Date: 201602
Light: Night
Aircraft: Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Aircraft component: Electronic Flt Bag (EFB)
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Company Policy
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: I am compelled to write this report on our EFB's due to the widespread technical problems we are experiencing on [the] line. I am using this avenue because other safety reporting methods block this type of general; non-flight-specific report with drop down menus that don't apply.I am seeing little recognition of the day-to-day EFB technical glitches we experience regularly in normal operations. On nearly every flight; since the day we began using these; either my EFB or my captain's EFB has a hiccup ranging from a minor annoyance to potential safety hazard. These problems are not specific to any aircraft; airport; procedure; or EFB user. Our EFBs routinely crash; freeze up and stop working; fail to turn on when needed; or simply behave erratically and unexpectedly. These issues typically have no common theme or obvious correlation. We have no way of knowing when the next glitch will occur or why. Usually the EFB resumes operation after a short delay or after a reset; but the frequency with which this is happening is unacceptable. It is only a matter of time before these things fail during an approach in IMC.So far; in my cockpit we have had to revert to the old paper charts twice while one EFB was temporarily inoperative.I have completed all of the provided EFB training and I update the software twice a week. I have downloaded every update to the operating system; and these problems continue. I see these EFB failures regularly and across many different users. In regard to assistance from IT; there seems to be a disconnect between what the device is designed to do and what we experience in the real world. An additional concern I have is with the current battery life requirement to begin a flight. Bring up the battery life and the time remaining is obviously unreliable; yet the FAA is using that as hard truth. I have seen both EFBs in the cockpit display the same battery percentage; yet the time remaining was different by two hours. Or; check the battery life now and then check it again in ten minutes and the time remaining could actually increase significantly or decrease by far more than that ten minute period. The number is all over the place and can't possibly be reliable. And; try beginning a 6-leg day with a battery at 100%. By the end of the day; it's getting pretty low. Overall I think most of us like having the EFB and it has benefits that do contribute to safety. My concern here is with the technical glitches that should have been ironed out before rollout. With these issues so widespread and so common; how did this device get approved? Were problems really not noticed in testing?




Synopsis: Regional jet First Officer laments the widespread technical problems being experienced on line with newly introduced EFBs.