Devastated, flight number 124, Phantom 3 at the bottom of the ocean

[Phantom George]

@Flying Dutchman, devastating to loose your machine, but you contribute so much for many of us by showing your loss with excellent documentation and all the different discussions from members, bringing thoughts to our attention!!!
We may never know for sure what caused to crash your bird, your reporting to this forum is very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Mad_angler1]

First of all sorry for your loss it looks bird related but may have Been battery

but do your self a favour do not fly a pack that's been charged 3 days earlier

Only fly with in 24 hours of charging or less ideally, don't store the packs fully charged you will kill them in no time at all and it's a fire risk.

Store them at 50% then charge just before you fly, a lipo will lose its punch after a few days, also keep the battery warm between charging and flying don't let it get to cold.

Hope this second one works out but please take this advice.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

I cannot believe that... Once I watched the video I was just sitting and staring in awe.... That must really hurt to lose such a magnificent device.... Sorry for your loss.... My sympathies.

@mfflyingstudios yes it did, at that moment you feel lost, going home with an empty backpack with only an rc, hope that it will never happen to you. Thx for your response. ☺

 

[Flying Dutchman]

@JKDSensei yes, I already did. Today I wanted to go also, but no time. If the weather is ok tommorrow I will try too locate the lost one. Its still there and with low tide she must become visible.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

like the other phantom flyers say (sorry it happened) apart from the battery (hope it was not one of the cheapies being sold from HK or china as there have been problems with P3s falling out of sky, but if it was a DJi battery like another person has replied unfortually you flew over a flock of birds and for me that if what happened, out there there may be a bird with a sore head ?

@Phantom truxker 309 Ai no, I will never fly with a HK battery. Only original for my preseus. That day I flew with carbon props, so there must be a seagull flying around without a head☺

 

[Flying Dutchman]

how did you get the video that u posted of the doomed flight if the bird crashed into the ocean?

Its the cashed flight from the DJI app.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

First of all sorry for your loss it looks bird related but may have Been battery

but do your self a favour do not fly a pack that's been charged 3 days earlier

Only fly with in 24 hours of charging or less ideally, don't store the packs fully charged you will kill them in no time at all and it's a fire risk.

Store them at 50% then charge just before you fly, a lipo will lose its punch after a few days, also keep the battery warm between charging and flying don't let it get to cold.

Hope this second one works out but please take this advice.

@Mad_angler1 thx for you reaction. I always did charge them after flight, but your not the first one who told me this on this topic. Maybe (probably) your right, so when you come home after you flew, you charge your lipo's till 50% and then stop and put them away?

 

[Flying Dutchman]

@Flying Dutchman, devastating to loose your machine, but you contribute so much for many of us by showing your loss with excellent documentation and all the different discussions from members, bringing thoughts to our attention!!!
We may never know for sure what caused to crash your bird, your reporting to this forum is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you @Phantom George much appriciated from this side, happy flying

 

[Mad_angler1]

@Mad_angler1 thx for you reaction. I always did charge them after flight, but your not the first one who told me this on this topic. Maybe (probably) your right, so when you come home after you flew, you charge your lipo's till 50% and then stop and put them away?

Yes store between 40-50% roughly

Stop charging just as the 3 led flashed.

 

[Dnallov]

Yes store between 40-50% roughly

Stop charging just as the 3 led flashed.

@Mad_angler1

I hate to hijack a thread, and I’m only doing so because @Flying Dutchman has himself engaged in your topic of only charging to 50%

As a beginner, I want to do everting possible to keep my drone in the air; but this is the first that I have heard of only charging 50%. I do indeed charge the battery to 100% before every flight; but my question to you is, what is the point of charging to 50% or at all? Why not leave the battery at the charge it is after flying (in my short experience is roughly between 30% and 50%), and only charge on the day of the next flight?

 

[Southspear]

Hi, I've just written a post in the faulty battery thread. No idea how to link that on this iPad but look at my earlier posts and you should see it?

Here's what DJI sent back to me. I hope this gives you some hope


support.eu5 （DJI）
1月4日 17:40

Dear Nick,

We have evaluated your flight records and it is indeed an drone error, and we will take full responsibility.
It turns out the battery cut off.
To apply for your repair we require the following information:

Product (Inspire or Phantom):
Serial number of the drone:
Serial number of the remote:
Serial number of the gimbal:
A short description of the problem:

Full name:
Address:
E-mail:
Phone:
Country:
And a copy of your receipt.
For warranty services it is most important that you keep your receipt handy.

We will apply the repair for you and we will send you an email back with your RMA form.

With Kind Regards,

DJI Support EU
Stefan




Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[RoyVa]

We all feal your pain but also we all live by the golden flight rule. ". What goes up must come down, somewhere" I know it doesn't ease the pain butt these gadgets are full electronics. While that being said we never know if, when or where but they do, can and will eventually fail. Same goes for our Led TV, or PC or our Laptop or tablet. We don't know why but some last for years on end and other fail in months, weeks or even days. When you are dealing with sensors, transistors, resistors, Moffits and PcB boards that are robitically soldered we all rely upon fate. Any one component fails and it can be devastation as you found out. We are sorry but knowing this we all have to be prepared for That Day. Not fun and certainly heart wrenching. Hope you can recover and are able to fly again soon. Don't think DJI will offer much other than a small discount. Sorry again. Every time I fly I put a dollar away. Up to $385. So far. Just hoping before my time I get enough for my replacment. Good luck!

 

[Phantom George]

Yes store between 40-50% roughly

Stop charging just as the 3 led flashed.

Interesting, I did not know we can partly charge our Batteries, e.g. up to 50% for storage. Is there no problem with it's own smart software and charging cycle etc.?

 

[teaman]

Sorry for your loss! It's a terrible feeling when it happens. I had my P3a crash and it's a sickening feeling. I don't have any experience with analyzing the flight data but after watching your video, my first thought was that it hit a bird. The flight is smooth and controlled but the change to the tumbling out of control is so sudden, to me it strongly suggests hitting a bird. When mine crashed in a tall tree, the video looked like yours when the props hit the tree foliage... instant tumbling. No swaying, swirling, gyrating or accelerated elevation drop in an upright view... just sudden tumbling. That's my opinion.

 

[mcrazyhorse]

****, that's a big loss!!

I notice in the video there are a number of birds below the drone (2:50+ a massive swarm/flock of birds are seen taking flight). Could a bird have collided with the drone and that certainly would have sent it down?

 

[mcrazyhorse]

Interesting, I did not know we can partly charge our Batteries, e.g. up to 50% for storage. Is there no problem with it's own smart software and charging cycle etc.?

I agree I noticed the birds also, I wonder how many of the sudden out of control crashes might be bird related.

 

[MultiEraser]

Not sure but does switching between atti and gps reset the home position..?

 

[Flying Dutchman]

Yes store between 40-50% roughly

Stop charging just as the 3 led flashed.

Ok I will do that than. This winter, in the summer I fly almost every day. Thats a different story. Thx again @Mad_angler

 

[Flying Dutchman]

We all feal your pain but also we all live by the golden flight rule. ". What goes up must come down, somewhere" I know it doesn't ease the pain butt these gadgets are full electronics. While that being said we never know if, when or where but they do, can and will eventually fail. Same goes for our Led TV, or PC or our Laptop or tablet. We don't know why but some last for years on end and other fail in months, weeks or even days. When you are dealing with sensors, transistors, resistors, Moffits and PcB boards that are robitically soldered we all rely upon fate. Any one component fails and it can be devastation as you found out. We are sorry but knowing this we all have to be prepared for That Day. Not fun and certainly heart wrenching. Hope you can recover and are able to fly again soon. Don't think DJI will offer much other than a small discount. Sorry again. Every time I fly I put a dollar away. Up to $385. So far. Just hoping before my time I get enough for my replacment. Good luck!

Thats a great idea, every time you fly put a dollar in a jar. Thx[emoji106]

 

[Flying Dutchman]

Not sure but does switching between atti and gps reset the home position..?

@MultiEraser, ..nope