The fatal crash of a homebuilt Zodiac CH-601XL last month has prompted the FAA to freeze the issuance of new airworthiness certificates for the design. The accident was the sixth attributed to an in-flight break up.

The timing of the crash is poignant, as it came one day before the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin concerning aerodynamic flutter that may have been a factor in the accidents.

“There have been too many crashes. We think one crash is too many,” said Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith Aircraft, which manufactures the kits. His father, Chris Heintz, is the designer of the aircraft. “The frustrating thing is that there is no single cause that was responsible for all the accidents.”

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