Lost P4 help-neighbor

Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
73
Reaction score
17
Age
40
trying to help out someone from website nextdoor find their lost p4 drone from over a week ago. They claim lost contact at 58% and are uploading the log shortly (see posts below). I have a mavic and p3 to help with search but want to get the experts help first.

Here is the flight log:
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Here is link to their initial post on nextdoor:

https://westuniversity.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=40492650


Any help would be appreciated for location or potential errors noticed. Sounds like was flying very high.
 
Last edited:
Yes that link is only the posting I am getting them to upload the log and will post that link as soon as I get it


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
Please ask your neighbor to join this forum and post here directly. It'll be easier if we can get the story firsthand.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MichaelS
Please ask your neighbor to join this forum and post here directly. It'll be easier if we can get the story firsthand.

Well it's the son that flew it and they still haven't sent me the upload link so trying to get the info asap. Will try and get them to join
 
Can you copy/paste the post from Nextdoor.com? We cannot see it.
 
"Son lost his Christmas present early evening Tues, January 10! While flying his quadcopter on a windy day, it went out of range and did not return. Last known location was around Kirby Drive between Rice Blvd and University Blvd. Exact whereabouts unknown. Reward offered for return. Identifying information includes FAA registration number and it is solid white with a camera."
 
Clearly they made a mistake, but if you aren't going to be helpful about possible landing spots please dont post in the thread.
OK so I'll disregard the class B airspace and 4 times the legal limit for flying a UAV and the windy day.

Assuming he didn't turn off the app at the last record and it simply lost signal it would have tried to RTH and probably would have made it with 58% battery left unless it got really windy. It's either a long way off or in a tree in his yard :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MichaelS
OK so I'll disregard the class B airspace and 4 times the legal limit for flying a UAV and the windy day.

Assuming he didn't turn off the app at the last record and it simply lost signal it would have tried to RTH and probably would have made it with 58% battery left unless it got really windy. It's either a long way off or in a tree in his yard :)

They said the app froze at the 58% mark, but was still able to control it for a few minutes after the 58% log cuts off. Based on how windy it was, it could be anywhere especially at that height...
 
They said the app froze at the 58% mark, but was still able to control it for a few minutes after the 58% log cuts off.
In that case, the battery most likely reached the critical low level and the Phantom auto landed at its current location. That'll be tough to find unless the pilot knows exactly where it was at that time.
 
In that case, the battery most likely reached the critical low level and the Phantom auto landed at its current location. That'll be tough to find unless the pilot knows exactly where it was at that time.

Any suggestions on where to start search and rescue on the map? Been over a week with plenty of rain...
 
It could be anywhere since he was still flying after the DJI GO app froze. Unfortunately, the DJI GO app logs the data in the flight log, so it stopped logging at that time too.
 
Will see if I can get up in the air later in the week to help look on roofs of some of the businesses, but sounds like will be a needle in a haystack at this point.
 
Rice and Kirby? Only home is that it is caught in the canopy of a big oak. Can't imagine it would last long on the ground given how busy that area is. If you have another drone you could fly it over the oaks in the area. Problem is that it will rain all day tomorrow.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
Only thing I can suggest is search towards the area down wind (whatever wind direction for that day). It may have attempted a RTH at 30% but would have stayed at 1600 feet. At 10% it would have started to auto land but I don't know how long that takes from that height and if 10% is enough juice.
 
I have a Mavic and P3P to help with the search, again this wasn't me that lost it, just trying to help since I live close by. The weather will make it difficult, but hopefully clears up by this weekend. It's been over 7 days already. Will keep the thread updated, appreciate everyones help.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,054
Messages
1,467,297
Members
104,919
Latest member
BobDan