An FAA airworthiness directive grounding two-seat, single-engine Elixir trainers took effect Wednesday.
The agency issued the AD on Tuesday following a fatal accident during a production test flight involving the Elixir earlier this month. The airplane, marketed primarily for training, is manufactured in France by Elixir Aircraft.
To address an unsafe condition, which the FAA said could result in loss of continued safe flight and landing if unaddressed, the agency required immediate adoption of the AD without the traditional public comment period. Instead, members of the public can submit comments through November 27, after which the FAA may amend the final rule.
“The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule,” it said, “because the severity of the consequences of not knowing what caused the fatal accident necessitate prohibiting further flight until approved inspection or modification procedures are identified, the airplane is inspected, and any applicable corrective actions are performed.”
The directive halts operation of the Elixir until the aircraft have undergone FAA-approved inspection or modification procedures, which have not yet been established. The agency described the AD as an interim action and said it may consider further rulemaking.
The provision applies to all model Elixir airplanes, regardless of certification category, and prohibits special flight permits unless specifically approved under the directive’s alternative compliance procedures. The FAA estimated that the grounding will affect only three U.S.-registered aircraft.
The French manufacturer obtained FAA Part 23 certification in July 2025 and began U.S. deliveries this year, with initial customers including Cirrus Aviation. Cirrus’ website states that the next-generation Elixir aircraft it ordered are “currently being integrated into operations and will be available soon for student training and advanced instruction.”
The fatal Elixir accident, which killed two test pilots, occurred October 1 at Rochefort Airport (LFDN) in France. It involved model F-WGAZ, which according to media reports lost one of its flaps during a low-level circuit before the accident.
France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are still investigating the cause of the accident. But the FAA said the unsafe condition is “likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.”
Elixir issued an Alert Service Bulletin to operators on October 2. EASA the same day issued an emergency AD temporarily suspending operations of the entire Elixir fleet as a precautionary measure.