Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEASE

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Ok guys....I purchased a brand new P2V+ less than 2 weeks ago, and due to bad weather and a trip I had planned, I didn't fly it for the first time until this past Friday (01/16/15). Everything went great with the first couple flights, after I had a hang-up with the motors not starting and was told by both DJI Support and the dealer I needed to recalibrate the RC. After recalibrating the RC, I was able to get the motor to start and fly successfully. I am going to include the letter I sent to DJI today with my RMA return and it explains the entire situation....would love to hear thoughts from people who have sent in units for RMA and see what you think the end result will be with my situation. Anyways....below is the letter I sent to DJI and the pictures of the battery which they requested...



ISSUE WITH UNIT: Phantom 2 Vision+ unexplainably fell from sky during flight after I was unable to control the unit anymore. After completing all required startup procedures (compass calibration, gps lock, etc.) I flew the unit for a few minutes and then landed. I activated the motors and began to take off again, and then was not able to control the unit anymore. It began ascending without prompt and I had no control over it. I activated the fail-safe mode and the unit shut off in flight and crashed to the ground, causing extensive damage to the unit.

BACK STORY: I write you this sitting here as a devastated owner of a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+. I received my Phantom 2 Vision + on 01/06/15 after ordering from a US retailer via Amazon.com. Due to bad weather and a trip I had planned, I was unable to use it for the first time until just 3 days ago (Friday, 01/16/15). When I attempted to fly for the first time (on Thursday, 01/15/15), I was unable to get the motors to turn on. I contacted DJI Support and the representative asked that I try several calibration procedures utilizing both the Phantom Assistant and RC Assistant software. I was still unable to get the motors to activate; therefore I contacted the retailer/dealer that I purchased the unit from. The representative at the dealer also had me calibrate the RC through the Phantom Assistant Software and the RC Assistant Software, and he believed it was possible that the RC was defective. The dealer originally planned to have me return the unit I purchased and they would send me a new unit after receiving the original one. However, I went through the RC calibrations again on the morning of 01/16/15 and the motors activated. So I called and requested that the dealer cancel the shipment of the second unit, which they did.

Since Friday (01/16/15), I have flown the unit 4 occasions. I have a spare battery so I made multiple flights on these occasions, but I have only flown it on 4 separate occasions. I always followed the proper compass calibration procedures and only used batteries after they were FULLY charged. On Sunday, 01/18/15, I went out to a large open field to fly, as I have taken every precaution to be extremely safe as I'm gaining experience flying, and didn’t want to be around any building, obstacles, etc.. I followed the compass calibration procedures as required and all proper startup procedures. The Vision app showed that I had 10 GPS satellites, a fully charged battery, RC, and Wi-Fi extender. I started the Phantom and flew for approximately 6-7 minutes. I then landed the unit it so I could take a break for a minute. After a short break, I started the motors again and gently increased the throttle, as I wanted to practice flying at about 15-20 feet off the ground. This is where the problem began. It was like the Phantom had a mind of its own and I was no longer able to control it. It immediately began increasing altitude rapidly and I was not increasing the throttle. I pulled down on the throttle to try to bring it back down slowly and it wouldn't respond to any of my controls with the RC. I tried continuously to regain control of the Phantom but it would not respond to any movements I made with the RC. The unit continued increasing altitude and began flying south, and I still had no control over the unit. I began fearing that I was going to lose sight of the unit and would have no idea where it went. I immediately thought of the fail-safe return to home feature, so I turned the RC off. I saw on my iPhone that the "coming home" signal came up on the screen and I began to feel some relief. However, I noticed that the Phantom continued climbing and moving away from me to the south. I began running so that I could keep my eyes on it, as it continued to climb. It then appeared that unit was starting to descend slowly, so I thought maybe it was going to land. This is when the worst possible thing happened.... I was able to hear the motors shut off. This all transpired in a matter of less than 1 minute. I watched with horror as the Phantom began tumbling from the sky. I ran as fast as I could to try to get under it and maybe catch it, but was unable to get there in time as it crashed into the ground extremely hard. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to catch it anyways or had I tried it probably would have injured me.

The camera is broke off from the gimbal and the gimbal is bent severely, props are broken, mud is packed into the motors, the battery flew out and cracked the casing when it hit the ground, and I have no idea what kind of internal damage may be present.

I am beyond devastated, and can't believe this happened. My first thought was the battery died for some unknown reason, but that isn't the case. I had in excess of 10 minutes of flight time left when I took off for the second flight (which ended in the terrible crash). I have the battery right here in front of me and if I push the button, I get 3 green lights, indicating to me that the battery is more than half full of charge. I can think of no reason at all that this occurred, as I was taking every precaution possible to be safe and do things rights.

I promise on all my integrity that I followed all proper procedures and didn't cause this. I could not stop the phantom from climbing in altitude and flying away from me, so I did the only thing I knew to do, and that was shut the RC off so it would come home. I immediately thought of the previous problems I had with the RC and getting the motors to start, and thought maybe the RC was malfunctioning and causing it to climb uncontrollably. I am sure you get stories a lot from people who have been careless and crashed their phantoms, but I swear on my life I was being as cautious as possible and did not cause this horrible accident.

I have included a copy of my original purchase invoice with these documents. I have also included pictures of the battery, as I was instructed by the customer support rep to not ship the battery since it sustained damage during the crash The damage and mud on the battery are results from the crash, there was nothing wrong with the battery prior to the motor failure and crash. As you can see, the battery still had well over half of a charge, indicated by the 3 green LED’s when I push the button. I have included the broken camera and gimbal pieces in a plastic baggy inside the original box.

I can be reached by email at ***** or by phone at ***-***-****. Thank you very much for your time and help.
 

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Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway and crashed!!

I'm sorry for the lengthy post, I just wanted to give you guys exactly what I gave DJI. I shipped the damaged unit this afternoon. It makes me sick that this happened, as this was a very expensive purchase for me. Also scares me if I even want to fly another one should DJI honor my warranty claim. I am very eager to hear your thoughts, experiences, opinions, etc. Trying to ease my mind somewhat I guess, just hear a lot of horror stories on these forums about DJI support. But I will say the rep I spoke with at DJI today was very nice and acted as if they would replace my unit, so far it has been a pleasant experience, but we'll see once they receive my unit.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway and crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED

Sounds like you had a similar experience with the phone support tech that I had. They gave me the feeling my quad would be replaced under the circumstances, which had a similar outcome as you had with yours. I bet now though you wished you would have checked the esc's in the quad. I posted in your other thread when you 1st posted it. I just now saw you live in Illinois and I may have been able to help you prior to all of this.

I'm sure you know that the next step is to wait for dji service techs to email you once they receive your quad. I just sent mine this past friday so I can't be any help tell you what to expect from the email part. I hope they address my quad the day they receive it. I'm so sick from not being able to fly being without a quad.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway and crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED

flyNfrank said:
Sounds like you had a similar experience with the phone support tech that I had. They gave me the feeling my quad would be replaced under the circumstances, which had a similar outcome as you had with yours. I bet now though you wished you would have checked the esc's in the quad. I posted in your other thread when you 1st posted it. I just now saw you live in Illinois and I may have been able to help you prior to all of this.

I'm sure you know that the next step is to wait for dji service techs to email you once they receive your quad. I just sent mine this past friday so I can't be any help tell you what to expect from the email part. I hope they address my quad the day they receive it. I'm so sick from not being able to fly being without a quad.


What happened in your scenario?? What in the world would have caused my P2V+ to do this? I was in an open area and did nothing wrong. I followed all instruction to the T! I spent months researching these before I purchased this one, have watched hundreds of training videos and have read the manual cover to cover multiple times. I just feel helpless. I've never made an investment like this and watch it be destroyed right before my eyes and there was absolutely nothing I could do.

Anyone else have experience with DJI support? I am terrified not knowing how they will handle my warranty claim. Thank you all.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway and crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED

From what I've read you may have been better off trying to go through amazon first?
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

You should just return it to Amazon instead
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

Sorry to hear your misfortune. I hope they get it taken care of soon.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

eyecon82 said:
You should just return it to Amazon instead

I contacted the dealer who sold it through Amazon and they told me I had to go through DJI directly because DJI would no longer allow the dealers to process warranty claims. So I didn't know what else to do? Is this what you're referring to?
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

bhollis84 said:
eyecon82 said:
You should just return it to Amazon instead

I contacted the dealer who sold it through Amazon and they told me I had to go through DJI directly because DJI would no longer allow the dealers to process warranty claims. So I didn't know what else to do? Is this what you're referring to?
That's complete BS

Log on to Amazon, talk with a chat rep and tell them the issue. They'll give you a prepaid return label

They will give you a full refund. And buy another one
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

It's too late now, I sent it to DJI this afternoon :(
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

It might not be too late.

Tell them to return it to you immediately upon receipt so that you can send it back to Amazon.

Otherwise, you are in for an outright nightmare dealing with DJI.

Send them an email now instructing them to not even bother opening the box, just send it back to you and send them a return label at your own expense to do that if you have to.

Otherwise, it's liable to be March or even April before you get any action from DJI.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

Vas Deferens said:
It might not be too late.

Tell them to return it to you immediately upon receipt so that you can send it back to Amazon.

Otherwise, you are in for an outright nightmare dealing with DJI.

Send them an email now instructing them to not even bother opening the box, just send it back to you and send them a return label at your own expense to do that if you have to.

Otherwise, it's liable to be March or even April before you get any action from DJI.


How would I ever do that now though? They aren't going to just send it right back to me. What is this process you all speak of with Amazon? I contacted the seller through Amazon and they said my only recourse was DJI? A previous poster said Amazon would send me a return label and refund my money, but the seller already said they wouldn't do that. What are you talking about sending it back to Amazon?
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

I'm getting nervous now... DJI told me 4 weeks turnaround, but you're saying March or April. The DJI rep said he understood my situation and thought they would be able to send me a new unit....but now I'm even more worried after you classified this as a "nightmare" with DJI.
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

Now that you've sent it to DJI, I would use the tracking number to find when it arrives at DJI, then bug the heck out of them with phone calls and emails. Good luck!

P.S. My Phantom is now also at one of the DJI repair center for warranty repair, so I feel your pain.
 
Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEASE

I had mine fall while landing, but not nearly as bad as yours. I made the mistake of sending it to DJI instead of just exchanging it through Amazon as defective.

As noted above, Amazon itself will replace the unit of the order was actually fulfilled by Amazon regardless of the product came from another dealer. My unit was sold by Coptershop but fulfilled by Amazon so they would have been handling it instead of the shop.

I shipped it to DJI on the 5th, it was checked in on the 13th. Status said checked in and in repair queue position "A1" And had someone's initials attached to it. It was like that until the 15th, when the repair queue position text was removed and the initials dropped. Now I'm in limbo.

Sadly, anything less than a direct replacement is going to be a downer.

Hopefully yours is quicker and more direct than mine.

Scorp
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

Reoscorpio said:
I had mine fall while landing, but not nearly as bad as yours. I made the mistake of sending it to DJI instead of just exchanging it through Amazon as defective.

As noted above, Amazon itself will replace the unit of the order was actually fulfilled by Amazon regardless of the product came from another dealer. My unit was sold by Coptershop but fulfilled by Amazon so they would have been handling it instead of the shop.

I shipped it to DJI on the 5th, it was checked in on the 13th. Status said checked in and in repair queue position "A1" And had someone's initials attached to it. It was like that until the 15th, when the repair queue position text was removed and the initials dropped. Now I'm in limbo.

Sadly, anything less than a direct replacement is going to be a downer.

Hopefully yours is quicker and more direct than mine.

Scorp



Have you contacted them to see what the status is? Or are you just in limbo knowing nothing?
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

bhollis84 said:
It's too late now, I sent it to DJI this afternoon :(
yikes man. You should have just returned it to Amazon and bought a whole new one.

Maybe, you can get UPS or FedEx to stop shipment and bring it back
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

eyecon82 said:
bhollis84 said:
It's too late now, I sent it to DJI this afternoon :(
yikes man. You should have just returned it to Amazon and bought a whole new one.

Maybe, you can get UPS or FedEx to stop shipment and bring it back


How would i do this though?? If the dealer said it had to go through DJI, what will Amazon do for me? Won't they refer me to the seller who sold it through their site? I guess if I'm not satisfied with DJI I can just have them return it to me in it's current condition and then go through Amazon?
 
Re: Brand New P2V+ flewaway & crashed!! ADVICE NEEDED, PLEAS

bhollis84 said:
eyecon82 said:
bhollis84 said:
It's too late now, I sent it to DJI this afternoon :(
yikes man. You should have just returned it to Amazon and bought a whole new one.

Maybe, you can get UPS or FedEx to stop shipment and bring it back


How would i do this though?? If the dealer said it had to go through DJI, what will Amazon do for me? Won't they refer me to the seller who sold it through their site? I guess if I'm not satisfied with DJI I can just have them return it to me in it's current condition and then go through Amazon?

Was it shipped and sold by Amazon? Amazon would let you return it and credit you and then it will be up to Amazon and the dealer to figure it out.

That's the whole point of buying on Amazon, that they will protect you no matter what.

Russianfront on Phantom pilots crashed 2 phantoms already and they gave him full credit
 

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