Casualties unknown

Brit Air CRJ700 Autopilot Pitch Trim Incident at Bilbao (F-GRZN)

FR

On July 12, 2010, a Bombardier CRJ700 (registration F-GRZN) was involved in an aviation accident near FR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The rupture of the autopilot pitch-up elevator control cable, caused by progressive fatigue cracking due to an improper installation of the cable end fitting, which introduced abnormal bending stresses. This summary draws on records from the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA)Primary reportUpdated 2026-09-13Data APIEditorial standards

A Brit Air Bombardier CRJ700 (F-GRZN) experienced an autopilot pitch trim failure and elevator control jamming during a flight to Bilbao on July 12, 2010. A broken cable caused the issue.

Incident Overview and Flight Details On July 12, 2010, a Brit Air Bombardier CRJ700, registration F-GRZN, was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Bilbao to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The aircraft carried two pilots, two cabin crew members, 63 passengers, and two infants. During the climb, the crew observed that the autopilot could not maintain the selected vertical mode, accompanied by an 'AP PITCH TRIM' alert. After unsuccessful attempts to re-engage the autopilot, the crew manually flew the aircraft to Paris without further incident. No injuries or damage were reported during this initial phase.

Probable cause

The rupture of the autopilot pitch-up elevator control cable, caused by progressive fatigue cracking due to an improper installation of the cable end fitting, which introduced abnormal bending stresses.