Ownership guide
Beechcraft F33A Bonanza
973 registered in the US, built from about 1970 to 1994, 5 seats, most with the Continental IO-520. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 973
- Built
- 1970 to 1994
- Half built by
- 1983
- Seats
- 5
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental IO-520
Engines installed
- Continental IO-520878 aircraft (90%) · 28 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-55019 aircraft (2%) · 23 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
26 current ADs name the F33A airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 4 more were superseded. Its engines carry 51 more. 14 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.
- 2007-08-08Raytheon Aircraft Company (The Beech Aircraft Company and BEECH previously held Type Certificate Nos. 3A15, 3A16, 5A3, and A-777) Models 35-33, 35-A33, 35-B33, 35-C33, E33, F33, G33, 35-C33A, E33A, F33A, E33C, F33C, 35, A35, B35, C35, D35, E35, F35, G35, H35, J35, K35, M35, N35, P35, S35, V35, V35A, V35B, 36, A36, A45 (T-34A, B45), D45 (T-34B), 95-55, 95-A55, 95-B55, 95-BAirplaneSupersedes 72-22-01Repeat actionApr 20, 2007
- 2001-08-08Repetitively replace the existing Aeroquip V-band exhaust clampRaytheon Aircraft Company Beech Models 35-C33A, E33A, E33C, F33A, F33C, S35, V35, V35A, V35B, 36, and A36 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 20, 2001
What gets reported
18 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Light System Wiring5
- Exterior Lighting3
- Engine (Reciprocating)1
- Landing Gear Brake System1
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section1
- Central Display1
Parts reported most
- Circuit breaker, failed8
- Engine, vibration1
- Brake disc, failed1
- Crankshaft, fractured1
- Display, failed1
- None, none1
The latest reports
2025-07-08 · DC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, inoperative
Alternator failed in flight causing an unscheduled landing at heritage aviation in burlington, vt. alternator was a fairly new installation according to customer.
2025-05-09 · Powerplant System · Retaining clip, worn
Cowling - right side - hold open latch/lever slipped loose in flight and fell down on battery master relay causing a short and burned out the diodes used to apply power to the relay coil. no smoke or fire and no indication inflight. the "clips" that hold this rod to the cowling top have loosened the grip allowing the rod to slip. i have squeezed these clips to prevent this but over time the cli
2024-07-04 · Engine (Reciprocating) · Engine, vibration
After takeoff from kbil, pilot noticed vibration from engine. pilot returned to kbil without incident.
2022-10-07 · Fuselage Structure (General) · None, none
Airplane had a pitch trim runaway occur at 4000 feet which caused the airplane to dive nose down. disconnected the autopilot and realized that the trim ran out very quickly. took the trim out to recover the aircraft from the dive. during troubleshooting found that the pitch servo was causing the attitude command to the trim servo to run full deflection (nose down) origionally at 1.7 seconds during
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
34 accidents since 2008, 7 fatal (15 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 5 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)7
- Fuel starvation5
- Loss of control in flight4
- Landing gear not configured2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
- Loss of control on ground2
Phase of flight
- Initial climb8
- Enroute8
- Landing7
- Approach5
- Takeoff4
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | Janesville, WI | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | CEN26LA262 |
| 2026-04-25 | Minneapolis, MN | Initial climb: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | CEN26FA172 |
| 2026-04-24 | Sanford, NC | Enroute: Electrical system malf/failure | None | ERA26LA191 |
| 2025-05-16 | Houston, TX | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | CEN25LA182 |
| 2024-07-30 | Lincoln, NE | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN24LA293 |
| 2023-05-06 | Tahlequah, OK | Standing: Propeller or rotor struck a person | Serious | CEN23LA186 |
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 (2 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 light system wiring and for failed circuit breakers: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 14 equipment ADs name the F33A (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 F33 family
Questions
- How many Beechcraft F33As are registered in the US?
- 973, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Beechcraft F33A built?
- From about 1970 to 1994. Half of those registered today were built by 1983.
- What engine does the Beechcraft F33A have?
- Most have the Continental IO-520 (90% of those registered); others have the Continental IO-550.
- What are common problems with the Beechcraft F33A?
- In 18 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were light system wiring, exterior lighting, engine (reciprocating), and the part most often reported was a failed circuit breaker.
- How many accidents has the Beechcraft F33A had?
- 34 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 7 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Beechcraft F33A have?
- 26 current ADs name the F33A airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 51 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.