Crash: RTH error or user fault?

[Bayou7]

My Spark crashed into a tree after going into RTH mode just before I was about to grab it and turn it off. Battery level was at 17%. I was within 3 feet of the RTH position for the flight, but just as I was about to grab the drone to end the flight it rose to about 60 feet and then flew sideways about 20 feet among trees. I'm not sure if it hit the tree before I hit the cancel option or it fell as soon as I hit it. But fall it did---- hitting tree limbs on the way down and finally landing onto and buried within a pile of sand. The sand may have saved to drone from complete failure. As of now, it's just the gimbal motor that is overloaded, The motors were 'gritty' until I kept turning them . Seem to work ok now.

So question is about RTH behavior. When the drone was this close to original RTH position, why did to rise and fly away? When it's that close, shouldn't it just land where it is when battery gets low. So did drone misbehave or was it user error?

 

[TimmyG]

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[Spark 317]

I did the same thing one time.
Pilot error on my part, I failed to cancel the RTH within grasp of the Spark.

I moved away from the original Home Point, flew the Spark to me under a tree (hot, sunny day) when the battery was low, ignored the warning and when I literally was grasping the Spark, it went up into the branches and came tumbling down to me.

D'oh !!

I guess it still palm landed since I caught it, lol.

 

[Bayou7]

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Thanks for providing this. I uploaded the original txt file and have been able to view it. Would appreciate your input. It looks like the home point was established in the rear of the house when I turned on video prior to initiating the flight. I then carried the drone--- with no motors running---to the front and began the flight. The Flight record video shows the flight beginning at that point. The Spark must not have established a new home point when I initiated flight. Hence, when the RTH was initiated, the Spark was trying to return back to original homepoint. So why was a HP established before I began the real flight? And shouldn't a new homepoint have been established when I began the actual flight?

 

[TimmyG]

Thanks for providing this. I uploaded the original txt file and have been able to view it. Would appreciate your input. It looks like the home point was established in the rear of the house when I turned on video prior to initiating the flight. I then carried the drone--- with no motors running---to the front and began the flight. The Flight record video shows the flight beginning at that point. The Spark must not have established a new home point when I initiated flight. Hence, when the RTH was initiated, the Spark was trying to return back to original homepoint. So why was a HP established before I began the real flight? And shouldn't a new homepoint have been established when I began the actual flight?

From the flight log I can see that the home point was North of that big tree that was behind you. Always set your RTH altitude higher than the surrounding obstacles and always manually establish a home point before taking off. Get into the habit of doing this. Also you can quickly cancel the RTH by pushing the the RTH button or the pause button on the controller

 

[Bayou7]

From the flight log I can see that the home point was North of that big tree that was behind you. Always set your RTH altitude higher than the surrounding obstacles and always manually establish a home point before taking off. Get into the habit of doing this. Also you can quickly cancel the RTH by pushing the the RTH button or the pause button on the controller

Thanks. Good recommendations all.

 

[DameEdnaBrown]

My Spark crashed into a tree after going into RTH mode just before I was about to grab it and turn it off. Battery level was at 17%. I was within 3 feet of the RTH position for the flight, but just as I was about to grab the drone to end the flight it rose to about 60 feet and then flew sideways about 20 feet among trees. I'm not sure if it hit the tree before I hit the cancel option or it fell as soon as I hit it. But fall it did---- hitting tree limbs on the way down and finally landing onto and buried within a pile of sand. The sand may have saved to drone from complete failure. As of now, it's just the gimbal motor that is overloaded, The motors were 'gritty' until I kept turning them . Seem to work ok now.

So question is about RTH behavior. When the drone was this close to original RTH position, why did to rise and fly away? When it's that close, shouldn't it just land where it is when battery gets low. So did drone misbehave or was it user error?

 

[Speedmeister]

I learned early on to be prepared for sudden altitude changed when grabbing the spark. The bottom sensors see my palm as the ground and will rise to avoid it. This is how I crashed the spark on its maiden flight. Hit the garage ceiling. I was underneath it so I was able to catch it on its way down.

 

[alekaras]

I learned early on to be prepared for sudden altitude changed when grabbing the spark. The bottom sensors see my palm as the ground and will rise to avoid it. This is how I crashed the spark on its maiden flight. Hit the garage ceiling. I was underneath it so I was able to catch it on its way down.

Hold left stick down while you're trying to grab it.

 

[Chips]

After seeing a tip from someone, I usually go to some height and then set the Homepoint again. It seems to be more accurate when returning to the same spot. It's a quick action and perhaps good because you hover a few seconds to set the HP and that could be like a sort of pre-flight check for the props and other systems, etc.

When I use RTH, I monitor the flight path and when it goes into landing mode, I watch where it is coming down by camera. Often, I stop it at a certain height when it is within visual range and then adjust its landing point and bring it down manually. Usually when it is coming down, you can manoeuvre the position and if there is an open area, then I will position it over that area so if anything happens and it starts to fall, it will be in an open area.

On one occasion, I hit RTH accidentally as it was already at about my eye level and was shocked to see it rising by itself. Then I realised that as it was near the HP, it was acting in accordance with the set RTH height that it should go to before moving horizontally.

 

[Speedmeister]

After seeing a tip from someone, I usually go to some height and then set the Homepoint again. It seems to be more accurate when returning to the same spot. It's a quick action and perhaps good because you hover a few seconds to set the HP and that could be like a sort of pre-flight check for the props and other systems, etc.

When I use RTH, I monitor the flight path and when it goes into landing mode, I watch where it is coming down by camera. Often, I stop it at a certain height when it is within visual range and then adjust its landing point and bring it down manually. Usually when it is coming down, you can manoeuvre the position and if there is an open area, then I will position it over that area so if anything happens and it starts to fall, it will be in an open area.

On one occasion, I hit RTH accidentally as it was already at about my eye level and was shocked to see it rising by itself. Then I realised that as it was near the HP, it was acting in accordance with the set RTH height that it should go to before moving horizontally.

It will not perform RTH set altitude if it is close to homepoint. It will perform landing procedure instead.