Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Workload; Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Manuals; Equipment / Tooling; Company Policy
My Airlines is approved for EFB Type B applications in 2013; and both the Captain and I were utilizing the Apple iPad as a Type B EFB; utilizing the Jeppesen Jepp FD Pro application to access Enroute and terminal charting. Both EFB's were operational and were utilized to conduct the approach briefing and to set up the aircraft to conduct an instrument approach to the ILS on Runway 20.During the approach; the Captain went to refer to his approach plate on his EFB. His screen was locked and requested that he change his passcode. He was unable to access his EFB during the approach. As we were on vectors to join the final approach course; he discontinued using his EFB and asked me for the information he was looking for referring to my iPad EFB. For about 45 seconds; while the Captain was dealing with his locked iPad; I continued the approach and accomplished both the pilot flying and pilot monitoring duties; configuring the aircraft and switching from approach to Tower. The Captain stopped working with his iPad and ran the Before Landing checklist and resumed the PM duties. The flight broke out at 300 FT AGL and landed uneventfully. Our Air Carrier's exchange account appears to require periodic passcode changes. Users have no control over when it requires the passcode change; and as the iPad EFB is still relatively new; neither one of us had personally seen this behavior in our EFB. Although recently we have heard anecdotally about the iPad asking for a passcode change. In this instance; the iPad requested a pass code change in a critical phase of flight; disabling the Captain's iPad as we intercepted and joined the localizer in IMC conditions.I would suggest: 1. Change the security settings of the Exchange account so that it does not require periodic passcode changes; or 2. Allow users to dictate when to change the passcode. 3. Disable the exchange account as recommended by Jeppesen.
An Air Carrier First Officer reported his Captain's iPad locked in flight because the Company supplied software required periodic pass code changes; and this periodic event which locks the EFB occurred during final approach in IMC.