iOS 5.1.1 crashes mail app

I have similar problem - Today my phone gives me a Cannot Get Mail, the connection to the server failed

I am 5.1.1 This is strange and VERY frustrating - anyone know how to solve..... My mail account is hotmail

I have the same issue, which appears to affect some hardware versions and not others, all when using iOS 5.1.1. After two trips to the Genius Bar and DFU restores, I have proven to them that the problem is not related to any third party software, but begins when you configure your Mail 5.1.1 to "Fetch new data". It causes crashing of most apps, and proven batteries to flatten in 90 to 120 minutes. The only work around I have is to enter the mail config "Fetch new data" screen and set "Push" to off, and set schedule to "Manually", and wait for Apple to release a patch. Until then you have no mail, unless you are willing to occasionally enable, check and log out quickly before your battery runs out. Testing showed the problem comes and goes reliably by toggling changes of this setting.

markmak, thank you. This was driving me insane, I tried to fix the issue but I couldn't narrow it down, in the end I wiped both machines and hey presto it worked. I now know this because “Fetch New Data" is defaulted to off after a wipe. Shame I lost so much time and data by a full restore. Incidentally my wifes iPhone 4 and iPad 1 were not affected.

Same issue here with my iPad2. I have multiple accounts, but only 2 providers: 3 personal Gmail accounts and one work related Lotus Notes (Traveler) account. I can't tell which one is causing it, but gut feeling tells me it is randomly caused by all of them, more depending on the mail content rather then the account.

Pretty annoying! As it is a very frequent occurence. Right now I basically gave up using my iPad for work. Well at least one person is quite happy about it...my 6 year old boy, who has effectively downgraded the iPad to a gaming console :-(

Same here. Iphone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 (wifi) and iPad 3 (4G). All started crashing to home screen when using mail - wspwcially with attachments. Power off/on usually works for a while.

I've been using Apple hardware/software since 2006 and the 'reliability' is definately not what it used to be - it's a more buggy. Still way better than Windoze though.

Try a reset of your devices. Hold the power and home button at the same time for 5 seconds and turn it back on. I had the same issue with 5.0.1 and such reset usually does the trick.

Reset doesn't help for long. Mail works for a while and once it hits a mail with the "wrong" content it starts to crash again until you reset.

Some more observation:

Whenever the mail app crashes it is busy synchronising. I disabled push, but in this mode it still syncs everytime the mail app is openened. The mail app would for instance show one unread item. I open the app and it starts synching. Any number of new mail starts showing until the up crashes (or closes down). After opening the just synched mail disappeares (only the single unread item is still there) and synching kicks in again...loop the loop...

Eventuelly a reset solves the issues for some time...eventually.