B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 306
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft; Company Policy
We were scheduled to fly four legs today starting with fully charged iPads (our primary source of electronic departure; enroute; arrival; approach; and taxi charts; etc.). During our third leg; both Captain and FO noticed that battery charge on each iPad was getting very low requiring a recharge. We removed the Company provided charging module and charging cords from the container. The FO noticed a hand written note in the container saying that the cords were inoperative. We attempted to use the cords. They were; in fact; inoperative! When we arrived [at destination]; we asked Maintenance if they could provide us with replacement cords. The answer was NO. I knew that at this time of the night that the [flight office] over in the Terminal was probably closed; so we could not swap out the cords.  I called the Chief Pilot on Duty and Maintenance Control in order to discuss this issue with them.  I explained to them that the iPad electric charging cords are very unreliable and fail frequently.  I also explained that the electric cords should be 'Maintenance' items.  Pilots should be able to writeup the iPad charging system in the aircraft Maintenance logbook (for tracking purposes; for repair purposes; for supply system purposes; for MEL purposes) just like any other aircraft equipment. The iPad cords are not unimportant items.  If one or both of our iPads had failed (due to low battery charge) while enroute tonight where we shot the approach down to minimums; we would have been without our Arrival Charts; Approach Charts; and Taxi Charts.  We compensated for the situation by plugging our personal iPad charger into the aircraft flight deck electric plug in order to individually charge our iPads for the approach.  The Chief Pilot on Call said that he deals with this problem all the time; that Management knows about this problem; and that there is still NO solution to this problem. He was not sure of the status of a solution to this problem.  Management needs to do the following: 1. Purchase a more reliable iPad charging system for the aircraft flight deck. 2. Incorporate the iPad charging system into the Company Maintenance 'required equipment' list so that it can be repaired; replaced; stocked in the supply system; placed on the MEL list; tracked (tracking number); and written up in the aircraft logbook. Why are we placing new equipment in the aircraft where there is no tracking system or accountability for the equipment? Pilots are placing hand written notes inside the iPad charger container saying that the item is inoperative!  No one is aware of the problem until the next Pilot opens the container (SURPRISE!). 3. Act more quickly on important issues such as this; so Pilots do not have to use 'jury rigged' methods of making the iPad work on the flight deck.
B737-700 Captain reported both his and the FO's iPad were in need of a charge; but the charging cords supplied by the company were inoperative. Reporter stated the iPads are the primary source of charts and that the charging cords are not tracked as maintenance equipment.