Pursuing a refund - Flyaway not found...

[Leon001]

Your last flight was almost doomed from the time it took off. It appears to fly sideways along its path. Assuming this was a compass error. As I noted before the battery voltage is dropping significantly along the flight. I think somebody out there might be able to analyse the flight log more carefully and come up with suggestions. I sincerely hope you can get a satisfactory resolution. Flying and operating a UAV is complex and prone to all sorts of random glitches - it can be fun - extremely satisfying when things go well. When things go pear shape it can also be the most frustrating.

Go Home will not work if the compass data is faulty

Were you recording - have you got cached video on your tablet?

Nope. No cached video.

Is there any way to tell from the log the status of the compass data? I'd probably worry that it could have been my fault for not calibrating the compass again, but I made a flight where I was able to use RTH only minutes earlier and the app tells me whenever there is any kind of problem and I fix it, be that the IMU, Compass, gimble, or firmware. Not to mention that I've flown from the same spot several times over the past 4-5 days. Absolutely nothing but the outcome changed between the two flights.

EDIT: If the compass data was wrong then (a) the app didn't inform me, and (b) the P3 must have automatically changed it with no good reason. No customer can make allowances for that.

 

[hidaven]

Unlike what most will tell you here about user error, these things do malfunction every so often. No rhyme or reason nor predictability. Too many variables to get right 100% of the time. We accept this as part of the hobby and pray that things go right most of the time. What we do expect is that DJI also understands this and in times like this, replaces their defective product and also sees it as a cost of doing business. If my Sony TV malfunctions during the first year it gets replaced, same with almost any mechanical manufactured part. If DJI abandons this philosophy or points towards user error for ALL crashes, they will be finding less and less customers going forward. Need proof? Hyundai. Still the car business by offering a good product with the BEST warrantee in the business by a long shot. Let's hope DJI continues to replace fly always where there's a proven case for lack of user error.

 

[Leon001]

Unlike what most will tell you here about user error, these things do malfunction every so often. No rhyme or reason nor predictability. Too many variables to get right 100% of the time. We accept this as part of the hobby and pray that things go right most of the time. What we do expect is that DJI also understands this and in times like this, replaces their defective product and also sees it as a cost of doing business. If my Sony TV malfunctions during the first year it gets replaced, same with almost any mechanical manufactured part. If DJI abandons this philosophy or points towards user error for ALL crashes, they will be finding less and less customers going forward. Need proof? Hyundai. Still the car business by offering a good product with the BEST warrantee in the business by a long shot. Let's hope DJI continues to replace fly always where there's a proven case for lack of user error.

Absolutely agree.

I understand that DJI staff frequent these forums. It would be reassuring to have their take on this particular instance. The 1st respondent to this thread was some kind of DJI staff, I assume based on the footer of his posts. He asked for my flight logs and then never posted again.

Anyone here who can analyse the log and give me a yey or ney on the question of user error versus drone malfunction?

 

[III% Streve]

Even if you hadn't done a compass cal and it was needed, it wouldn't have led to this failure. From what I see you have a pretty strong case to get DJI to replace it for you. But only time will tell. Get on it... The more you delay the worse it looks

 

[Zulu342]

Sorry for your loss. It can be extremely frustration when you are careful and things still go wrong. I'm like you in the sense that I've only taken it out no more than 300m away from me. I get nervous when I can't visually see it.

In situations like this when the Phantom is unresponsive or acting weird, does switching to ATTI mode help? Say the compass is wacky, would being in ATTI mode help recover the craft? I'm just trying to build a checklist in my mind that if something wrong were to happen, I have a series of steps I can take to hopefully recover. If I were losing control and it's flying away from me, I would also contemplate doing CSC to have it drop from the sky rather than fly off into the unknown.

 

[Bojankins]

Where are you located. I know yesterday their was some GPS issues in the states and a lot of cellphones throughout the mid-east went down. Solar storm perhaps.

 

[flyNfrank]

I want to add, I did mean that as a serious question. The "lol" may have implied I was only joking.

From what perspective is it fine? My understanding is that there must have been a malfunction, otherwise the drone would have RTH as commanded. Did you mean calibration was fine?

Thanks

Things may appear unusual to some, but if they realize you didn't start out with a fully charged battery, and the fact that it was around 54% should then understand why other areas look a little odd.

When I said "fine" it meant everything checked out. No errors, the pitch and roll, no csc,18-19 satellites, battery current good, and so on. From what I saw it does indeed look like a flyaway.

I would like to know what method did you use to get the .txt file? From DJI folder on device, or?

 

[III% Streve]

There is no phantom. Had to be from the tablet

 

[flyNfrank]

There is no phantom. Had to be from the tablet

If that was a response to my question to Leon, I don't know what you mean by phantom?

 

[III% Streve]

The thread starts with the loss of his P3 to a flyaway. Progresses to to attempts to guess as to where to look for it, then to analysis of the log. Unless I missed something pretty significant, the P3 was never found. Ill assure you now that I didnt miss anything. So there is only one source for the log... the tablet/phone.

 

[TYCORP]

I had a similar experience,
However mine also some GPS compass errors logged on the controller.
With no Phantom, all DJI did was offer 30% off retail cost of a replacement.
I bitched and the offered me 50% off the cost instead.
I had to pay for the shipping back of my controller and they eventually sent me a new unit.

 

[III% Streve]

Your errors could have been attributed to poor calibrations though. Or simply faulty hardware. Impossible to tell one way or the other.

 

[blade strike]

Absolutely agree.

I understand that DJI staff frequent these forums. It would be reassuring to have their take on this particular instance. The 1st respondent to this thread was some kind of DJI staff, I assume based on the footer of his posts. He asked for my flight logs and then never posted again.

Anyone here who can analyse the log and give me a yey or ney on the question of user error versus drone malfunction?

You have to follow the same protocol as everyone else.. Please contact support and file a claim. We are not here to issue refunds or replace craft.

 

[III% Streve]

I think what he was getting at was that you asked for a log and never responded to it @blade strike

 

[Leon001]

You have to follow the same protocol as everyone else.. Please contact support and file a claim. We are not here to issue refunds or replace craft.

All I can say is that it doesn't look great when you ask to see the logs and then don't respond.

I assume you thought you'd see an indication of user error and then show the whole forum that I was wrong to call this a flyaway. Hence defending your employer.

I also assume that because my logs do not show user error, and therefore DO show aircraft malfunction, you thought it best to say nothing. I understand you can't go around admitting to malfunctions.

Please do not imply that I have been asking YOU or anyone else on this forum to refund me. I wanted an opportunity to speak to people and learn a little about the content of the logs for myself rather that just getting a "Yes" or "No" from DJI.

I've just sent all my info (Logs, info for data analysis) to my supplier and they'll forward it to DJI. Let's see how this goes.

 

[flyNfrank]

The thread starts with the loss of his P3 to a flyaway. Progresses to to attempts to guess as to where to look for it, then to analysis of the log. Unless I missed something pretty significant, the P3 was never found. Ill assure you now that I didnt miss anything. So there is only one source for the log... the tablet/phone.

Ok then, that explains it. You don't know what you're talking about which is also why you should not answer questions that are not directed to you. It's awesome that you jump in here and given all the support that you have, but be sure you know what you are saying especially when you are as direct as you are.

 

[Leon001]

Things may appear unusual to some, but if they realize you didn't start out with a fully charged battery, and the fact that it was around 54% should then understand why other areas look a little odd.

When I said "fine" it meant everything checked out. No errors, the pitch and roll, no csc,18-19 satellites, battery current good, and so on. From what I saw it does indeed look like a flyaway.

I would like to know what method did you use to get the .txt file? From DJI folder on device, or?

Sorry I took so long to respond. Yes, the log was from my tablet.

There's still no sign of the drone. :/

 

[III% Streve]

Ok then, that explains it. You don't know what you're talking about which is also why you should not answer questions that are not directed to you. It's awesome that you jump in here and given all the support that you have, but be sure you know what you are saying especially when you are as direct as you are.

Did I say something that wasn't 100% correct? Everyone here is on a different time zone. The more a conversation continues to move the more it has the opportunity to solve a potential issue. My offering an obvious answer to then allow you to respond with something useful is only common sense.

 

[happydays]

OP I'm sorry for your loss, really. It is stomach wrenching when it takes off on it's own mission and you just stand there helpless.

However -

Good luck with getting anything from DJI - and even better luck with your credit card company. Unless you can prove that the goods were faulty, they won't entertain you. Don't ask me how I know this (previous experience!). I've had phantoms for over two years, had two fly away and ditch in water, and both times the evidence pointed to (1) pilot error in the case of my P1; and (2) external magnetic interference in the case of my V+. DJI didn't respond to either incident, and CC company (Nationwide) just about told me to feck off.

If I was you, I'd take the earlier advice and go and search around the area ringed and see if you can salvage what's left of your aircraft. From the clips posted, esp the second video clip, where the aircraft looks to be flying away sideways, I would conclude that something affected the compass. Maybe not your fault, but I'd wager that DJI would say that it wasn't their fault either, if you can get them to reply to you.

Sorry if this all sounds harsh, but after four phantoms, three flyaways (one recovery!) three rescues from trees and countless heart-in-the-mouth incidents you just become numb to reports of flyaways.

 

[blade strike]

All I can say is that it doesn't look great when you ask to see the logs and then don't respond.

I assume you thought you'd see an indication of user error and then show the whole forum that I was wrong to call this a flyaway. Hence defending your employer.

I also assume that because my logs do not show user error, and therefore DO show aircraft malfunction, you thought it best to say nothing. I understand you can't go around admitting to malfunctions.

Please do not imply that I have been asking YOU or anyone else on this forum to refund me. I wanted an opportunity to speak to people and learn a little about the content of the logs for myself rather that just getting a "Yes" or "No" from DJI.

I've just sent all my info (Logs, info for data analysis) to my supplier and they'll forward it to DJI. Let's see how this goes.

No I thought I would see some kind of error... But there was none. So without a crystal ball, I'm sorry I can not do much more. Support has different tools to analyze the data.

Pretty cool that you keep jumping to conclusions though. I will just stay away.

Good day!