My P3A dropped in an area I've flown before. Bird strike?

[TimInCT]

Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

I was flying at a favorite spot, and been there many of times the largest tree around (was behind me) and is 50f. My Phantom came down hard, battery was popped out of the shell three props damaged by tree limbs. So I'm just trying to figure out what really happened.

Any guesses are good and I hope the logs can decipher something specific.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Tim

 

[flyboy73]

Any video?

 

[Meta4]

The flight log appears to show you gave a burst of full forward from 8:13.3 to 8:26.4 while about 100 ft above launch point.
0.9 secs later at 8:27.3 you get a Motor Obstructed message which indicates that you hit something up there.
The altitude drops sharply after this as the Phantom falls.
How high are the trees you were flying over?

 

[TimInCT]

The maximum height of the trees in that area are about 50 feet. I was having video problem that just started today, and thought it might be a temperature thing so I was just doing line of sight in the city park.

One of the guys I was flying with thought I might have disturbed a hawk, and it might have protected its area. One arm was broken, so it hit a few branches on the way down.

 

[neven]

No blood or feathers on it?


Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[TimInCT]

Nothing obvious, but the blades were pretty banged up going through the trees, but did have different colored marks on the blades (maybe bug blood?) and also hitting the branches on its downward descent.

 

[msinger]

Per Google Earth, here are the elevations at the key locations:

Takeoff Point: 296 feet
Crash Site: 320 feet (this one could be plus/minus ~10 feet)
Tallest Tree at Crash Site: 402 feet

The flight log shows the motor was obstructed while the Phantom was at an altitude of 94 feet. Since the crash site is about 24 feet higher than the takeoff point and assuming the trees did not grow taller since Google Earth last recorded the above data, that means your Phantom would have crashed into any trees that were at least 70 feet high. You also have to remember the altitude is estimated, so it could easily be off by 10-20 feet. Factoring in that error, you could have even hit a tree that was 50 feet high.

the largest tree around (was behind me) and is 50f

According to Google Earth, the tree closest to the takeoff point is at least 74 feet high.

Considering all of those data points, I think you crashed into a tree.

 

[TimInCT]

Many thanks and appreciation for everyone's thoughts and Msinger's analysis, I *was* wondering why the last record stated the final resting height was -60ft. Guess it's time to upgrade.

 

[msinger]

I *was* wondering why the last record stated the final resting height was -60ft

The altitude is often not accurate after striking something mid-flight. It should be fairly accurate before that point though.