the yaw. Probable cause was therefore found to be: The failure of the flight crew to properly secure a compa- ny-issued iPad, leading to its migration into and jamming of the copilot’s left pedal, preventing the pilot from arresting a left yaw, and resulting in a loss of control. The operator confirmed that there was no reason for the
crew to have used the iPad during this flight. The copilot should have been monitoring the cargo-hook load gauge during the pickup, but, based on the NTSB reconstruction of the damage to the tablet, it seems highly likely that he was also holding the tablet in his hands, precipitating the acci- dent sequence when the device somehow slipped from his grasp.
The Takeaway The version of ROTAK’s company operations manual in effect at the time of the accident placed strict limits on in-cockpit use of portable electronic devices (PED):
The use of mobile phones and PED for company personnel is strictly prohibited during critical phases of flight, ground operations, maintenance, and vehicle operations. Exceptions to this can be made for emergencies that require immediate communication and when utilization of the device is critical to the task being performed. Whether the copilot was actively using the iPad or just
holding it, the NTSB report notes that “the security of all items in the cockpit during an operation is necessary to ensure that they do not adversely interact with critical sys- tems, such as flight controls.” The risk of pilot distraction posed by portable electronics
has been increasingly obvious for decades, but solid objects left loose in the cockpit can also cause interference of a much more tangible kind.
David Jack Kenny is a fixed-wing ATP with commercial privileges for helicopter.
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