It just flew away! - <correction> it didn't fly away at all.

[sar104]

Actually Treasure Coast Airport (within the dotted blue line is Class B Airspace from Ground Level to 2,500" AGL a no,no to fly in at any time)



You may find this useful when it comes to determining airport classifications, it's what all manned aircraft use.

SkyVector: Flight Planning / Aeronautical Charts

The dotted blue line is Class D, not Class B. Class B is shown by a solid blue line.

 

[Just Mark]

Actually Treasure Coast Airport (within the dotted blue line is Class B Airspace from Ground Level to 2,500" AGL a no,no to fly in at any time)

I hope it is actually class D instead. Otherwise, i am going to fail my 107 test for sure...

 

[QuadKid]

he dotted blue line is Class D, not Class B. Class B is shown by a solid blue line.

Sorry your right, Just get'in old ( CRS )

 

[ethanunzicker]

All in all, this thread is a great case study for high altitude flying and RTH capabilities (and lack thereof). I don't know that I would ever use RTH in crowded area like this and I certainly won't be using it when the wind is up. Honestly, if I'm flying within VLOS, I haven't found any practical use for RTH. If I can see the bird, I can fly it back. The only time I've ever used it is when the entire mission is autonomous, like for mapping.

Also, the ridiculous illegal operations of this flight are disturbing at least.

Bummer you lost your drone. Fly differently next time.

 

[MichaelMcG]

3) From there, the RC controller stopped displaying anything on the screen. I was not in visual site of the drone as I was blocked by the building. I was flying with the RC display on my Samsung Galaxy S7.

Whilst I can sympathise with you, having been the victim of a loss of video fee myself early on in my flying, I have to say that, putting a building between you and your Mavic was a pretty dumb thing to do. I'm not fully aware of the laws in your specific country, but here in the UK, we are required by law to have line of sight to our drones at all time. When I had the video feed disconnection, I was able to fly my P3 home simply by watching it.

A video feed disconnection is a scary thing. I immediately panicked, thinking that I had lost all control of my P3 and that I was never going to see it again. It was a huge relief when I realised I still had control of it.

 

[MichaelMcG]

All in all, this thread is a great case study for high altitude flying and RTH capabilities (and lack thereof). I don't know that I would ever use RTH in crowded area like this and I certainly won't be using it when the wind is up. Honestly, if I'm flying within VLOS, I haven't found any practical use for RTH. If I can see the bird, I can fly it back. The only time I've ever used it is when the entire mission is autonomous, like for mapping.

Also, the ridiculous illegal operations of this flight are disturbing at least.

Bummer you lost your drone. Fly differently next time.

I agree about RTH in crowded areas. The best compromise is to take manual control when you have a clear view of the bird on the way back.

 

[AuldGimpy]

A suggestion

Drone Insurance - Phantom Flight School

I have no experience with them - yet - but if they are endorsed by the BMFA then I wouldn't worry

Thanks deltamike, just what I was looking for.
Also in the UK, Northern District.

 

[Razorback1]

Im an intermediate flyer, can one of our more seasoned pilots give us a play by play on what we should do in a predicament like this?

 

[Meta4]

Im an intermediate flyer, can one of our more seasoned pilots give us a play by play on what we should do in a predicament like this?

Post #10 above or this one: Drone fly away!
The most effective strategy is to avoid getting into that situation.

 

[Razorback1]

Post #10 above or this one: Drone fly away!
The most effective strategy is to avoid getting into that situation.

Thank you[emoji106]

 

[MrGreenjeep97]

All good points. I thought the product was more robust that it could handle a 80 foot building and virtually no wind. If you really think that a slight breeze (5 mph-ish at ground level and maybe higher at 900 feel) disconnected the RC, froze the screen and drove the device backwards 2,000+ feet then I guess so be it and lesson learned on my part. Additionally, if visually watching the drone at all times is required (I know it is recommended) then that really hinders the usefulness of the product as well. I will keep everyone posted on the outcome with DJI on the issue. I truly appreciate the responses and the time put forth.

Something to consider also, is that the 80 foot building in front of you is FULL of Rebar, Concrete, wood, metal roofing materials, electrical wires and circuits, electronic devices, glass, etc., etc. All of which can cause the connection between RC and AC to go "Hokey", as well as cause the compass, GPS, and obstacle avoidance to go haywire. Add into that fluctuating winds at altitude (Never, ever, ever take the ground wind/speed/direction as what it is doing even 15 feet up) and it can be a disaster waiting to happen. I am sorry to hear about the drone, as that really does stink.

 

[trevornewkirk]

As a relatively newbie to the game, I've only had my P4P for a few months, I hope to learn from these lessons others have paid for, so hopefully I dont have to. Thanks for sharing!

 

[SoundByte]

Don't be afraid to practice your atti mode skills, blind. Without looking at you're tablet or phone, learn the visual cues your bird gives. This will help you control it even when it's just a little white speck, without the aid of telemetry.

 

[FliteDoc]

Just curious, re. "maintaining SA" - situational awareness .. which is difficult w. a drone as tiny, and symmetrical, as the Mavic and most small quads ... If you click RTH, and wait some period of time for the drone to be heading back to its Home Point, could you then cancel the RTH (what's the best way -- just moving the sticks?) and then go back to normal GPS flight, could you count on the drone then being on a track back to the Home Point? Would certainly be useful in high winds and having lost sight of the Mavic, which might not being making much headway in RTH mode ...

 

[QuadKid]

I feel it is better to fly the MP home unless you absolutely have no idea where you are. I always pay attention to landmarks as I am flying any great distance, knowing you landmarks and keeping an eye on the compass/heading you can usually get back to your home point. Also flying it manually is a good practice for when a wind kicks up and your far, far away, flip it to sport mode for better control and speed, always make sure you have enough battery left to make it back. A short flight is better than no future flights !!

 

[Meta4]

If you click RTH, and wait some period of time for the drone to be heading back to its Home Point, could you then cancel the RTH (what's the best way -- just moving the sticks?) and then go back to normal GPS flight, could you count on the drone then being on a track back to the Home Point? Would certainly be useful in high winds and having lost sight of the Mavic, which might not being making much headway in RTH mode ...

Moving the sticks when in RTH may change the way your Phantom is facing or take up or down but will not cancel RTH.
To cancel RTH, push the RTH button.
Try this to learn how to cancel and resume control.
Post #109 above gives you some pointers for getting back in a situation like this one.

 

[SoundByte]

Just curious, re. "maintaining SA" - situational awareness .. which is difficult w. a drone as tiny, and symmetrical, as the Mavic and most small quads ... If you click RTH, and wait some period of time for the drone to be heading back to its Home Point, could you then cancel the RTH (what's the best way -- just moving the sticks?) and then go back to normal GPS flight, could you count on the drone then being on a track back to the Home Point? Would certainly be useful in high winds and having lost sight of the Mavic, which might not being making much headway in RTH mode ...

Symmetry of the bird doesn't matter, as long as you can see it. If you push right stick forward and it doesn't appear to move, you know it's either flying directly away or towards you. While holding forward flight, give it a little left or right yaw and it will appear to start moving sideways. If it starts moving in the same direction as your stick, keep yawning it until it appears to be standing still again. It is now coming strait at you. If it begins to drift left or right, move the yaw stick in the same direction until it stops drifting. Even if the wind is blowing you can manually fly home using this method, but you need to at least see the bird to do it.

 

[nole1988]

Something to consider also, is that the 80 foot building in front of you is FULL of Rebar, Concrete, wood, metal roofing materials, electrical wires and circuits, electronic devices, glass, etc., etc. All of which can cause the connection between RC and AC to go "Hokey", as well as cause the compass, GPS, and obstacle avoidance to go haywire. Add into that fluctuating winds at altitude (Never, ever, ever take the ground wind/speed/direction as what it is doing even 15 feet up) and it can be a disaster waiting to happen. I am sorry to hear about the drone, as that really does stink.

This is a really good point MrGreenjee97 and something only you have brought up until now. I will post an update soon as DJI seems to agree that the Mavic malfunctioned.

 

[nole1988]

Since I started this thread, I thought I would provide everyone an update. After nearly 6 weeks of DJI analyzing the flight log, they disagreed with most of the analysis in the above thread. They have now agreed that the unit malfunctioned as I stated. They even checked the weather records in the area I was in so that we can dispel the "big wind" theory that was bantered around in the thread. They are replacing the unit at no cost which I think is a sign of a good company standing behind their product. They noted the building that impeded my vision and recommended I don't do that anymore but said the unit should have been able to handle a building since it can fly indoors. They also noted that the unit was "avoiding obstacles" at 400+ feet which it should not have been. They noted that I properly set the RTH point. They noted that when RTH was deployed, the unit went the wrong way in normal wind conditions. I am pleased with their analysis and the outcome.

Since the moderator of this thread change my title without my permission, I would appreciate it if you would remove the <correction> It Did Not Fly Away At All. DJI disagrees with your opinion.

Thank you everyone for the assistance in figuring this out.

 

[nole1988]

It's not a matter of "if I think .... Your flight data clearly shows that at 900 feet and 435 feet the wind conditions were more than your Mavic could deal with in RTH.

The flying environment can be very unforgiving, mistakes mean going home with one less drone.
To survive in that environment you have to be aware of what your drone can and can't do and operate it appropriately.
I'm disappointed that you have learned nothing, won't accept responsibility and are upset at what you perceive to be a sour tone while you continue to ignore facts that matter.

This shows how you just don't get it.
I said that the data didn't quite match your story because so little of your story was true.
Here are the points for which I can't find any factual basis:

• I am an experienced pilot with hundreds of flight hours
• After a few minutes of good flight, the Mavic Pro lost connection and just flew away
• The Mavic suddenly rose to over 900 feet in the air (despite my RTH height being set to 100 meters) and just flew away and was non-responsive to manual controls.
• I hit the RTH button but no response.

I said the data doesn't quite match your story because I was sugarcoating it and being polite.
Your explanation was misleading, confused and highly inaccurate.
Likewise your points 2-5 were all factual, are substantiated by the data and are important in understanding the incident.
I'm sorry if accurately reporting the cause of the incident offends your delicate sensibilities but I can't see any other way.
I'm amazed that you can't see how your thread title is misleading.
You say that your Mavic just flew away and just a casual scan of the data shows how wrong this is. You let your Mavic blow away when it would have been easy to bring it back.
You are blaming the Mavic for your own deficiencies as a pilot.
It's thread titles like yours that encourage a false belief that drones will just fly away.
If you don't have the honesty to change the title to something more accurate, I'll do it for you.

Bummer that DJI disagrees Meta. Take it up with them please.