Ownership guide
Beechcraft C23 Sundowner
445 registered in the US, built from about 1970 to 1983, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming O-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 445
- Built
- 1970 to 1983
- Half built by
- 1977
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-360430 aircraft (97%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
19 current ADs name the C23 airframe, 0 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more. 9 equipment ADs name the model.
No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.
What gets reported
6 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Magneto/Distributor2
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section1
- Ignition System1
- Alternator-Generator Drive1
- Engine (Reciprocating)1
Parts reported most
- Magneto, destroyed1
- Magneto, separated1
- Cylinder, cracked1
- Magneto, damaged1
- Slip ring, out of position1
- Engine, making metal1
The latest reports
2023-02-13 · Magneto/Distributor · Magneto, destroyed
Both magnetos were removed as part of the annual inspection and sent to norvic aero engines ltd (faa approval 33ny343c) for their 500 hour inspection. the magnetos were returned with 8130 paperwork, re-installed and following completion of the annual inspection by the ia, the aircraft was released to service. thirty minutes into the second 'post annual' flight the rh magneto failed catastrophicall
2023-02-13 · Ignition System · Magneto, damaged
Following a customer complaint on monday 13/2/23 of a magneto failure and emergency landing at sleap airfield. strip and inspect carried out 16/2/23 accompanied by nae quality manager, initial external inspection shows rotor shaft to be bent and seized, marks around outer edge of drive gear consistent with being in mesh with idler gears on seizure, other marks on the end of the gear in a direction
2019-05-17 · Alternator-Generator Drive · Slip ring, out of position
(can) slipring found incorrectly positioned on rotor shaft and brush block assy found in contact with the slipring wires. (tc# 20190522007)
2018-08-08 · Magneto/Distributor · Magneto, separated
(can) during a flight aircraft lost the use of a magneto. after opening the engine cover, the technician noticed that the flange of the magneto was hanging. a large quantity of metal filings has been found in the oil filter. (tc# 20180808017)
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
55 accidents since 2008, 10 fatal (18 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 5 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (partial)8
- Loss of control in flight7
- Loss of control on ground6
- Loss of engine power (total)6
- Abnormal runway contact5
- Aerodynamic stall/spin3
Phase of flight
- Initial climb15
- Landing15
- Takeoff9
- Approach8
- Enroute7
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | Bangor, ME | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | ERA26LA196 |
| 2026-02-12 | Knoxville, TN | Landing: Loss of control on ground | Minor | ERA26LA128 |
| 2025-10-15 | Tulsa, OK | Landing: Abnormal runway contact | None | CEN26LA021 |
| 2025-09-10 | South bend, IN | Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin | None | CEN25LA382 |
| 2024-07-28 | Elko, NV | Initial climb: Unknown or undetermined | Minor | WPR24LA259 |
| 2024-02-01 | Elizabethtown, NC | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ERA24LA107 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Filled in for a Beechcraft C23 with the Lycoming O-360: the engine maker's published overhaul time. Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD, find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the magneto/distributor and for destroyed magnetos: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 9 equipment ADs name the C23 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Beechcraft C23s are registered in the US?
- 445, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Beechcraft C23 built?
- From about 1970 to 1983. Half of those registered today were built by 1977.
- What engine does the Beechcraft C23 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (97% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Beechcraft C23?
- In 6 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were magneto/distributor, reciprocating engine cylinder section, ignition system, and the part most often reported was a destroyed magneto.
- How many accidents has the Beechcraft C23 had?
- 55 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 10 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (partial). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Beechcraft C23 have?
- 19 current ADs name the C23 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 24 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.