When landing with ice accumulation on the wings, what is the recommended airspeed after final flap extension?

• A. Vref + 25 KIAS.
• B. Vref.
• C. Vref + 5 KIAS.
• D. Vref + 50 KIAS.

Answer: (A)

When ice covers the wings, airflow is disrupted, reducing lift and increasing the stall speed. To maintain a safe margin and keep good controllability on final approach, you fly faster than the standard landing speed. After the last flap extension, the recommended speed is Vref plus 25 knots indicated. This extra 25 KIAS accounts for the ice’s effect and helps prevent a stall during the approach and flare, while still keeping you within a practical approach speed.

Vref alone would leave too little margin with ice on the wings. A small increment like Vref plus 5 would be insufficient to compensate for the degraded lift, and Vref plus 50 would be unnecessarily high, impacting approach profile and landing distance.