The entire Elixir fleet remains grounded after a left flap detached from a production test aircraft during the final turn to Runway 12 at Rochefort-Charente-Maritime Airport in France on 1 October, killing two company pilots. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has suspended flight operations across all Elixir aeroplanes, while investigators continue to examine why the control surface separated from the aircraft.
The BEA’s update on 8 October confirmed that the aircraft had departed from La Rochelle for a production test flight, completed two circuits and was then put into a low-altitude circuit before the flap separation. The pilot lost control, deployed the emergency parachute at low altitude and the aircraft struck the ground. Elixir Aircraft has not yet determined the cause and continues to assist investigators.
The company issued an alert service bulletin on 2 October requiring affected aircraft to remain grounded from 3 October until further notice. EASA followed with an emergency airworthiness directive issued the same day and effective on 3 October, covering all Elixir aircraft regardless of serial number. The fleet-wide halt affects about 60 aircraft in five countries and remains an interim measure pending further information. The directive warns that additional airworthiness action may still be needed.