B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Procedure; Company Policy
Immediately after touchdown on a relatively short runway (Autobrakes 3; Max Reverse); we heard what sounded like something falling from the overhead onto the floor behind the console. Out of the corner of my eye; I could tell that whatever it was; it was emitting light and illuminating the aft portion of our otherwise dark flight deck. Other than the distraction; the aircraft appeared to be decelerating normally and there were no other indications that anything was abnormal. We slowed to taxi speed and exited the runway. After we received our taxi clearance; the First Officer had time to investigate what had happened and the source of the mysterious light.He looked back behind the console on the floor and announced; 'It's your iPad.' 'It's not my iPad' I responded and a quick inventory showed our iPads were secure and the suspect device didn't belong to either of us. The screen was on full bright and casting a faint light throughout the cockpit. It was as if an iPad had appeared from another time/space dimension and landed in our flight deck. I looked at my First Officer and asked... 'Are iPads now falling out of the sky?'The answer came a few moments later when we blocked into the gate and while not so much science fiction based; it was equally surprising. The Cabin to Flight Deck chime rang and the Flight Attendant advised us that a First Class passenger had lost her iPad on landing when it flew out of her hands; skidded up the aisle and disappeared. Although we often pass paper underneath the door; I never imagined that an iPad; complete with Logitech Keyboard; could so easily slide under the Flight Deck door.This creates two basic safety concerns. The first is whether people should be holding anything in their laps during takeoff and landing (iPads; cell phones; children and etc.) While landing on a short runway does create more deceleration than landing on a long runway; it is nothing compared to G-forces that might be experienced during an emergency. Cell phones; laptops and tablet computers scattered on the floor during an evacuation could cause people to trip; slip and fall; thus hindering and delaying the evacuation; possibly causing injuries and worse; possibly costing lives. Lap children flying about the cabin...? Need I say more?My second concern is that something that large; could be so easily be slipped under the flight deck door. While a stock iPad is relatively benign; certainly something much more nefarious can be designed to slip under the door with the intention of wreaking havoc and causing harm. The door need not even be opened to breach the flight deck.
A B737-800 Captain reported that during landing roll a first class passenger's iPad flew from her hands during braking with Autobrakes 3 and max reverse; landed on the floor; and slid under the cockpit door stopping in the flight station.