2,878 Beechcraft Barons are currently on the FAA registry, spanning the original Model 55 (introduced 1960), the short-lived turbocharged Model 56TC, and the larger Model 58 (including the pressurized 58P) that remains the definitive light twin for many owner-pilots. Nearly 3,700 Model 55/58 Barons were delivered before the design's long production run finally slowed.
Why a popular twin needs a careful check
High production numbers over a multi-decade run mean plenty of Barons have changed hands more than once, and some have had their N-number reassigned after a long gap off the registry. The FAA can reissue a cancelled N-number to a different airframe after five years (14 CFR 47.15/47.17), so a search of only the current tail number can miss an accident filed under a prior registration -- or wrongly attach a different airframe's history to the one you're buying. Twin-engine aircraft also carry their own accident patterns (engine-out handling, in particular) worth knowing from the full NTSB record, not just a clean-looking registry entry.
What a $79 report adds
Current FAA registration status, prior registrants, recent FAA filings (bills of sale, security agreements/liens), full NTSB accident and incident history, and the serial-number cross-match that catches an accident hiding under a prior tail number.
Check a specific tail number
Use our free tail-number lookup to check registration status and a summary of what a full report would show, or see our multi-engine aircraft pre-purchase checklist for what to budget alongside a history check.