- Join
- Sep 24, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Age
- 44
I recently recently lost my spark after multiple failures, a devastation experience for any drone pilot. The outcome was more favorable, and I reported the incident to DJI and after analysis, they kindly replaced it one week after the incident. Fantastic service and I was delighted with the outcome, yet I feel I need to share my learnings with fellow pilots, and welcome any further comments, suggestions and learnings.
The spark was my first drone, and I have around 5hr of flying experience / 30km worth of travel distance before the incident. Before my maiden flight, I use the simulator, watched many videos and my first 5 flights was within a 30m range to ensure I get familiar with the aircraft.
On flight #36, when I lost the spark, I wanted to do a fly by / fly over my family while they were waving, at a height of 4-5m above the ground. I aligned the drone using the camera lines, and pressed the controller forward to fly over the location where my family was waving at the drone. While moving forward slowly, I noted that the drone started drifting to the left and almost hit the side of the house, I ascended to 10m, and turned the aircraft around. Flying it back to me, the drone starter spiraling to the right, making a moon shaped path, while the drone spun uncontrollably. I got multiple errors, compass error and IMU errors, the drone then on the camera showed blue sky, either going into a kind of sport mode accelerating side ways, or it went upside down, I dont know. The drone drifted away, around 154m meters from my position. RTH time out many times, with the aircraft going sideways when I pressed forward. Eventually I lost connection and it was lost forever.
Devastated losing the drone, I checked the app (find my drone) on the last known location. I searched the property high and low, in trees, spoke to people, no trace. (See green circle in image path.jpg)
Lesson 1: The map location is not the best source of last know location. The last 2-3seconds of video shows the drone for around 50m onwards in a southern direction. Get the video, put it in slow motion and see if you can map a path (see green line in image path.jpg)
Lesson 2: If I crashed the drone into the building of the house, it would still have it today. Lesson learnt, crash if needed!
Lesson 3: When I got to a laptop and got the flight logs off my phone, I noted the flight logs showed even more details of a last location, 160m from where the app showed it and closely aligned with last video. Therefore, I suggest to use the logs, they were in my case the best source. (see red line of the actual and last know flight path of the aircraft)
Lesson 4: While looking for the drone, I didnt keep the controller on / searching. That could have helped if the drone was in range.
Lesson 5: Compass error, the drone will switch off GPS. Get the aircraft to safety / on the ground.
The last known location, my spark was flying in a southern direction, at 20miles per hour, and at a height of 32m. There are no high structures or trees in the area that would stop it, so I guess it would have kept going It was not flying in a straight line, and had around 5min flying time left - so it could be anywhere. I wonder what would happen while in this "crazy" mode would the drone have done when the battery runs out - nose dive, who knows!
Here is the video
The spark was my first drone, and I have around 5hr of flying experience / 30km worth of travel distance before the incident. Before my maiden flight, I use the simulator, watched many videos and my first 5 flights was within a 30m range to ensure I get familiar with the aircraft.
On flight #36, when I lost the spark, I wanted to do a fly by / fly over my family while they were waving, at a height of 4-5m above the ground. I aligned the drone using the camera lines, and pressed the controller forward to fly over the location where my family was waving at the drone. While moving forward slowly, I noted that the drone started drifting to the left and almost hit the side of the house, I ascended to 10m, and turned the aircraft around. Flying it back to me, the drone starter spiraling to the right, making a moon shaped path, while the drone spun uncontrollably. I got multiple errors, compass error and IMU errors, the drone then on the camera showed blue sky, either going into a kind of sport mode accelerating side ways, or it went upside down, I dont know. The drone drifted away, around 154m meters from my position. RTH time out many times, with the aircraft going sideways when I pressed forward. Eventually I lost connection and it was lost forever.
Devastated losing the drone, I checked the app (find my drone) on the last known location. I searched the property high and low, in trees, spoke to people, no trace. (See green circle in image path.jpg)
Lesson 1: The map location is not the best source of last know location. The last 2-3seconds of video shows the drone for around 50m onwards in a southern direction. Get the video, put it in slow motion and see if you can map a path (see green line in image path.jpg)
Lesson 2: If I crashed the drone into the building of the house, it would still have it today. Lesson learnt, crash if needed!
Lesson 3: When I got to a laptop and got the flight logs off my phone, I noted the flight logs showed even more details of a last location, 160m from where the app showed it and closely aligned with last video. Therefore, I suggest to use the logs, they were in my case the best source. (see red line of the actual and last know flight path of the aircraft)
Lesson 4: While looking for the drone, I didnt keep the controller on / searching. That could have helped if the drone was in range.
Lesson 5: Compass error, the drone will switch off GPS. Get the aircraft to safety / on the ground.
The last known location, my spark was flying in a southern direction, at 20miles per hour, and at a height of 32m. There are no high structures or trees in the area that would stop it, so I guess it would have kept going It was not flying in a straight line, and had around 5min flying time left - so it could be anywhere. I wonder what would happen while in this "crazy" mode would the drone have done when the battery runs out - nose dive, who knows!
Here is the video