Beechcraft (Textron Aviation) · Twin-engine piston plane
Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air
Is the Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 70 fatal accidents counted in about 4.9 million US flights since 2008.
Medium confidenceIn serviceUpdated 5 November 2026
Spot a mistake?
Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air safety score: 39 out of 100, grade F (Poor)
Likely range 34 to 44
1 in 73,000chance of dying on a flight13.64 deaths per million boardings
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 70 in 4.9 million flights
14.4 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 67.3
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 4.9 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 3,125 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.82, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.02 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 81 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Twin-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 10.1 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 16.2 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 95%.
- Likely range
- 34 to 44
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 21 September 2026
Private, Newport, OR, United States of America: 1 of 1 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 37
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
- One flight on the Beechcraft Baron and Travel AirThis aircraft1 in 73,000
Accident history
70 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 154 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrivateB95 · Newport, OR, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Seven minutes after takeoff from Newport, Oregon, the Travel Air circled low about 2 nautical miles offshore for five minutes and crashed into the Pacific. A 12-hour Coast Guard search found no trace of the aircraft or the pilot, who is presumed dead.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 (T42A) · Metter, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After refuelling at Metter, Georgia, the Baron made a long takeoff run with a choppy sound and a shallow climb, then descended steeply into trees 1.3 miles away and burned; the pilot died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Auto Key Masters And Locksmith LLC95-B55 (T42A) · Waterloo, IL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night flight from St. Louis Regional toward Siloam Springs, Arkansas, the Baron stopped sending its position during a severe storm and was found next morning in trees near Waterloo, Illinois; both pilots died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator58 · New Market, TN, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | During an instrument competency check from Knoxville Downtown Island, after a missed approach at Gatlinburg, the Baron spiralled with the engine sound surging and hit a hill near New Market, Tennessee. Owner and instructor died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Align Aviation LLCG58 · Carencro, LA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Nine nautical miles from Lafayette, Louisiana, the pilot reported an engine problem; the G58 spun to the ground near Carencro with the right propeller not feathered, and all three died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58P · Williston, FL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Descending toward Williston, Florida, after a hunting trip in Kentucky, the Baron 58P turned right, then dived steeply in a 90-degree bank into a peanut field near the airport and exploded. The pilot and two passengers died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| SEA2SKY Aviation LLC95-B55 (T42A) · Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | After a missed approach at night under a low overcast at Monterey, California, the Baron set off low-altitude alerts, turned left in a descent and crashed in the sea off Pacific Grove; all three died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Majesty Air Inc58 · Tabor City, NC, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Abandoning an approach in heavy rain at Grand Strand, North Myrtle Beach, the pilot asked for a heading out of the weather and diverted; the Baron then descended fast into the ground near Tabor City, North Carolina. Both died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Cedocs95-B55 (T42A) · Broomfield, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a familiarisation flight from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan, Broomfield, Colorado, the pilot reported a door had opened and turned back; the Baron rolled left into an inverted dive and both pilots died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Mathis Timber LLC58 · Arlberg, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Told at Fayetteville, Arkansas, that a pitch trim cable was frayed, the pilot flew home with a safety wire bridging it; the Baron crashed near Arlberg and he died. The wire would have blocked nose-up trim. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: System failureNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 · Avalon, CA, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | Sent to Catalina to fetch stranded pilots, the owner took off after dark against the airport manager's warning; the Baron stayed low, descended past the runway end and hit a ravine. All five died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private95 · Crystal River, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Near Crystal River, Florida, the pilot radioed for directions to the airport, then the Baron crashed and burned 4 nautical miles short; he died. The left engine had a holed case and broken connecting rods, its propeller feathered. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator95-B55 (T42A) · Leyden, MA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On a training flight from Westfield, Massachusetts, to regain multi-engine currency, the Baron stalled and spun into the ground near Leyden; the instructor, the pilot and a passenger died. NTSB: the instructor's loss of control in a stall, with his sedating medicines a factor.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Revolution FlightE95 · Elkmont, AL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | In slow-flight practice at 5,700 ft northwest of Huntsville, Alabama, the instructor called mayday as the Travel Air spun; it hit a cotton field flat and upright and both died. NTSB: the instructor did not keep control in slow flight, leading to a stall and spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58P · Lubbock, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taking off from Lubbock Executive Airpark, Texas, after four passengers had got off, the Baron 58P's left engine quit from fuel starvation because the pilot had not set the fuel selector correctly; he lost control and was killed.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| PrivateG58 · Alpharetta, GA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Cleared for an instrument approach to Peachtree, Atlanta, in cloud, the 76-year-old pilot did not hold the assigned altitude; the G58 lost control and crashed in Alpharetta, Georgia, killing both on board. NTSB: loss of aircraft control for unknown reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 · Hartwell, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After a missed approach in cloud at Anderson, South Carolina, the pilot thought his gyro instruments had failed while joining the second approach; the Baron lost control and crashed near Hartwell, Georgia. He died. NTSB: spatial disorientation and loss of control.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator58 · Galt, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a multi-engine training flight from Tracy, California, after pattern work at several airports, the Baron stalled and spun into the ground near Galt; the instructor and the pilot under instruction died. NTSB: the instructor's loss of control and poor supervision.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Lexington, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On the first takeoff after an annual inspection with right engine repairs, the Baron trailed smoke from Davidson County, Lexington, North Carolina, and hit a lorry and the ground; the pilot died. NTSB: poor maintenance cut power on both engines; low airspeed on one engine.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Airnet II LLC58 · Defiance, MO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night positioning flight in cloud from Spirit of St. Louis toward Denver, the Baron levelled at 8,000 ft in turbulence, then turned slowly left into a fast descent and crashed near Defiance, Missouri. Both pilots died. NTSB: spatial disorientation, no recovery.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58TC · Mesa, CO, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Soon after leaving Delta, Colorado, the Baron 58TC lost power on the right engine because maintenance staff had not properly tightened a turbocharger oil line and the propeller governor; the pilot lost control and was killed near Mesa.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| PrivateG58 · Credit, AR, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a business flight from Jonesboro, Arkansas, the Baron's left engine lost power for reasons not found; in the one-engine descent it hit power lines near Credit and both on board died. The pilot was impaired by cocaine and other drugs, a contributing factor in the NTSB finding.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator95B55 · Wilmington, DE, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Soon after takeoff from Wilmington, Delaware, on a training flight, the pilots asked to return without saying why; the left engine had stopped from lack of fuel and the Baron crashed. Both died. NTSB: wrong fuel selector position, engine not secured, loss of control.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private95B55 · Chadron, NE, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On a flight from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, both engines of the Baron stopped from fuel exhaustion and it hit trees a quarter mile short of Chadron, Nebraska; all three died. NTSB: the pilot did not take enough fuel and managed it poorly in flight.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Hiawatha, KS, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Arriving at Hiawatha, Kansas, the Baron seemed to climb and start a left turn into the pattern, then flipped inverted and dived into the ground 1 mile from the airport; the pilot died. NTSB: loss of control for undetermined reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Industrial Power IncE55 · Hope Mills, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a night approach to Fayetteville, North Carolina, the Baron pitched nose-down without command and hit a house in Hope Mills; the pilot and one resident died. NTSB: the pilot did not disengage the nose-down input; a badly maintained trim servo could not be overpowered.Type: System failureNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Kerrville, TX, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | On a GPS approach to Kerrville, Texas, both Baron engines ran out of fuel; only the left restarted. The pilot left the flaps down and the dead propeller unfeathered, and lost control. All six died. NTSB: poor fuel planning, one-engine checklist not followed.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| PrivateD55 · Stallion Springs, CA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | With no weather briefing and no contact with controllers, the pilot flew visually from San Luis Obispo toward Whiteman, Los Angeles; the Baron hit snow-covered mountains near Stallion Springs and all three died. NTSB: continued visual flight into cloud over the mountains.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Sioux Falls, SD, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an instrument approach to Tea, South Dakota, at the end of a flight from Grand Rapids, Michigan, the pilot let the Baron 58P's airspeed decay; it stalled, crashed in Sioux Falls and burned. The pilot and his passenger died.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Pilot55 · Liberal, KS, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Icing up in a Baron not approved for ice, the pilot could not climb, lost control and recovered at 3,500 ft, then diverted; flying below the approach minimum, he hit a power line near Tyrone, Oklahoma. Both died. NTSB: the choice to fly into forecast icing.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator58 · Springfield Township, NJ, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The pilot, not instrument current, took off from South Jersey Regional into cloud; the Baron levelled low, climbed, dived to the cloud base, then slowed in a right bank and crashed 8 miles away. Both died. NTSB: spatial disorientation; no recent instrument practice.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Ulysses, KS, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Two minutes after a night departure from Ulysses, Kansas, a witness saw the Baron's lights fall fast, then a flash of fire; both on board died. No aircraft fault or pilot impairment was found. NTSB: loss of control in flight for reasons that could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95 C55 · Mountain Ranch, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Nearing Columbia, California, 500 ft above the ground in poor weather, the Baron turned and climbed toward another airport, then descended into trees near Mountain Ranch; the pilot died. NTSB: continued visual flight into cloud and mountain obscuration.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorD95A · Hitchcock, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight from Pearland, Texas, the instructor demonstrated a stall at 4,000 ft; the Travel Air did not recover and spun in near Hitchcock. The instructor died; the pilot lived. NTSB: loss of control in the stall demonstration, type unfamiliar to him.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95 B55 (T42A) · Broadus, MT, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Cruising at 5,800 ft from Billings, Montana, toward Rapid City, the Baron left level flight and crashed on open land near Broadus; the airline transport pilot and two passengers died. NTSB: departure from cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Ross & Company Pllc95 B55 (T42A) · Fredericksburg, VA, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | Landing heavy with six on board on the 2,999 ft runway at Shannon, Fredericksburg, Virginia, the Baron went around, lost speed and stalled; all six died. Both front-seat pilots had heart disease, but no medical cause was shown. NTSB: too little airspeed.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Lemay Aero Club95 B55 (T42A) · Leshara, NE, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an airline transport pilot checkride from Millard, Omaha, the candidate slowed the Aero Club T-42A for a practice stall; it entered a spin and hit the ground near Leshara, Nebraska. He and the examiner died. NTSB: loss of control during the practice stall, which led to a spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95 B55 (T42A) · Saltville, VA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Cruising at 9,000 ft toward Ohio, the pilot was warned of weather ahead; the Baron flew into growing showers and updrafts, lost control and hit Flat Top Mountain near Saltville, Virginia. Both died. NTSB: flight into storms on delayed cockpit weather data.Type: Windshear or stormNTSB docket | |
| Carolina Barnstormers IncD95 · Bahama, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight from Lake Ridge Aero Park, Durham, North Carolina, the Travel Air lost speed in the climb, stalled and hit woods near Lake Michie; one of the two died. NTSB: too little airspeed; the instructor flew a type with a single swing-over yoke.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Palos Hills, IL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Leaving Chicago Midway at night in marginal weather, the Baron climbed to 2,200 ft, then made descending and climbing turns that tightened until it crashed in Palos Hills; all three died. NTSB: loss of control from spatial disorientation at night in cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Executive Aircraft Storage LLC95-B55 · Lagrange, GA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Landing at LaGrange, Georgia, on a training flight, the pilot saw a glider tow plane on a crossing runway, overreacted and tried to abort; the Baron lost control and crashed, killing all three. NTSB: the overreaction; the glider operator broke airport rules.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Major Aviation LLCD55 · Conway, SC, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | After a practice approach, the pilot flew back to Conway, South Carolina, with the right main tank almost dry; on final that engine stopped and he did not follow the checklist. The Baron lost control and all three died. NTSB: poor fuel planning and management.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 · Cantwell, AK, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Leading a group tour of 18 aircraft across Alaska, the pilot flew ahead to check the weather in a mountain pass; continuing under visual rules into cloud, the Baron hit a mountain south of Cantwell. All three died. NTSB: continued visual flight into cloud.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| J S Leasing LLC95-B55 (T42A) · Mangum, OK, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | After a taxi test, the pilot took two passengers on a local flight from Mangum, Oklahoma; witnesses heard a sputter and saw the Baron spin and flatten out before impact. All three died. NTSB: low stall and spin for reasons not determined; pilot not current.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Bottorff Construction Inc58 · Maxwell, NE, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | The pilot left North Platte, Nebraska, on an instrument flight as freezing fog and heavy snow set in, though no severe icing warning had been issued; the Baron iced up, lost control and crashed near Maxwell. All four died. NTSB: inadvertent encounter with severe icing.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Bemidji Aviation Services Inc.58 · Manhattan, IL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a Bemidji Aviation pipeline patrol near Wilton Center, Illinois, a witness saw the Baron flying normally about 50 ft above a house, then on its side; it hit an open field and the pilot died. No fault was found. NTSB: loss of control for reasons that could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator95-A55 · Millville, NJ, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Practising a simulated engine-out landing at Millville, New Jersey, with the left engine idling, the pilot under instruction added right engine power in the flare without correcting; the Baron rolled left and crashed. He died; the instructor lived. NTSB: loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Calhoun, KY, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Leaving his home grass strip at Calhoun, Kentucky, the pilot lost the left engine just after takeoff; the Baron rolled left and hit the woods inverted, and he died. NTSB: loss of control after water in the fuel stopped the engine, missed in preflight and inspection.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| PrivateE-55 · Broken Bow, NE, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Trying to fix a fuel imbalance with crossfeed, the pilot lost power on both engines; only the left fully came back. On a one-engine approach near Broken Bow, Nebraska, the Baron lost speed and control. The pilot died; one survived. NTSB: poor fuel management.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Friendship Flying Service Inc58 · Murphy, NC, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Cruising at 9,000 ft from Atlanta to Hazard, Kentucky, the pilot declared an emergency for a fire and then went silent; the Baron crashed near Murphy, North Carolina, and all four died. NTSB: a cockpit fire behind the instrument panel whose origin could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: FireNTSB docket | |
| Precision AG & Seed Services LLC58 · Topeka, KS, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | After overshooting the localizer approach to Topeka, Kansas, in cloud, the pilot went around and set up a GPS approach; while manoeuvring, the Baron lost control and broke up on impact. All four died. NTSB: loss of control in cloud, with little actual instrument experience.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Rose Resources Oil & Gas IncHawker-Beechcraft E-55 · DE Queen, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After waiting out storms overnight at De Queen, Arkansas, the pilot took off steeply with engines heard cutting out; at 300 to 500 ft the Baron tried to turn back, stalled and spun into the ground. He died. NTSB: loss of control during takeoff for undetermined reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Jet Logistics, Inc58 · Greensboro, NC, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a Jet Logistics flight in cloud to Winston-Salem, the pilot held for better weather, flew the approach and went around; a false sense of climb led her to descend into terrain at High Point, North Carolina. Both died. NTSB: spatial disorientation on the go-around.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58P · Birmingham, AL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying an instrument approach to Birmingham, Alabama, at night in cloud, the private pilot of the Baron 58P drifted off the localizer and did not follow the tower's headings for a missed approach; it crashed and he died. The NTSB found spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 (T42A) · Clarion, IA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Near Clarion, Iowa, a witness saw the Baron enter a spinning dive and turn about four times before it hit the ground; the pilot died. The left engine controls showed it had lost power. NTSB: loss of control, with a left engine power loss for undetermined reasons contributing.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Sataire LLC58 · Saltsburg, PA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with a single shared yoke, the pilot stalled the modified Baron in slow-flight practice and it spun into a house; he and the instructor died, and the person at home was unhurt. NTSB: loss of control, slow recovery.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95 55 · Oceanside, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Climbing out of Oceanside, California, the Baron yawed right with one engine sputtering, failed to climb and rolled right into a field; the pilot died. The right engine gave no power at impact. NTSB: loss of control after a power loss whose cause was not found.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · St. Ignace, MI, United States of America | 4 killed / 5 on board | At St. Ignace, Michigan, the pilot aborted two takeoffs with one engine sounding weak, then tried again without a run-up; the Baron lifted off near the runway end, rocked and hit a highway. Four of the five died. NTSB: loss of control in the takeoff for undetermined reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private58 · Bear Branch, KY, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an instrument flight from Frederick, Maryland, the pilot twice asked to descend as the Baron lost speed in icing; it vanished from radar at 5,000 ft and crashed at Bear Branch, Kentucky. Both died. NTSB: continued flight into icing, too little airspeed descending.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Private95 · Lagrange, NY, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taking off from Sky Acres, Lagrange, New York, the Travel Air yawed left twice, banked left, pitched steeply down and spun in behind trees; the pilot died. No engine fault was found. NTSB: failure to keep adequate airspeed in the takeoff, which led to a stall.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Quest Diagnostics Inc58 · Teterboro, NJ, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a fast, low night approach to Teterboro with Quest Diagnostics medical specimens, the second pilot, along to learn the airport, feathered both propellers by mistake; the Baron lost all thrust and crashed. One of the two died. NTSB: the inadvertent feathering.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateB95 · Holbrook, AZ, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | The pilot had vomited on the way to Holbrook, Arizona, and lay ill in the lounge, then took off with three passengers; the Travel Air turned back toward the runway and crashed. All four died. NTSB: flying while ill; loss of control likely from illness and drugs.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95 · Minden, NV, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | Taking four friends up near Gardnerville, Nevada, the pilot made low passes over a group outdoors; on the last he pulled into a steep climbing left turn, slowed and the Baron dropped nose first into the ground. All five died. NTSB: loss of airspeed and a stall in low flying.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Dbjd LLC95-A55 · Porter, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Landing on a narrow 3,594 ft runway at Porter, Texas, the Baron came in fast and floated the whole length; at the end the pilot added power, banked right and nosed into trees. Both died. No fault was found. NTSB: loss of control in the aborted landing for undetermined reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 (T4 · Whites Creek, TN, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | In cloud en route to Nashville, the left engine stopped when a badly tightened fuel hose came loose. The pilot did not feather the propeller or secure the engine, lost speed and control, and the Baron crashed; all three died. NTSB: poor engine-out handling.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Corporate Roof Management Systems Ltd.58TC · Marysville, OH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Soon after taking off from Union County Airport, Marysville, Ohio, the pilot came back to land; turning onto final in a steep bank, the Baron 58TC lost speed, stalled, rolled inverted and hit the ground near the runway. The pilot, alone, died.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 · Sitka, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Nearing Sitka, Alaska, at night on an IFR flight from Gustavus, the Baron 95-B55 ran out of fuel; the private pilot tried an emergency landing in wooded mountains 28 miles north of Sitka, and he and his passenger died. The NTSB cited poor fuel planning and navigation.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Crump Nissan, Inc95-B55 · Jasper, AL, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | The non-instrument-rated pilot loaded the Baron beyond its weight and aft balance limits and took off from Jasper, Alabama, into an overcast; it wandered and crashed 1 mile from the airport. All four died. NTSB: deliberate visual flight into cloud and disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private95-B55 · Benson, AZ, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Landing at night at Benson, Arizona, the pilot went around from a high, fast approach; on the second try the Baron touched down far along the 4,000 ft runway, and in a late go-around it lost control. Both died. NTSB: misjudged approach, with little night or type experience.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Aitheras Aviation Group58 · Cleveland, OH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Hired to position the Baron, the pilot took off at night from Burke Lakefront, Cleveland, in a right turn over dark Lake Erie; it descended in the turn into the lake and he died. NTSB: spatial disorientation; impairment from medication or heart disease not shown.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket |
Listed but not counted
These events happened on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean World Resorts Ltd58 · Ocala, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Test flight. On a maintenance test flight at Ocala, Florida, after a mechanic swapped the fuel flow sensors between engines, the Baron crashed near the airport; both on board died and a person on the ground was badly hurt. NTSB: loss of control from a medical event or impairing medicines.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket |
The NTSB lists 1 more fatal event of the Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands or another US territory, or on a route outside the US states. They are not used, because the flight count covers US flights since 2008 only.
Fast and comfortable, the Beechcraft Baron has a weaker record than most light twins we rate. Up to 28 October 2026 we count 70 fatal accidents on US flights since 2008 and 154 deaths, over an estimated 4.9 million flights. That is clearly weaker than the Cessna 172. The Baron ranks just ahead of the Cessna 310 and 340 and the Cessna 414 and 421, though the gaps are small and their likely ranges overlap. The Piper Apache, Aztec and Twin Comanche sit a little higher, again with overlapping ranges. Confidence is medium.
How we measure, and what that hides
Small planes are scored on US fatal accidents since 2008 and on US flights (take-off to final landing) estimated from the FAA register and the FAA General Aviation survey. The survey gives hours for all light twins together; airframe hours in NTSB accident records and, to a lesser degree, hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers set each type's share, so a Baron that an owner flies a few times a month gets fewer flights than a school twin. A flight in any small plane carries far more risk than an airline flight (method). All 24 families are in the small planes ranking.
What is a Baron?
Beechcraft built about 7,500 Barons and Travel Airs from 1958. The Travel Air 95 came first, then the Baron 55 and the longer 58; the G58 is still made. All are low-wing twins with retractable gear and four to six seats. Barons have six-cylinder Continental engines; the Travel Air has four-cylinder Lycomings. The FAA register shows about 4,300 in 2008 and 3,100 in 2024. Most are owner-flown; flight schools use some for multi-engine ratings.
The US record by flight purpose
| Flight purpose | Counted accidents |
|---|---|
| Private, business and other | 54 |
| Training | 11 |
| Ferry and positioning | 3 |
| Passenger and charter | 2 |
One test flight (Ocala, Florida, 31 October 2019) is not counted. By type, loss of control leads with 40, then powerplant failure (7), fuel (7), flight into terrain (4) and icing (3).
Stalls in training, fuel and failed engines
Eight of the 11 training accidents were stalls, slow-flight practice or simulated engine-out work. On 14 January 2024 a Baron on a currency flight stalled and spun near Leyden, Massachusetts, killing three; the NTSB found the instructor lost control, with his sedating medicines a factor. A Travel Air spun during slow flight near Elkmont, Alabama, on 4 December 2023, killing both.
On 22 April 2019 both engines ran dry on approach to Kerrville, Texas, and only the left restarted; the NTSB found the flaps down and the dead propeller not feathered, and six died. Near Nashville on 24 November 2008 a loose fuel hose stopped the left engine in cloud, and three died.
What an engine failure means in a Baron
With one engine dead, the other pulls the plane to one side. The rudder can hold it straight only above the minimum control speed, called Vmc. Below that, the plane rolls and yaws toward the dead engine. The drill is to keep speed, feather the propeller and fly the best single-engine climb speed; a heavy Baron on a hot day may barely climb. A failure just after take-off is the hard case, but a failure late in a flight can end badly too. On 21 October 2025 a G58 pilot reported an engine problem near Lafayette, Louisiana, close to the destination; it spun to the ground near Carencro with the right propeller not feathered, and three died. The NTSB has not yet published a cause.
Weather, weight and the open cases
About 20 of the 70 summaries mention cloud, storms, snow or icing. Weight matters too: on 12 August 2016 a Baron landing with six aboard on a 2,999 ft runway at Fredericksburg, Virginia, went around and stalled, and the NTSB cited too little airspeed. Four counted crashes in 2026 have no published cause yet, among them a competency check near New Market, Tennessee, and a night flight lost in a severe storm near Waterloo, Illinois.
What to check before you fly one
- Ask for the pilot's instrument rating, multi-engine time and the last engine-out practice.
- Ask how much fuel is on board and which tank feeds each engine.
- Do not accept a night or cloud flight with a pilot who is not current.
- Look up the registration in the FAA and NTSB databases.
ICAO codes: BE55 (Baron 55), BE58 (Baron 58) and BE95 (Travel Air). Compare the Bonanza, a single with the same maker.
Questions people ask
Is the Beechcraft Baron a safe plane?
Its record is weaker than most light twins we rate. It ranks just ahead of the Cessna 310 and 340 and the Cessna 414 and 421, though the gaps are small and their likely ranges overlap; the Piper Seneca and Seminole do better. Most counted accidents were a loss of control, often in cloud, at night or after an engine problem.
What is the difference between a Baron 55 and a Baron 58?
The 55 is the older and smaller Baron. The 58, from 1969, has a longer cabin and more power, and the G58 is still built. The Travel Air is the earlier and simpler twin from which the Baron was developed.
Is a twin like the Baron safer than a single-engine plane?
Not in our data. Per flight, the Baron's record is only a little better than the single-engine Bonanza's from the same maker, with overlapping likely ranges, and weaker than common single-engine trainers such as the Cessna 172. The second engine helps only if the pilot handles a failure well, and several Baron crashes began with one.
Can a Beechcraft Baron be used for charter?
Yes, an operator with a Part 135 certificate can. Most Barons in our data flew private or business flights under Part 91, which has fewer rules. Ask which certificate applies before you pay.
Are Barons used for flight training?
Yes, for multi-engine ratings and currency checks. Eleven of the counted accidents were training flights. The US Army also flew a military version, the T-42A Cochise.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 58, Kerrville, Texas, 22 April 2019 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A), Leyden, Massachusetts, 14 January 2024 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Beechcraft E95, Elkmont, Alabama, 4 December 2023 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 95 B55 (T42A), Fredericksburg, Virginia, 12 August 2016 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A), Whites Creek, Tennessee, 24 November 2008 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 58, New Market, Tennessee, 13 April 2026 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 7.NTSB docket: Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A), Waterloo, Illinois, 9 July 2026 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 8.NTSB docket: Beechcraft G58, Carencro, Louisiana, 21 October 2025 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 9.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 3,125 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.82, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.02 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 81 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
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