Hit by a bus!

[Eagle One Eye]

My two year-old Phantom Pro 4 has served me very well, earning its keep with photojournalism work. Last week it met a surprising end, hit by a bus as I was bringing it home in downtown Detroit. I suspect this must be an unusual circumstance, as the avoidance sensors had no chance to work. The bus driver shouted something at me, so he knew what had happened. Nobody's fault, really. The battery had separated from the drone and was in full flames when I reached it, only about 100 feet away. I'm not asking for help, simply offering advice: watch out for OTHER large moving objects. I was fortunate to find a lightly used replacement, the Mavic Pro 2, which I grabbed at a nice price from a local guy.

 

[Nickatnite]

So the bus hit you, it wasn't you hit the bus ? Please explain, sounds awful, sorry about your bird.

 

[Eagle One Eye]

Yeah, the bus came from a point out of my view as I was coming in low, and smacked it good. Still turns on, though. Tough old bird.
Your sympathies are appreciated.

 

[intouchl]

Do you have any parts from the gimbal

 

[intouchl]

I have an entire gimbal with camera not tested

 

[Eagle One Eye]

I have a couple of buyers who want my entire assortment of accessories, including the busted Phantom. My gimbal was definitely broken, camera itself seems OK. Thanks, I'm good.

 

[intouchl]

how much are you selling the entire package for and possibly i can purchase that piece from them or do you have any idea where i can get one ?

 

[Deleted member 62848]

My two year-old Phantom Pro 4 has served me very well, earning its keep with photojournalism work. Last week it met a surprising end, hit by a bus as I was bringing it home in downtown Detroit. I suspect this must be an unusual circumstance, as the avoidance sensors had no chance to work. The bus driver shouted something at me, so he knew what had happened. Nobody's fault, really. The battery had separated from the drone and was in full flames when I reached it, only about 100 feet away. I'm not asking for help, simply offering advice: watch out for OTHER large moving objects. I was fortunate to find a lightly used replacement, the Mavic Pro 2, which I grabbed at a nice price from a local guy.

Yip sucks when that happens, I watch my p4 freefall so feel the pain,,hope the bus driver give you free pass for the future..hey at least it wasn't a stop sign that some have managed to hit in the past

 

[Eagle One Eye]

I'm not sure what part it is you need. I'll attach some photos of the gimbal, but it's not looking good. Camera has a crack in it too, now that I'm looking closely.

 

[Capt KO]

Don't know where you're located but I would be interested in the wreck as well. I'm in Florida Tampa Bay area. Don't need battery unless you have extras.
Or the whole thing remote and all

 

[Andy9]

If I understand correctly: you were flying very low off the street. And then came the bus?
You are lucky that the bus driver didn't call the police.

 

[Eagle One Eye]

I put everything up for sale on Facebook Marketplace and am taking offers until April 15, top offer takes all. I'm very surprised at how much interest I received on day one. If you are serious, my top offer today is 300. The drone itself still starts up, so the electronics are good, but the body and gimbal are probably shot. Not sure about the camera, it has a crack in it. The controller is perfect, one battery (1 hour and 45 minutes use) are fine; I have all of the charging cables, a gimbal lock, new unused car charger, extra props, and a new, never-used set of ND and polarizer filters.

 

[Jim Guentner]

Where you crossing on a crosswalk? If so the bus driver is at fault......

 

[Eagle One Eye]

Where you crossing on a crosswalk? If so the bus driver is at fault......

It's hard to explain. I was shooting above an entrance to an underpass, so the drone was well above the roadway, and I was at the higher street level. When I began returning to base without changing altitude, the bus came around the corner from behind me, turned into my flight path.

 

[jason]

My two year-old Phantom Pro 4 has served me very well, earning its keep with photojournalism work. Last week it met a surprising end, hit by a bus as I was bringing it home in downtown Detroit. I suspect this must be an unusual circumstance, as the avoidance sensors had no chance to work. The bus driver shouted something at me, so he knew what had happened. Nobody's fault, really. The battery had separated from the drone and was in full flames when I reached it, only about 100 feet away. I'm not asking for help, simply offering advice: watch out for OTHER large moving objects. I was fortunate to find a lightly used replacement, the Mavic Pro 2, which I grabbed at a nice price from a local guy.

You're lucky not to have been caught by the police and arrested for violating the mayor's stay at home policy. That could have cost you $1000 and 6 months in jail.

 

[Eagle One Eye]

You're lucky not to have been caught by the police and arrested for violating the mayor's stay at home policy. That could have cost you $1000 and 6 months in jail.

Not worried. I am a working photojournalist, at a mayor's press conference on this trip.

 

[AJ in SB]

I put everything up for sale on Facebook Marketplace and am taking offers until April 15, top offer takes all. I'm very surprised at how much interest I received on day one. If you are serious, my top offer today is 300. The drone itself still starts up, so the electronics are good, but the body and gimbal are probably shot. Not sure about the camera, it has a crack in it. The controller is perfect, one battery (1 hour and 45 minutes use) are fine; I have all of the charging cables, a gimbal lock, new unused car charger, extra props, and a new, never-used set of ND and polarizer filters. View attachment 118068

I think $300 is a great price to receive for a crashed Phantom 4 if I were you I'd be all over that. I had a brand new P4 in the foam box (bird only)no controller, batteries,charger etc. I let it go for $250 a few months back but since the covid-19 crisis I've been hearing lots of chatter about DJI parts becoming harder to find and price increases for any parts remaining in North America so you might stand to benifit in that regard

 

[lasersbee]

Why were you flying in an area that had Bus traffic ???

Jerry

 

[Sfgiants24]

So you flew into a bus. Lucky you didn’t cause an accident, Nice work for a “photojournalist“. did you have permission to fly at street level in a city?

 

[Osmosis]

If I understand correctly: you were flying very low off the street. And then came the bus?
You are lucky that the bus driver didn't call the police.

Exactly!