Ownership guide
Beechcraft C90A
280 registered in the US, built from about 1984 to 2005, 9 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PT6A. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 280
- Built
- 1984 to 2005
- Half built by
- 1996
- Seats
- 9
- Engine type
- Turboprop
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A233 aircraft (83%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- U/A CANADA PT6A SERIES8 aircraft (3%)
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
24 current ADs name the C90A airframe, 4 with a repeat action; 3 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more. 8 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2004-23-02Raytheon Aircraft Company 65, 90, 99, 100, 200, and 1900 Series Airplanes, and Models 70 and 300 AirplanesAirplaneSupersedes 87-22-01 R1Repeat actionNov 9, 2004
- 2004-17-02Repetitively inspect the engine controls/cross shaft/pedestal for proper installation and torque, re-torque the cross shaft attach bolt, modify the pedestal, and replace the engine controls cross shaft hardwareRaytheon Aircraft Company 65, 90, 99, 100, 200, 300, and 1900 Series Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionAug 20, 2004
- 2002-01-10Repetitively inspect the main landing gear upper torque knees and lower torque knees for evidence of fatigue cracks; and replace any torque knee with evidence of fatigue cracksRaytheon Aircraft Company Beech Models 65-90, 65-A90, 65-A90-1, 65-A90-4, B90, C90, C90A, E90, and H-90 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJan 22, 2002
- 99-09-10Requires installing a filter element in the landing gear hand pump suction lineRaytheon Aircraft Company Models C90A, B200, B200C, B200T, B200CT, 300, B300, B300C, and A200CT Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 26, 1999
What gets reported
110 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Cabin Cooling System10
- Landing Gear Position and Warning8
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System6
- Air Distribution Fan6
- Navigation System6
- Landing Gear Brake System5
Parts reported most
- Motor, failed5
- Motor, shorted5
- Dpu, abnormal5
- Flap track, cracked4
- Unknown, unknown3
- Motor, defective3
The latest reports
2026-07-02 · Fuel Control/Turbine Engines · Fcu, faulted
During cruise flight, left engine started to surge then lost partial power. declared emergency with atc and proceeded direct to kphx utilizing asymmetric thrust. performed a normal landing.
2026-06-25 · Landing Gear Position and Warning · Downlock switch, false indication
Right main landing gear false indication, declared an emergency.
2026-05-07 · Landing Gear Position and Warning · Landing gear, no indication
On approach to kgup, pilot selected the mlg handle to the down position, the lt mlg indicator light did not illuminate. pilot performed a go-around & climbed to a safe altitude north of the airport to troubleshoot. pilot contacted the comms center & maintenance control. pilot completed abnormal procedures chklist for mlg manual extension - light did not illuminate. pilot, opted to divert to kabq.
2026-01-15 · Trailing Edge Flaps · Flap track, cracked
The aircraft was opened up for phase inspection on 1/15/2026. upon inspection, the right wing and left wing inboard flap, outboard flap tracks were cracked and separated by approximately 1/2". tracks bracket- outboard flap track. beechcraft/textron has been notified of the track failure.
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
14 accidents since 2008, 4 fatal (13 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- System or component failure (not the engine)3
- Loss of control on ground1
- Ground collision1
- Medical event1
- Inflight upset1
- Security/criminal event1
Phase of flight
- Enroute4
- Landing3
- Approach2
- Takeoff1
- Standing1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-09 | Sakwai | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | GAA25WA278 | |
| 2025-03-16 | Helena, MT | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | WPR25LA122 |
| 2024-12-21 | Honolulu, HI | Standing: Ground collision | None | ANC25LA011 |
| 2024-10-04 | Bakersfield, CA | Enroute: Medical event | Fatal | WPR25LA003 |
| 2022-12-15 | Kaupo, HI | Enroute: Inflight upset | Fatal | ANC23FA008 |
| 2022-09-03 | Tupelo, MS | Maneuvering: Security/criminal event | None | CEN22LA428 |
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
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 (4 on the airframe), 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 cabin cooling system and for failed motors: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 8 equipment ADs name the C90A (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.
The rest of the C90 family
Questions
- How many Beechcraft C90As are registered in the US?
- 280, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Beechcraft C90A built?
- From about 1984 to 2005. Half of those registered today were built by 1996.
- What engine does the Beechcraft C90A have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A (83% of those registered); others have the U/A CANADA PT6A SERIES.
- What are common problems with the Beechcraft C90A?
- In 110 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were cabin cooling system, landing gear position and warning, landing gear retraction/extension system, and the part most often reported was a failed motor.
- How many accidents has the Beechcraft C90A had?
- 14 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 4 of them fatal. The most common defining event was system or component failure (not the engine). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Beechcraft C90A have?
- 24 current ADs name the C90A airframe, 4 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.