Phantom 3 drone down

[rickatom]

Had my phantom a few weeks. Learning about waypoints and flying. Yesterday I lost my drone.
I had experienced the loss of signal on a few flights, but had the understanding that once loaded with flight plan, the drone will make it back to origination point. Well, this time it did not.
Today I went out to look for this needle in a haystack. I was able to pull up my flight log. While in flight yesterday, all seemed good until signal loss. Video camera went streaky.
My question is....when I physically find the Latitude and longitude position where signal was last sent, should I find the drone there?, or did I just lose signal but it continued flight mission?
I should have had plenty of battery, and my height should have been above the tree line.
I went looking this morning, looking in trees and round area of where the marker showed. If the drone kept flying it could be lost in the tree tops beyond that last transmission point.
Have I done all I can do at this point? thanks

 

[msinger]

Check out your TXT flight log to see if it explains what happened. You can upload and view it online here. If you'd like other people to review and comment on your flight log, then please post a link back here after you upload it.

 

[Huge Bama Fan]

This is what is keeping me from doing an auto pilot run. To much I don't know. Hate to hear about it hope you find it

 

[Fly Dawg]

had experienced the loss of signal on a few flights, but had the understanding that once loaded with flight plan, the drone will make it back to origination point. Well, this time it did not.

Not necessarily true. That depends on how carefully you planned the mission and how your settings were for the final waypoint.

 

[stuka75]

What app were you using to fly the way point mission? Litchi requires a setting made by user to either hover, return to first waypoint, or RTH( as I recall) at the end of mission. I think hover is the default. If the mission flies out of telemetry range, data stops at that point until it comes back into range. As mentioned above, height of flight terrain must be taken in to account when for each waypoint.

 

[WV. Rootman]

Not necessarily true. That depends on how carefully you planned the mission and how your settings were for the final waypoint.

With a pro like you, yes. There are a lot more veritables for a new person to comprehend. They really need to get a handle on manual flying first to get the basics embedded. Then they have a foundation to build on.

 

[Fly Dawg]

With a pro like you, yes. There are a lot more veritables for a new person to comprehend. They really need to get a handle on manual flying first to get the basics embedded. Then they have a foundation to build on.

I agree on the variables, but given the fact that the OP mentioned that he had been flying for only a few weeks, it appears to me, although the fact was never stated, that the OP jumped right on with Litchi, BEFORE enough training time with GO. JMO.....

 

[Oso]

These type of posts routinely end with a realization that changing ground elevation was not considered when planning the mission and it caused a date with a tree or a building. Until we see the log info, that is my working assumption in this case as well. It's too common of an occurrence to think much else without more info.

 

[rickatom]

Had my phantom a few weeks. Learning about waypoints and flying. Yesterday I lost my drone.
I had experienced the loss of signal on a few flights, but had the understanding that once loaded with flight plan, the drone will make it back to origination point. Well, this time it did not.
Today I went out to look for this needle in a haystack. I was able to pull up my flight log. While in flight yesterday, all seemed good until signal loss. Video camera went streaky.
My question is....when I physically find the Latitude and longitude position where signal was last sent, should I find the drone there?, or did I just lose signal but it continued flight mission?
I should have had plenty of battery, and my height should have been above the tree line.
I went looking this morning, looking in trees and round area of where the marker showed. If the drone kept flying it could be lost in the tree tops beyond that last transmission point.
Have I done all I can do at this point? thanks

I pulled the log and charted. I was 134alt, 134 AS, sp 19. These were pretty consistent until blackout. No fluctuation out of normal, just blank.

 

[Fly Dawg]

If you uploaded the log file to the link posted above, post a link back here so others can take a look.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Also, double check your mission settings. Once the signal is lost, the log does nothing for you, but you can see the last known location prior to signal loss.

 

[rickatom]

If you uploaded the log file to the link posted above, post a link back here so others can take a look.

If you uploaded the log file to the link posted above, post a link back here so others can take a look.

would love to share. Having trouble getting info loaded

 

[Fly Dawg]

Open your uploaded log file, copy the URL. In the message header here, click the "link" button. Paste that URL there then post your reply.

 

[rickatom]

Also, double check your mission settings. Once the signal is lost, the log does nothing for you, but you can see the last known location prior to signal loss.

I have looked the mission over and over, unless I am missing something.I used Litchi mission HUB. That is what I am wondering, if signal lost, but drone kept flying. I am sure battery life was good, lay of land could be factor. I went to last known coordinate. Not knowing what happened, I might have been looking in the wrong places.

 

[Meta4]

would love to share. Having trouble getting info loaded

Follow the instructions here: DJI Flight Log Viewer
Then come back and post a link to the report it shows you.
It would also help if you could post a screenshot of the mission you planned like this:

 

[Fly Dawg]

Generally speaking a "Fly Away" is extremely rare. It can happen but not very likely. Usually it is a mission planning error or plain old operator error. The log file will give a good glimpse of the flight profile so you can tell if it were likely to have impacted something in flight.
What was your setting for the final waypoint?

 

[rickatom]

Question, while I am working on the log.....I just happened on a POI point beyond where the log ended. An alt height was way short, not far behind my house. Could a crash there have interrupted the flight log reception. doesnt seem right, but i am going to look just the same

 

[Meta4]

Question, while I am working on the log.....I just happened on a POI point beyond where the log ended. An alt height was way short, not far behind my house. Could a crash there have interrupted the flight log reception. doesnt seem right, but i am going to look just the same

Having the Phantom crash into a tree or terrain etc tends to cause a loss of signal and the end of the flight.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Having the Phantom crash into a tree or terrain etc tends to cause a loss of signal and the end of the flight.

I would say that is an accurate statement...

 

[Fly Dawg]

An alt height was way short, not far behind my house.

That would be a good place to start....