So my P3A flew away today or did it?

[Bob N]

My P3A scared the heck out of me today. According to HD I have about 11 hours of flight time and I've covered 110 miles. I've learned to fly in Atti mode but I usually prefer to keep it on the P mode. Today I flew for a little while in courselock mode and that was fun as I attempted to film the front of the house. But on the second flight it appears I lost control. HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

Looking at the flight, I'm not sure it shows it in the data but one of you datawizards take a look please and tell me what in hades happened. It was flying along normal and then it just seemed to shoot off all over the sky. The portion over the brown/red roofed house and near the holding pond bottom left was not controlled flight.

In fact it was flying out of control on the far side of the house across the street from me (my house is the one with the flag pole in the front yard). I spent two or three hours looking for it way across from my house down by the holding pond that is on the right side of the map (on HD map of the flight).

It was a scary feeling no matter what I did to the sticks, it had a mind of its own according to what I saw. It looked like it was landing at the far holding pond...that's why I spent 3 hours looking for it there. Then it turned out to have landed in my side yard out of VLOS. I'm not even trying to flew this thing at vast distances. I think the farthest I flew is around 900 feet away from home and 394 ft altitude.

So did my IMU go whack? I did the compass dance on the first flight but not at the battery change.

I'm puzzled at what happened and wary of flying the bird again.

Thanks in advance for any help you can shed on what happened.

 

[RodPad]

HD, does not seem to be favorite now..
https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Then post results on this thread.

Details
Free online DJI GO & Litchi flight log viewer

Rod

 

[Bob N]

Okay then. Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com
I've posted it. I don't see anything to explain what I saw. It's like maybe someone else was flying a P3 and mistook it for mine. Bizarre. The flights south of my house (bottom of map) were not controlled. It was very scary.

When it flew overhead, all four lights were red.

When I couldn't control it in P mode. I switched to Atti mode. No control. It seemed wild. I put it back to P mode.

It's almost like I landed at 6 minutes or so of flight and the rest was a hallucination or someone else's P3.

 

[Meta4]

I don't see anything to explain what I saw. It's like maybe someone else was flying a P3 and mistook it for mine. Bizarre. The flights south of my house (bottom of map) were not controlled. It was very scary.
When it flew overhead, all four lights were red.
When I couldn't control it in P mode. I switched to Atti mode. No control. It seemed wild. I put it back to P mode.

This one is a bit mysterious.
If 4 lights were red, that suggests that something was wrong but there's nothing in the flight record to indicate any problems and nothing to show you switching from P mode to atti.
Even if someone else was flying nearby, that wouldn't have had any effect.

 

[Bob N]

Well, right now I don't really trust my Phantom. I may not fly again until I get one of those GPS tags for it. Although it landed exactly where the data says it landed. I just didn't trust it. I can't believe someone else was flying a Phantom and I mistook it for mine? I have black landing extensions on my so it won't tip over easily. In fact, it has never tipped over in 57 flights.

What I saw cannot be explained by the data. Also I don't fly over my neighbors houses so that line of data would not be under my control...but nothing indicates I had any problems. It's a puzzle.

 

[HWCM]

The battery was fully charged when you started your flight? Does it have the latest firmware?

 

[Meta4]

Well, right now I don't really trust my Phantom. I may not fly again until I get one of those GPS tags for it. Although it landed exactly where the data says it landed. I just didn't trust it. I can't believe someone else was flying a Phantom and I mistook it for mine? I have black landing extensions on my so it won't tip over easily. In fact, it has never tipped over in 57 flights.

What I saw cannot be explained by the data. Also I don't fly over my neighbors houses so that line of data would not be under my control...but nothing indicates I had any problems. It's a puzzle.

You could download the .dat file from the Phantom, put it on dropbox and contact DJI online help to ask them for an explanation.

 

[Bob N]

The battery was fully charged when you started your flight? Does it have the latest firmware?

Yes, it sure was. Well, on this battery as I took of I noticed the camera was tilting so with a minute or less in to the flight I landed it. Restarted the Phantom and then the DJI GO was able to connect and the camera tilt was working. This seems to happen with some frequency..

It has the latest firmware.

 

[flyNfrank]

Yes, it sure was. Well, on this battery as I took of I noticed the camera was tilting so with a minute or less in to the flight I landed it. Restarted the Phantom and then the DJI GO was able to connect and the camera tilt was working. This seems to happen with some frequency..

It has the latest firmware.

Right there's your problem. You launched without a fully charged battery. And you likely haven't calibrated the compass. I can't imagine how you could be a member here and not see all the threads with postings about other pilots and not having a full charge on the battery prior to flight.

 

[flyNfrank]

Btw, if you grab the actual .txt file from the device used with GO app and place in a folder and zip it, then upload it here in a post I will help you locate your aircraft.

 

[mnewxcv]

Right there's your problem. You launched without a fully charged battery. And you likely haven't calibrated the compass. I can't imagine how you could be a member here and not see all the threads with postings about other pilots and not having a full charge on the battery prior to flight.

are you being sarcastic?

 

[bLaStErAiD]

Btw, if you grab the actual .txt file from the device used with GO app and place in a folder and zip it, then upload it here in a post I will help you locate your aircraft.

I don't think the phantom is missing, he's got it safe and sound

 

[flyNfrank]

are you being sarcastic?

Absolutely not.

 

[flyNfrank]

I don't think the phantom is missing, he's got it safe and sound

Ok thanks for pointing that out!

 

[mnewxcv]

Absolutely not.

he was flying with a full charge. it was 98% at the beginning of the flight.

 

[flyNfrank]

I think I misunderstood him to land and then relaunch again.

 

[Bob N]

Right there's your problem. You launched without a fully charged battery. And you likely haven't calibrated the compass. I can't imagine how you could be a member here and not see all the threads with postings about other pilots and not having a full charge on the battery prior to flight.

No that's not it at all. I calibrated the compass. And the battery was fully charged when I first took off. I landed after less than a MINUTE and restarted the Phantom because for some reason the camera tilt was not responding. BTW, I NEVER take off without a full battery other than something like this. It's not like I was a driving around the sky for 15 minutes and landed and then restarted and took off at full throttle. I thought the low battery issue was more about falling out of the sky not doing crazy/flyaway stuff.

I already located the Phantom...it landed in my yard. Like I've said I have no idea what happened. I lost situational awareness and it landed? Meanwhile I got punked by someone else flying a Phantom that I thought was me? Geez, I would like to figure out what is going on. I've already posted the txt file to both HD and the phantomhelp site.

 

[Meta4]

I thought the low battery issue was more about falling out of the sky not doing crazy/flyaway stuff.

Exactly right. Not enough juice in the battery won't send your Phantom off exploring places you don't send it.

Like I've said I have no idea what happened. I lost situational awareness and it landed? Meanwhile I got punked by someone else flying a Phantom that I thought was me? Geez, I would like to figure out what is going on.

I'd suggest doing a couple of cautious flights in a large open area where you can keep your eye on it to see how the Phantom performs.
If everything goes well, write this one off to disorientation.

 

[Mark The Droner]

You are sure you took it out of course lock, right?

 

[Bob N]

Yes. Course lock was only used on flight 1, not the second flight.