Help me understand what went wrong here

With all the evidence you have, are you planning on contacting DJI about this? It is rather obvious there was a system failure of some sort and I would hope they would assist in someway.

Really sorry for your loss. Sucks.
I Agree, I Would Be Contacting Them As Well. As There Was Def Something Going On Outside Of Normal Operation. You Have A Bit Of Evidence Which May Help.
 
2 great guys i know after having crashes in 2 days. Makes me really think with all the stupid crazy flights I've done that I've deserved to be in yours and dirks boots mate. I'd definitely concur with sending the video to dji because it was far from pilot error. Id urge everyone to use a screen record, as mentioned previously in this thread I use mobizen for android screen record which doesn't need your device to be rooted. I can't offer any other advice except my condolances. You're a top bloke and please don't let it put you off flying but id be sending that video to dji and be demanding some answers
 
Hey Connor, really sorry to hear of your loss to the lake. Not good.

Do you have access to a good ole fashioned Compass? Perhaps you could survey the area where you took off to see if there are any anomalies? I can't seem to put 2 and 2 together here and come up with a compass issue. I'm just offering what I can think of to narrow down the possibilities.
I too would like DJI to answer up to this.
 
Many thanks for all your replies. I have contacted DJI just to advise them that an issue occurred, but to be honest I don't expect a reply given the customer service.

On the recording software, I use reflector. Means taking the MacBook
Along, but I'm glad that I did. After reading so many horror stories about messages flashing up on screen but the pilot not having time to read them, I thought it would be a good idea to always have a record of what happened just in case. And I'm glad that I did. I was always scared of battery issues with the level dropping fast, but I never saw anything.

For the future? I'm not so sure what to do. I primarily use the phantom for video of local landmarks. So my P2V isn't that good without a gimbal.

Wife tells me to sell the P2V and buy a new one. I don't know. Maybe tomorrow will tell another tale with the new release.

I don't fancy a V+ 3 as the number of horror stories surrounding the solid wires and the potential for disaster is frightening. But maybe that's just me. I had so many good flights with the V+ it's a pity it's gone. Ah well. It was going to happen done day. At least it didn't hit anyone!
 
Hi Conner
Just read the whole of your thread, which is exactly the same issue I had yesterday. Luckily I was only 10ft off the ground when it went to the right rapidly and crashed.
I too has the battery communication error.
But now when I switch the Phantom on it the app always says I need compass calibration. This was not the case before the incident.
I was blaming the battery but actually looks like a compass issue.
I have wrote to DJI and spoke to the dealer I purchased from. They will follow up with their rep and told me not to fly..... tbh I'm scared to now anyways !!
 
I notice that too but often happen to me too, I don't know if is important that the red arrow point exactly toward the nose of the phantom, isn't it? And if is not pointing in the right direction what should be done to adjust it? Thanks mako

The radar is very important to me and I pay a lot of attention to it. I use it fly the phantom home. The direction of the pointer should always be relevant to the nose of the phantom. If you stand inline behind the phantom, it should be pointing directly north on your radar. I walk around my phantom before take off to check that my DHP phone/smart device it relative to the phantom. I take off on grass most of the time or I use my backpack as I know that there is always geo interference in the ground. I also check and make sure NA turns into 0.0 values. This means home lock is established.

If the triangle isn't reflecting the phantoms nose -
- find an open grassy field and redo compass calibration.
- take a laptop with you and check the compass mod and make sure the value is between 1400-1700. I wish the naza could communicate with the smart/phone device and advise us the values instead of having to plug into a pc. The compass can go whacko if left near a car speaker.
- take off on a cardboard box to minimise rebar in the ground.
 
Thanks for the answer mako, can you explain me better this point mostly where you check this? Thanks

He is talking about the distance value in the vision app. It is N/A until the home point is recorded. At which time it changes to 0.0 or very close to that. Because it can't show the distance from the home point if one hasn't been recorded yet.
 
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Sorry for your loss, Happy.
I had a Naza controller go bad and DJI replaced it for me. The circumstances were different, but it does go to show that the NAZA controllers do go bad. Mine was bought in May 2014.
There are devices to help retrieve your Phantom from the deep. If they don't have get-r-back in Ireland, let me know and I'll send you one for your next Phantom.
 
Fastsmiles,

What is "get-r-back" and where is the best link to get good info on it?

Thanks in advance,

Jerry
 
Fastsmiles,

What is "get-r-back" and where is the best link to get good info on it?

Thanks in advance,

Jerry


Google: GetterBack

(originally developed for fishing poles)
 
Thanks N017. I was looking for some feedback from drone users that may be using it. I'll check out the advertisement though.

Jerry
 
my $.02.....

Pretty obvious a compass problem ONBOARD with it rotating and no matching motion rotate. Think about it... Your drone is pretty steady yet the compass begins a 300+ degree rotation. the mcu must have good feedback before you can command it to do something. It is cause and affect. Saying it is NOT a compass issue is like saying the ball fell from the sky BEFORE it was thrown up in the air. Your compass messed up.

NOTHING to do with transmitter - the compass went crazy FIRST; you cannot make that happen with the RC transmitter.

Not ESC issue as 2nd flight ran all 4 motors, and ESC failure will not cause compass to go haywire before a crash like yours.

If your compass sender was not broke (and we have no clue since your second flight recording had no compass radar indicator!?!? I would never fly without the radar circle showing, but that's just me. Anyway, if the compass sensor was not broke or way out of alignment, and the MCU not broke, then it is potentially highly likely that this location you never flew before (yes, I heard your friend did - but SAME EXACT spot?) has some magnetic anomaly.

What does your flight log look like? Hmmm? You said you are professional and don't have a flight log running? I don't understand?

Since you live close, install a free tesla meter on your phone and go back and walk around where you were and as close as you can to where the drone was and see if you don't find the anomaly. If you do, please let us know!

PS: I understand lithium batteries are sorta toxic..... will he local city have to drain then refill the reservoir to remove the contamination?
 
I thought it was a battery issue. I didn't get in after it because it's about 100' deep.
Just a thought....maybe there is a lot of iron in those nearby hills that could disrupt your compass? Was that your first time flying there?
maybe there's gold in dem der hills boi
 
.....
What does your flight log look like? Hmmm? You said you are professional and don't have a flight log running? I don't understand?...

You dont understand because you didn't read the OP properly. To be fair he said he was 'experienced' not 'professional'
 
You dont understand because you didn't read the OP properly. To be fair he said he was 'experienced' not 'professional'
For as experienced as everyone thinks they are, I think we (all) always have something new to learn. For me, it's check the radar to make sure the reading is the expected reading before taking off.
 
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That does indeed look like a compass issues.. it was a massive toilet bowl effect..
Sorry, taking off a second time was 100% pilot error - should have not flown the second time, but gone home for further investigation on a PC etc..

I dread the day when this happens to me.. *gulp*
 
In studying the video, I can see that you were basically launching very close to and possibly on top of a concrete dam structure. I'm guessing the underlying concrete structure probably curved around to the side of the reservoir shoreline, just below the gravel you were standing on. That concrete dam structure would contain TONS of rebar that may have played havoc with the compass. Just a guess.
 
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It's good timing.. see if DJI can ship you a phantom3.
 

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