Definition
The highest total weight, established by the aircraft manufacturer and approved during certification, at which an aircraft is permitted to land. This figure is published in the Aircraft Flight Manual or Pilot's Operating Handbook and includes the airframe, fuel remaining, oil, occupants, baggage, and cargo at the moment of touchdown.
Plain English
The heaviest the airplane is allowed to be when it touches down on the runway, as set by the people who built and certified it.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft performance limits and in instrument approach discussions, where landing minimums and aircraft category may depend on certified landing weight.
Derivation
Certified' comes from the Latin 'certus' (sure, settled) — meaning the figure has been formally tested and approved by the certifying authority, not merely suggested. 'Gross' here means total, all-inclusive — every pound on board, not just the airplane itself.
Why Pilots Care
Landing above this weight risks structural damage to the landing gear and airframe or unsafe handling characteristics.
Grounding Statement
Before landing, the pilot must know that the aircraft's actual landing weight will be at or below the approved limit.
Intuition Check
Do not read gross as meaning rough or unpleasant here. In aircraft weight, gross means total weight. Do not assume a lighter-than-normal flight changes the certified limit; the limit is the approved maximum, not today's actual weight.
Example Sentence 1
After the diversion, the captain calculated that they would still be 2,000 pounds over maximum certified gross landing weight, so they held for twenty minutes to burn fuel before the approach.
Example Sentence 2
The performance section listed the maximum certified gross landing weight as 12,500 pounds.