Beechcraft Baron buyer's guide:
what the records reveal

The U.S. fleet at a glance

The FAA registry lists 2,757 Beechcraft Baron aircraft, built between 1956 and 2026. The largest concentrations are registered in TX (315), FL (257), CA (188). A large, active fleet works in a buyer's favor: parts supply, mechanic familiarity and comparable sale prices are all easier to establish than on a rare type.

Type specifications (FAA Type Certificate)

Representative type specifications — values can vary by serial/variant. Verify against the official FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet (drs.faa.gov, document 3A16 (55 series) / A23CE (58 series)).

Where this fleet reports maintenance difficulties

FAA Service Difficulty Reports are filed by mechanics and operators when a component fails or malfunctions in service. Across the Beechcraft Baron fleet, 433 reports have been filed against this type since 1995 — most airframes have zero reports on file, with a mean of 0.2 per airframe. The systems mechanics report most on this type:

• JASC 85 — Reciprocating Engine : 89 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 32 — Landing Gear : 67 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 74 — Ignition : 26 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 28 — Fuel : 24 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 55 — Stabilizers : 21 reports fleet-wide

Filing is voluntary, so these figures understate reality — but the RELATIVE weight of each system is exactly where an experienced buyer points the pre-buy inspection first. Reconciliation note: 336 further reports filed under these registrations were excluded because the aircraft model declared in the report shows they belong to previous holders of the same N-numbers.

The accident record, in numbers

The NTSB database holds 61 accident or incident records serial-matched to Beechcraft Baron airframes in this fleet since 2008 — about 2.2 per 100 currently registered aircraft, of which 14 involved fatal injuries (most recent record: 2026). A further 10 records filed under the same N-numbers belong to different airframes (reused registrations) and are excluded.

Method: the denominator is the fleet currently on the FAA registry. Airframes destroyed and later deregistered leave that denominator, so this ratio understates lifetime accident history — read it as a fleet-profile indicator, not an accident rate. Fleet totals also reflect how the type is flown (training and commercial work versus private use), not just the machine itself.

Fleet-level counts tell you about the TYPE; what matters for your purchase is whether the specific airframe you are considering appears in that database — and U.S. registrations get reused, so a serial-number check matters. That per-aircraft lookup is exactly what a TailGuard report does.

Airworthiness directives to know about

4 airworthiness directives published since 2004 in our Federal Register database and matched to this type are currently open. The full list of directives applicable to an older airframe is longer — build it at drs.faa.gov. The most recent in our database:

• AD 2011-27-04 · effective 2012-03-05 — The FAA is correcting an airworthiness directive (AD) that published in the Federal Register. That AD applies to all Hawker Beechcraft Corporation Models 95-C55, D55, E55, 58, and 58A airplanes equipped with a certain STC. The description of the affected STCs in the first sentence of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, Discussion section, is incorrect. This document corrects that error. In all other respects, the original document remains the same.
• AD 2011-27-04 · effective 2011-12-29 — information that suggests the affected airplane models with a certain STC installed may not have the appropriate V<INF>MC</INF> markings on the airspeed indicat
• AD 2008-13-17 · effective 2008-08-06 — replace certain circuit breaker toggle switches with improved design circuit breaker toggle switches
• AD 2007-21-02 · effective 2007-11-15 — The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) Models 58P and 58TC airplanes that were used as lead airplanes by the United States Forest Service (USFS). This AD establishes new limits for the structural life of the airframe (wing, fuselage, empennage, and associated structure) through the incorporation of a supplement to the Limitations Section of the pilot's operating handbook and airplane flight manual (POH/AFM). This AD results from the FAA's analysis and determination that the operational history and usage of the affected airplanes requires a

Superseded directives are excluded from these counts. Directives apply by type — no database can tell you whether a given airframe complied. Only its logbooks can, and that is the single most important paperwork check of your pre-buy.

Ownership turnover

Comparing monthly FAA registry snapshots from Aug 2023 to Jun 2026, 632 of the 2,757 observed Beechcraft Baron airframes — 22.9% — changed registrant at least once. This includes registrant-name changes that are not market sales — such as a transfer to an owner's LLC or trust — and newly delivered aircraft registered to their first buyer within the window. A recent ownership change is not a red flag by itself, but a rapid succession of owners deserves a direct question to the seller, and the registration timeline of the specific aircraft is worth reading before you negotiate.

Before you buy a Beechcraft Baron

A records-driven starting checklist for this type — derived from the figures above, to hand to your mechanic:

1. Inspect the reciprocating engine closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (89 reports fleet-wide).
2. Inspect the landing gear closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (67 reports fleet-wide).
3. Inspect the ignition closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (26 reports fleet-wide).
4. Check logbook compliance with every open airworthiness directive matched to this type — directives apply by model, only the logbooks prove compliance.
5. Confirm engine and airframe times against the logbooks and the most recent annual inspection.
6. Have a licensed A&P/IA perform a physical pre-purchase inspection — no records check replaces it.