Elixir Aircraft fleet grounded after fatal test flight crash in France

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive suspending all flight operations for the Elixir Aircraft fleet following a fatal crash in France. The accident occurred on 1 October near Rochefort-Saint-Agnant Airport during a series of touch-and-go maneuvers.

The crash involved an Elixir F-WGAZ aircraft operated by the manufacturer. Two production test pilots were killed in the incident. The wreckage landed within the perimeter of the nearby French Air and Space Force Base 721, though no other casualties or significant damage to the military installation were reported.

Elixir Aircraft, founded in 2015 by Arthur Léopold Léger, is a French manufacturer specializing in modern, lightweight aircraft. The company had planned significant expansion into the United States in 2026. Investigators are currently examining the aircraft's maintenance, configuration, and the specific test profile to determine the cause of the accident.