Phantom 2 crash, video included. What happened?

[Scart1]

Hi you all from a long time lurker in this forum !

I have P2 version 2.0 with Immersion Rc 600mw 5.8Ghz Video Transmitter, H3-3D gimbal and Gopro Heo 4 Black.
It served me well for over a year until yesterday when it fell from a sky like a stone... I was lucky so he “landed” in only mound of snow on parking lot Few inches right or left and I would be crying now...and ordering new one

So on to the details, battery was on 95%, remote was on GPS ATT, 9 satellites locked, temperature was -5 C (23F). As you can see and hear in video, everything was steady and OK and then suddenly phantom tilted on one side and then dropped in snow upsidedown (not straight down, he fell diagonally)....
I’m thinking, if there was sudden loss of power then why can I hear motors (or some of them) running when phantom is tilted for 2 seconds.... but then, before it hits snow I can’t hear any motor running.... also when he fell you can hear one beep (motor problem ?).

When I picked it from the snow battery was on, no beeps indicating problems, motors off, and lights flashing normally (satellites locked, ready for take off).
After watching video few times, I can presume:

a) 1 or 2 motors turned off, phantom tilted and went down but i don’t understand why I can’t hear some of motors just before it crashed
or
b) there was total loss of power and only explanation why he didn’t fell straight down is that some of motors kept spinning second or two longer so that made him tilt before crashing

Today I turned it on (indoor only), and everything seems OK, no warnings, propellers spinning and he is ready.
Tomorrow I will open him and try to find something (loose wire?) but I don’t know what i should check inside...any suggestion ?

What’s your take on this after watching video? (yes it's night time, waiting for fireworks)

Thanks in advance !
Damir

 

[jason]

Hi you all from a long time lurker in this forum !

I have P2 version 2.0 with Immersion Rc 600mw 5.8Ghz Video Transmitter, H3-3D gimbal and Gopro Heo 4 Black.
It served me well for over a year until yesterday when it fell from a sky like a stone... I was lucky so he “landed” in only mound of snow on parking lot Few inches right or left and I would be crying now...and ordering new one

So on to the details, battery was on 95%, remote was on GPS ATT, 9 satellites locked, temperature was -5 C (23F). As you can see and hear in video, everything was steady and OK and then suddenly phantom tilted on one side and then dropped in snow upsidedown (not straight down, he fell diagonally)....
I’m thinking, if there was sudden loss of power then why can I hear motors (or some of them) running when phantom is tilted for 2 seconds.... but then, before it hits snow I can’t hear any motor running.... also when he fell you can hear one beep (motor problem ?).

When I picked it from the snow battery was on, no beeps indicating problems, motors off, and lights flashing normally (satellites locked, ready for take off).
After watching video few times, I can presume:

a) 1 or 2 motors turned off, phantom tilted and went down but i don’t understand why I can’t hear some of motors just before it crashed
or
b) there was total loss of power and only explanation why he didn’t fell straight down is that some of motors kept spinning second or two longer so that made him tilt before crashing

Today I turned it on (indoor only), and everything seems OK, no warnings, propellers spinning and he is ready.
Tomorrow I will open him and try to find something (loose wire?) but I don’t know what i should check inside...any suggestion ?

What’s your take on this after watching video? (yes it's night time, waiting for fireworks)

Thanks in advance !
Damir

Take that battery and fully charge it then check in the assistant software and post a screen shot of that battery. Video is just to short and dark to make judgement call as to what went wrong.

 

[Contact EZDrone]

Cold batteries decrease flight time, but this looks more like a phantom 2 software bug. All of the mechanical components on the aircraft should be extremely reliable, especially if it was just flying fine just before the crash. I have seen many phantom 2 customers with the same problem and not any phantom 3 customers. The p3 and p2 are very similar in what they do, but now DJI has all of its focus on new product.

 

[jason]

Cold batteries decrease flight time, but this looks more like a phantom 2 software bug. All of the mechanical components on the aircraft should be extremely reliable, especially if it was just flying fine just before the crash. I have seen many phantom 2 customers with the same problem and not any phantom 3 customers. The p3 and p2 are very similar in what they do, but now DJI has all of its focus on new product.

While it is true that weather decreases fight it doesn't cause them to fall out of the sky.

 

[Scart1]

Take that battery and fully charge it then check in the assistant software and post a screen shot of that battery. Video is just to short and dark to make judgement call as to what went wrong.

Hi,
here is the screenshot.

Thank you, bye !

 

[jason]

Hi,
here is the screenshot.
View attachment 39474
Thank you, bye !

If there wasn't any physical damage to the P2 remove the props put that battery in and see if the motor will spin up.also make sure all the LED's fire up as well.

 

[Scart1]

If there wasn't any physical damage to the P2 remove the props put that battery in and see if the motor will spin up.also make sure all the LED's fire up as well.

Already did that "Today I turned it on (indoor only), and everything seems OK, no warnings, propellers spinning and he is ready."
So if battery is OK what else could be the problem ? Bad wiring maybe ?

 

[jason]

Already did that "Today I turned it on (indoor only), and everything seems OK, no warnings, propellers spinning and he is ready."
So if battery is OK what else could be the problem ? Bad wiring maybe ?

Do you have an FPV system onboard? If not keep it close you could have cold connection on one of the motors that caused it to come in the first place.
Good Luck.

 

[Scart1]

Do you have an FPV system onboard? If not keep it close you could have cold connection on one of the motors that caused it to come in the first place.
Good Luck.

Yes, FPV is installed. So I will open phantom today and examine all the wires and maybe find something, although I'm not sure what exactly should I look for

Thank's Jason !

 

[jason]

Yes, FPV is installed. So I will open phantom today and examine all the wires and maybe find something, although I'm not sure what exactly should I look for

Thank's Jason !

Look for cold solder connections for the motor and the power supply from the ESC modules to the main board. So if any one of those ESC or motors has a cold connection it will cause a crash.