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How to Buy a Beechcraft King Air C90: Buyer's Guide
The pressurized twin turboprop owner-pilots grow into: rugged, roomy and forgiving, with prices set mostly by engines, panel and paperwork.
Updated October 2026 · Market data from 24 live fyiAero listings, the FAA registry and NTSB records
Overview
The King Air C90 is the airplane many owner-pilots picture when they think about stepping up to turbines. It is a pressurized, cabin-class twin with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines, a real airstair door, and a cabin you can stand up and walk around in, provided you stoop a little. It is not fast by turboprop standards, but it is honest, overbuilt and supported by one of the deepest service networks in general aviation.
The market is large and varied. The FAA registry shows 522 C90-family aircraft in the U.S., and fyiAero listings currently show 24 for sale: 13 original C90s, 6 C90As, 4 C90Bs and 1 C90GT. Model years run from 1973 to 2005. Asking prices range from $575,000 to $3,100,000, with a median of $1,195,000. Median airframe time on listed aircraft is 8,777 hours, so high-time airframes are normal here. What matters is how those hours were flown and how the airplane was maintained.
The spread between the cheapest and most expensive C90 is not mostly about the airframe. Engine time and program status, propeller condition, avionics and corrosion history drive most of the difference. A cheap King Air with tired engines can easily become the most expensive one on the ramp.
Who it's for. The C90 suits owner-pilots and small companies flying two to five people on trips of a few hundred miles, often into shorter or rougher strips than a jet can use. It also fits pilots moving up from a piston twin like a Baron or a 340 who want turbine reliability, pressurization and a big cabin without jet-level costs. It is certified for single-pilot operation, but it is a complex airplane. Insurers will typically want multi-engine and instrument experience, meaningful total time, and formal initial and recurrent simulator-based training. Low-time pilots can expect higher premiums, a required mentor or second pilot for an initial period, or both. Get an insurance quote before you make an offer, not after.
Generations and variants
| Version | Years | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| King Air 90 / A90 / B90 (predecessors) | 1964-1971 | These are the early 90-series airplanes that established the type. They rarely appear in today's C90 listings and trade on condition and engine time more than anything else. |
| C90 | 1971-1981 | This is the core of the current market, with PT6A-21 engines, electromechanical landing gear and the classic 90-series cabin. In fyiAero listings these 1970s and early-1980s airframes generally ask between about $575,000 and $995,000, depending on engines and panel. |
| C90-1 | 1982-1984 | This short-run update raised the pressurization differential for a lower cabin altitude and brought detail improvements. It is priced close to late C90s, with the specific airplane's condition mattering more than the dash number. |
| C90A | 1984-1992 | The C90A added hydraulic landing gear, revised 'pitot' style engine cowlings for better ram-air recovery, and other refinements. These sit in the middle of the market. 1990 examples in fyiAero listings average about $1.4 million. |
| C90B / C90SE | 1992-2005 | Four-blade propellers and noise and vibration treatments made the cabin noticeably quieter. The SE was a lower-equipped value version. Late C90Bs in fyiAero listings ask roughly $2.85 million to $3.1 million. |
| C90GT / C90GTi / C90GTx | 2006-later | Upgraded PT6A-135A engines improved climb and cruise, the GTi brought the Collins Pro Line 21 glass cockpit, and the GTx added winglets and a higher gross weight. These are the newest and most expensive members of the family and appear only occasionally for sale. |
What a Beechcraft King Air C90 costs to buy
12 priced listings on fyiAero right now ask between $575,000 and $3,100,000, with a median of $1,195,000 and a median of 8,777 hours total time. Against fyiEstimate, 6 are priced below estimate, 1 within range and 5 above.
- Age sets a rough baseline. In fyiAero listings, 1970s and early-1980s C90s ask about $575,000 to $995,000, 1990 airframes average about $1.4 million, and 2001-2005 C90Bs ask $2.85 million to $3.1 million.
- Airframe time matters but is not the whole story. Listed aircraft with 3,000-5,000 hours have a median ask of $2.9 million, against $885,000 for those over 5,000 hours. That gap partly reflects the newer airframes in the low-time group.
- Price the engines first. Time since overhaul, time since hot section, and enrollment in an engine maintenance program can swing value by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mid-time engines on a program are worth more than low-time engines with no program and spotty trend data.
- Do not compare on asking price alone. A $725,000 airplane needing engines and props can cost far more than a $995,000 airplane with fresh overhauls and an upgraded panel.
- Older C90s with modern glass, engine upgrades and good paint and interior can close much of the gap to later models at a fraction of the price. Shop the specific airplane, not the dash number.
- Damage history, corrosion and incomplete logbooks hurt resale more than high hours do. Budget for a thorough pre-buy at a King Air-experienced shop, and treat any missing records as a price negotiation item.
Average asking price by model year
Median asking price by airframe time
| 3,000–5,000 hrs | $2,900,000 | 2 listings |
| 5,000+ hrs | $885,000 | 10 listings |
Pre-buy inspection checklist
Have a shop that knows the type do the pre-buy, and ask them to research every applicable AD and service bulletin. Pay particular attention to:
- Engine borescope, hot section and trend data. PT6 overhauls and hot section inspections are the largest single cost items. Review trend monitoring data, borescope the hot sections and compressors, and confirm times against the logs.
- Engine program status and transferability. Confirm whether the engines are enrolled in a maintenance program, what coverage remains, and any buy-in cost. Program status heavily affects value and future cash outlay.
- Propellers and governors. Check prop overhaul times, blade condition, hub leaks and governor or overspeed governor operation. Have the shop research applicable propeller ADs and SBs.
- Wing spar, wing attach fittings and structure. King Airs have structural inspection requirements tied to time and usage. Verify that required spar and attach-fitting inspections were done, and look for corrosion or prior repairs.
- Landing gear system. Early C90s use electromechanical gear with actuators and gearboxes that need careful rigging and wear checks. Hydraulic-gear airplanes need a check of the power pack, lines and actuators. Do a full retraction test on jacks.
- Corrosion survey. Look closely at the belly, wheel wells, flap tracks, cabin floor areas, battery box and lavatory area, especially on coastal or humid-climate airplanes. Corrosion repair is expensive and kills resale.
- Pressurization, windows and door seals. Run a cabin pressure test and inspect the windows for crazing and cracks. Check the airstair door, its seals and the latching mechanism, and confirm the outflow and safety valves work.
- Fuel cells and fuel system. Bladder-type fuel cells can age, crack and leak. Inspect for staining and odors, and verify fuel quantity indication and crossfeed operation.
- Ice protection. Inspect wing and tail deice boots, prop deice, windshield heat and inlet anti-ice. Replacing boots or fixing heat systems adds up quickly.
- Logbooks, AD compliance and damage history. Have the shop research all applicable ADs and SBs, and verify continuous logs and recurring inspection program compliance. Pull any damage or major repair records, including Form 337s.
Popular upgrades
- Glass cockpit retrofit (e.g., Garmin G1000 NXi or G600/GTN suites). Modern avionics are one of the biggest value drivers in older C90s. A complete, well-installed glass panel can make a 1970s or 1980s airframe far more marketable, though you rarely recover the full installation cost.
- Blackhawk engine upgrade (PT6A-135A conversion). This adds climb and cruise performance and usually comes with zero-time engines, which supports value strongly. Check remaining time and warranty status.
- Raisbeck performance mods. Ram air recovery, aft body strakes, swept-blade propellers and nacelle wing lockers improve performance, handling, noise and baggage space. Buyers generally see them as a plus.
- Four-blade or composite propeller conversions. These reduce cabin noise and vibration and may improve ground clearance and performance. They add appeal, particularly on older C90s.
- Interior and paint refurbishment. A fresh, quality interior and paint make an airplane sell faster. A dated cabin is a common negotiation point, but cosmetics should never outweigh engines and structure.
Ownership costs
This is a turbine twin, and it costs like one. fyiAero's operating cost estimate puts variable costs at about $1,584 per hour, driven by a fuel burn of roughly 74 gallons per hour plus engine and maintenance reserves. Flying 325 hours a year, the estimated total annual budget comes to about $756,711. Fixed costs such as insurance, hangar, training, subscriptions and inspections account for roughly $242,000 of that. At a typical cruise of 195 knots with five passengers, that works out to about $7.17 per nautical mile. The estimate assumes an average pre-owned aircraft value of around $815,000. Newer or higher-value airplanes will carry higher insurance and financing costs. Engine program enrollment smooths out the big overhaul and hot section bills, but it does not eliminate them. Always budget a reserve for unscheduled maintenance in the first year of ownership.
Safety record
NTSB records show 13 accidents involving the C90 family over the last 10 years, 2 of them fatal and 2 involving destroyed aircraft. Against a U.S. fleet of 522, that equals about 24.9 accidents and 3.8 fatal accidents per 1,000 registered aircraft over the decade. Those numbers reflect a mature fleet that is flown hard and often single-pilot, and they do not suggest a design problem. The type-specific risk areas are well understood. Engine failure on takeoff or go-around demands sharp single-engine and Vmc skills. Single-pilot IFR workload is high in weather and icing. Gear-up landings, fuel mismanagement and runway excursions also appear in King Air accident histories. Pilots who complete formal initial training and stay current with annual recurrent simulator training, especially on engine-out procedures, are managing the biggest risks this airplane presents.
Alternatives to consider
- Piper Cheyenne II / IIXL. It is often cheaper to buy and a bit faster. The trade-off is a smaller cabin, a thinner support network and less resale strength than a King Air.
- Cessna Conquest I (425). It is faster and efficient, with a comfortable cabin. The fleet is smaller, parts and support are narrower, and the cabin is not as roomy as a C90's.
- Pilatus PC-12. It has a bigger cabin, a cargo door and single-engine economics. You give up the second engine, and comparable-year airframes carry much higher purchase prices.
- Daher TBM 850 / 900 series. It is much faster and burns less fuel per mile on a single PT6. The cabin is smaller and less flexible, with no twin-engine redundancy.
- Beechcraft King Air 200. It offers more cabin, range, speed and payload with a T-tail and bigger engines. Acquisition, fuel and maintenance costs are all higher.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a King Air C90 cost?
fyiAero listings show asking prices from $575,000 to $3,100,000, with a median of $1,195,000. Older 1970s C90s sit at the low end, while 2001-2005 C90Bs ask about $2.85 million to $3.1 million.
What does it cost per hour to operate a C90?
fyiAero's estimate puts variable costs at about $1,584 per hour, with fuel burn around 74 gallons per hour. Including fixed costs, the estimated annual budget at 325 hours is about $756,711.
How far and how fast does a King Air C90 fly?
The operating estimate uses a cruise speed of about 195 knots and a range of around 900 nautical miles with five passengers. Actual numbers vary by model, engines, mods and load.
Is high airframe time a problem on a C90?
Not necessarily. The median airframe time on listed aircraft is 8,777 hours. Maintenance history, structural inspection compliance, corrosion and engine condition matter more than the raw hour count.
Can I fly a King Air C90 single-pilot?
Yes, the C90 is certified for single-pilot operation. Insurers will typically require formal initial and recurrent training, plus solid multi-engine and instrument experience, before covering you solo.
How many King Air C90s are for sale right now?
fyiAero currently lists 24: 13 C90s, 6 C90As, 4 C90Bs and 1 C90GT. The FAA registry shows 522 C90-family aircraft in the U.S., so the market has good depth.
Beechcraft King Air C90 for sale
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Prices, fleet and safety figures update automatically from fyiAero listings, the FAA aircraft registry and NTSB data. The editorial was written by fyiAero with AI assistance from that data and general type knowledge. It is not a substitute for a pre-buy inspection, title search or professional advice.
