures: the -400ER has different weights and aerodynamic characteristics. The related 767-300 reference-speed guidance illustrates the same method but is not a substitute for -400ER FMC data.
- Confusing knots with mph: the cockpit target is expressed in knots indicated airspeed.
- Using groundspeed as the target: fly the calculated indicated speed and let groundspeed vary with wind.
- Adding the correction twice: check whether the displayed or commanded speed already includes the chosen additive.
- Carrying excess speed into the flare: even a modest surplus increases energy, float and runway used. Maintain the proper approach target, then allow the expected speed decay during the flare.
- Using stale weight data: recalculate after a major fuel, payload or diversion change rather than retaining an earlier VREF.