B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Type 4930
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft
I've taken time to really evaluate the new iPad holders installed on the B737 fleet. I would like to bring to your attention the possible SAFETY problems I have personally incurred while using the iPad holder. In my normal seat position for the Captain's seat; the iPad holder is a hindrance to proper tiller movement. Very limiting in the amount of arm movement I can place on the tiller without scraping my arm to death or having to bend my arm in a very awkward way to get complete movement. In a CAT 3 seat position it is an extremely large hindrance to both tiller and proper and safe control movement. Furthermore; during control checks; both myself and the First Officer (FO) found the holder to obstruct free; safe and efficient movement of the controls without hitting and scraping arms or completely knocking the iPad out of holder or knocking holder into a position other than where it's supposed to stay. During initial takeoff phase; we were taken off the LNAV departure and given a left turn to approximately 160 degrees heading. As we started the turn and while in a 25 degree left bank; (FO flying); an extensive wind rotor and very rapid roll to the left up to 45 degrees occurred due to strong winds and possible wave action coming off of mountain to our left. We were IMC at this moment. FO immediately put in full right turn control displacement to counter the left roll moment which was effective in solving the undesired flight state. This was not without totally smashing his arm through the iPad holder; knocking it out of place and causing iPad to fly out of holder. After getting through this moment; he retrieved the iPad and took the holder out of the window area and did not use [it]. Why? It totally hindered and impeded effective and safe movement of controls during a critical phase of flight and thus became a safety issue in his and my opinion. I too did the same due to weather all day along routes we were flying. I have flown with this holder over several flights now trying to truly evaluate its potential or lack thereof. It is so restrictive that I cannot use it within professional standards of safely operating a flight. Too much interference with tiller movement. Too much interference with safe control displacement. Very hard to read iPad due to angle iPad screen is placed at when in holder. iPad holder bounces around during turbulence making it hard to focus on iPad readout. I am surrendering to now using paper charts below 10000 feet again in order to maintain safe operations of the flight.
B737 Captain reported he considers the new iPad mount system to be poorly designed and unsafe.