Narrative:

Upon arrival at aircraft found both efb term chart databases out of date. Local maintenance could not update the databases. We wrote up in the logbook and they were deferred per MEL 46-11-02. This MEL requires other method of getting charts i.e. 2 ipads. We used the ipads for the terminal charts. After departure I noticed an update notice on the top toolbar of the ipad. I did not notice this update nor did any of the other crewmembers until after takeoff. We did have a heavy workload getting out of [the airport] due to numerous notams; this MEL; and an issue with the first officer's efb and a few other issues. After I noticed my ipad showed an update; I asked both the relief first officer and first officer to check their ipads to see if they had any updates and they both realized there was an update available. Both I and the relief first officer remember checking to see and confirmed that our ipads' charts were current shortly before being picked up at the hotel (the first officer remembers checking his but did not remember at what time). I have both flight deck pro versions loaded on my ipad and I had updated both and both showed current charts. After discovering that all ipads had updates available we became concerned we did not have current terminal charts because we could not tell what chart revisions were available for update. Enroute we contacted dispatch and had them provide all the current dates for the charts we needed for arrival via ACARS. Aircraft efb databases not maintained to currency. Problem with ipad timely notification of database updates. Fix ipad update notice. Not sure what is wrong with untimely database and late notification of updates. Keep efb databases updated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 flight crew discovers that their EFB terminal chart database has expired and Maintenance cannot provide a current database; requiring the EFB to be MEL'd. The MEL requires the availability of charts from another source; in this case iPads. Once airborne it is discovered that all three iPads need to be updated.

Narrative: Upon arrival at aircraft found both EFB TERM Chart databases out of date. Local Maintenance could not update the databases. We wrote up in the logbook and they were deferred per MEL 46-11-02. This MEL requires other method of getting charts i.e. 2 iPads. We used the iPads for the terminal charts. After departure I noticed an update notice on the top toolbar of the iPad. I did not notice this update nor did any of the other crewmembers until after takeoff. We did have a heavy workload getting out of [the airport] due to numerous NOTAMs; this MEL; and an issue with the First Officer's EFB and a few other issues. After I noticed my iPad showed an update; I asked both the Relief First Officer and First Officer to check their iPads to see if they had any updates and they both realized there was an update available. Both I and the Relief First Officer remember checking to see and confirmed that our iPads' charts were current shortly before being picked up at the hotel (the First Officer remembers checking his but did not remember at what time). I have both Flight Deck Pro versions loaded on my iPad and I had updated both and both showed current charts. After discovering that all iPads had updates available we became concerned we did not have current terminal charts because we could not tell what chart revisions were available for update. Enroute we contacted Dispatch and had them provide all the current dates for the charts we needed for arrival via ACARS. Aircraft EFB databases not maintained to currency. Problem with iPad timely notification of database updates. Fix iPad update notice. Not sure what is wrong with untimely database and late notification of updates. Keep EFB databases updated.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.