Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
On final approach; aircraft started a violent uncommanded right roll. The autopilot disengaged and we got an 'autopilot fail' caution message. Captain and First Officer both grabbed the controls before the Captain called 'My aircraft'. Captain reestablished control and hit the auto pilot disconnect to silence the alarm. With the aircraft under control and well above 1;000 feet; Captain continued the approach by hand; staying above glide path on approach. [We] asked ATC if were following a heavy. ATC confirmed we were 7 miles in trail of a B777.Sudden right roll detective by outside reference and instrument scan. Autopilot disconnecting by master warning and autopilot aural warning. Wake turbulence from a B777 7 miles ahead. Regained manual control and stayed high of glide slope to avoided further wake encounters. ATC should have warned us we were following a heavy. Also ATC and the other aircraft were conversing in French so we were not even aware of a heavy on freq. All aircraft and ATC conversing in one language would have reduced the possibility of this happening.
Embraer regional jet flight crew reported experiencing a 'violent' roll to the right on approach to CYUL 7 miles in trail of a B777.