Firmware update caused drone crash

[gcmcdevitt]

I updated the firmware to the latest version and everything looked fine until I got to the 25% battery warning. As soon as the warning popped up on the screen the drone went crazy. It started to fly away and I had no control. Triggerd the RTH and
it began to return but once it was within 50 yards it started acting crazy again. The drone went up then down the it seemed to go into a GPS lock hover but with a drift. I could not regain control and after a few seconds it drifted straight into the peak of my neighbors roof and crashed to the driveway. My camera broke into two pieces. The lens portion separated from the axis gimbal that controls the up/down of the camera. I also got a warning on the screen just before the drone struct the roof "compass error". The compass error happened about a week prior to this episode and I put in a request to DJI tech support. The response was first to send the drone to them for repair and then I received a call from tech support telling me to update the firmware. I think that the firmware update is what caused the crash and am wondering what members think. My intention is to call DJI and advise them of what happened and ask for a RMA number so that it can be sent back and they can fix the drone and most importantly the camera. Any suggestions or advise?

 

[msinger]

Sorry to hear about the bad news

Can you post a photo of your broken camera? I'm curious to see exactly where it separated.

 

[p fandango]

if your;d already had a compass error with it before the update, & it again told you it had a compass error just before the crash i really don't think it was the firmware. The previous issue obviously hadn't been solved

 

[robinbuzios]

if your;d already had a compass error with it before the update, & it again told you it had a compass error just before the crash i really don't think it was the firmware. The previous issue obviously hadn't been solved

+1

 

[Mori55]

I don't know but reading drone this drone that drones me out ! :lol:

 

[resqu51]

you know it took me a few days to put this together, in August the Phantom started to have a camera Seizure and I sent it back. I got my Phantom 2+ back after 13 LONG weeks, 2 weeks ago. I had to wait a week before I could fly due to wind and alas perfect weather mostly. I flew it the first day on Friday 11-7-2014 several times until I ran through all 3 batteries. Recharged one and flew again, the odd thing was it was much more "Glitchy" then when I had it before and I had calibrated the IMU as instructed. Well I did some updates that were recommended Friday night. On Saturday 11-8-2014 I went out to fly and I fly in a Desert with hills in Gallup NM, well away from anything and one, I wanted to film the climbing walls. Well all pre-flight done, flip S1 ten times and calibrate the compass, all looked good, I think I also flipped S2 8 or so times but I had the copter running on the ground for about a min anyway, took off and well glitchy flight but doable, when it hit 25% battery the alarm went off and the copter was pretty close, and it was at 9 on countdown and took off to the east, went over the hill and was gone. Well I found it today after looking for it for 3 days, camera is broken in half just as the last commentator and the flex ribbon cable is torn, A ESC appears broken but the copter can be easily fixed. When I took it apart, I found out that DJI did not do the GPS cable modification I asked them to do in placing the cable under the gray mat. Unfortunately on Saturday I wrote DJI a pretty flaming letter using some of that Green Side Navy language that I retain so I am not sure what their response is going to be at this point. Beware of the updates, wait until no one reports any issues because I have no idea what happened and I thought I lost the beast, and I cannot afford the new camera.

 

[resqu51]

OH and my RTH was triggered too and well it did not come back, it flew away, found it a 1/2 to 3/4 mile away from home point

 

[resqu51]

One more thing, the vector from the home point I was flying from to where I found the Copter was not in line with anywhere I have ever flown before

 

[gcmcdevitt]

for clarification, I called them about the compass error and he said I would need to call and get a RMA number and send it in. Within a couple of minutes the same guy from DJI called me back and told me to perform an update and then see if i still get the compass error. I did what he asked and I did not get the compass error. So I kept flying it for the next 15 minutes or so and then the warning for the battery at 25% appeared on the tablet. Once that happened the drone began to climb and move away from me. I cycled the RTH switch and on the third or fourth try the P2+ began to appear as though it was returning home. Once it was about 50yrds from me and at about 75 ft altitude it sort of stop horizontal movement and just hovered. There was a slight breeze and it drifted into the side of a building and dropped 75 ft straight down. I did everything to try to regain control but nothing worked and the battery was still at 15%. I have spoken with, DJI who originally advised that it was a warranty problem and to send it to a repair shop in Miami with a RMA number. Now they are telling me I have to send it to DJI in California and let a tech determine if it is a warranty problem. I got a bad feeling I am going to get screwed by DJI. They will have my P2+ and will tell me it will cost lots of $ to get it back..

Does anyone know of a way to image the system on the P2+ so I can save that data before they erase the evidence?

 

[Meta4]

The Phantom stopping and drifting sounds very much like it lost GPS lock and went atti.
Without adequate satellite coverage your Phantom has no idea where it's going and so stops and can drift with the breeze.
What was the satellite situation? Has your bird got the foil mod, how many sats and was it in a location likely to obscure some of your horizon and reduce sats?