Two Elixir Aircraft test pilots die in light plane crash at Rochefort air base

Fatal crash at Rochefort military base

Two test pilots died on Thursday morning, 1 October 2026, when their light aircraft crashed at Air Base 721 in Rochefort, located in the Charente-Maritime department of southwestern France. The public prosecutor's office in La Rochelle reported that the aircraft went down at approximately 11:00 within the perimeter of the French Air Force installation. The impact occurred at the end of the runway, roughly 30 metres from the boundary of the adjoining Rochefort-Saint-Agnant civil aerodrome. The military air base shares its airfield grounds and runway approaches with the civilian facility in the commune of Saint-Agnant. Civilian flight operations at the aerodrome were halted immediately following the accident.

Severe failure during production flight

The two victims were test pilots employed by the French light aircraft manufacturer Elixir Aircraft and were operating a two-seat model at the time of the incident. The company stated that the crew was conducting a routine production test flight when the aircraft encountered catastrophic difficulties. General Mathieu Deflandre, the commanding officer of Air Base 721, told Agence France-Presse that a severe mechanical failure caused the aircraft to lose control near the airfield. Military personnel stationed at the installation intervened at the crash site immediately after the impact, but emergency responders were unable to save the pilots.

Military personnel intervened very quickly at the scene but unfortunately could only confirm the death of the two occupants.

Aircraft manufacturer operations in La Rochelle

The aircraft involved in the accident was produced by Elixir Aircraft, an aerospace company based in the nearby coastal city of La Rochelle. Founded in 2015, the firm designs and manufactures a new generation of two-seater light aircraft built with composite materials to reduce weight and carbon emissions. The manufacturer employs between 240 and 250 staff members across its Charente-Maritime facilities. Following the accident, Elixir Aircraft published an official statement expressing condolences to the families of the two employees, while a company spokesperson declined to comment on the specific circumstances of the flight.

All our thoughts are with the families of our dear colleagues.

Judicial inquiry and site response

Judicial authorities and aviation security specialists opened an inquiry to determine the technical factors that led to the fatal crash. Gendarmes from the Mérignac Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade were deployed to the Saint-Agnant crash site to secure the wreckage and collect physical evidence. The investigation is operating under the authority of the La Rochelle public prosecutor, who is supervising the technical examination of the two-seat aircraft. Operations at the Rochefort civilian airport remained suspended following the crash as investigators examined the perimeter and the end of the runway.