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Lost spark today. Only brought 4 days ago.

joexn

Member
Join
May 6, 2019
Messages
13
Age
24
Today I lost my spark. It was a sunny day and wind conditions were fine but as the drone was flying around it looks as if the wind had just lifted it up. It went to over 500ft. After about 1 minute of this happening the drone and the lost connection with the controller and defaulted to return to home mode, I knew this had happened due to the controller regaining connection for a moment.

The last flight data recorded showed it hovering above someone's house, it pointed the camera down but was still 500ft in the air. It was at 37% and had 5 minutes of flight time left. It only needed 2 minutes to fly to home.

The thing is, the signal was fine but in its final moments it entered ATTI mode but it also had a little "18" on the signal bar (satellites).

I've given up the on foot search after 3 hours. Can anyone offer any advice? I'm just worried someone has heard it land itself and just taken it.
 
It has recorded where the last GPS was but it was 500ft in the air, had 5:30 of flight time left and was 300 ft away from it's home point.

For whatever reason the controller lost signal, even after running to where it said it was, the controller never regained signal.
 
If you'd like help locating it, then upload your TXT flight log here and post the link to your uploaded log back here.
 
Since it was flying in ATTI mode at the end of the flight log, it likely landed at its current location after the remote controller disconnected. Try searching in this yellow box:

9837

1557224505541.png
 
Since it was flying in ATTI mode at the end of the flight log, it likely landed at its current location after the remote controller disconnected. Try searching in this yellow box:

View attachment 9837

View attachment 9836

Unfortunately I'm currently at work so I cannot look at this time but as soon as I'm available I will get over there and check. Thanks for your help on this I will update you soon.
 
This might be too little too late but..... Every spark pilot should have UAV Forecast and AirMap installed on their mobile devices, both services are free and can also be accessed from PC/Mac. They should be one of the first things you go to when you get that "I think I will fly today" urge. Checking wind and weather conditions pre-flight can save you from ATTI mode fly-aways. Also, checking that you are not in a warning zone or restricted airspace will protect you and the hobby from bad press. Safety should be our first concern. An out of control drone can seriously injure or even kill someone.

@ Joexn - hope you find it, and hopefully not destroyed. Good luck, let us know eh!
 
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Hope you get it back. If you can't find it, open a case with DJI. You may get another or at least a significant discount on another one.
 
This might be too little too late but..... Every spark pilot should have UAV Forecast and AirMap installed on their mobile devices, both services are free and can also be accessed from PC/Mac. They should be one of the first things you go to when you get that "I think I will fly today" urge. Checking wind and weather conditions pre-flight can save you from ATTI mode fly-aways. Also, checking that you are not in a warning zone or restricted airspace will protect you and the hobby from bad press. Safety should be our first concern. An out of control drone can seriously injure or even kill someone.

@ Joexn - hope you find it, and hopefully not destroyed. Good luck, let us know eh!
Maybe a silly question but how wind and weather conditions affect MODE (P-GPS/ATTI) ?
 
Maybe a silly question but how wind and weather conditions affect MODE (P-GPS/ATTI) ?

Other factors may result the Spark to enter Atti-mode, but not necessarily the weather itself.

When the Spark is in P-GPS mode, the Spark is locked on to whatever number of GPS satilites you have, and the Spark is held in position because of this. That's why you can let go of the controls and it hovers in place.

In ATTI-MODE, the Spark has no GPS signal to help keep it in position and will drift with the wind for quite a distance, depending on wind speed, direction, and battery life in the Spark.

The Spark should maintain the current altitude due to the barametric sensor, but will easily "fly away on its own" unless you keep it in VLOS and fly it manually.

Pressing the RTH button won't work in Atti-mode due to the Spark not having GPS and not knowing where the Home point is to fly back to.
 
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When the Spark is in P-GPS mode, the Spark is locked on to whatever number of GPS satilites you have, and the Spark is held in position because of this. That's why you can let go of the controls and it hovers in place.

In ATTI-MODE, the Spark has no GPS signal to help keep it in position and will drift with the wind for quite a distance, depending on wind speed, direction, and battery life in the Spark.

The Spark should maintain the current altitude due to the barametric sensor, but will easily "fly away on its own" unless you keep it in VLOS and fly it manually.

Pressing the RTH button won't work in Atti-mode due to the Spark not having GPS and not knowing where the Home point is to fly back to.

So with regards to what msinger said, it's unlikely that it just landed in that area? I've been looking around the area but have come up with nothing so far.

It was 500ft in the air when it lost connection so it could have gone quite the distance.
 
So with regards to what msinger said, it's unlikely that it just landed in that area? I've been looking around the area but have come up with nothing so far.

It was 500ft in the air when it lost connection so it could have gone quite the distance.
Its worth looking further downwind. If it was a gust, and not a sustained wind, it could be closer. Many of us attach trackers to the Spark to help find them once the battery is dead.

High wind and sport mode can sometimes lead to the IMU/Compass getting out of sync, once that happens, the GPS gives up, and you are in ATTI mode. Personally, I avoid sport mode unless there is zero wind. I fly in GPS mode with Obstacle Avoidance off, which gives you up to 13mph, you just have to be sure you are high enough to avoid running into anything.

Try checking with the local police to see if anyone turned one in. Did you have any sort of label on it with your contact info?
 
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So with regards to what msinger said, it's unlikely that it just landed in that area? I've been looking around the area but have come up with nothing so far.

It was 500ft in the air when it lost connection so it could have gone quite the distance.

He's good at this search and rescue stuff.

I've read a post when somebody lost the Spark and he said "look here" and the member found it far from where he thought it might be.

With some calculations of what's available from the flight logs, time of flight, flight time left, and coupled with a local weather forecast at the time, a reasonable search area can be established.
 
Its worth looking. If it was a gust, and not a sustained wind, it could be closer.

By looking at the flight log it looks like sustained wind unfortunately. It's private grounds that I can't get access to either and it's due to rain tonight. I've only got 1 hour before I have to head home.

Due to it being in ATTI mode and being 500ft in the air being blown by some amount of wind it's likely lost for good. It's blown into a very forest-y area too.
 
By looking at the flight log it looks like sustained wind unfortunately. It's private grounds that I can't get access to either and it's due to rain tonight. I've only got 1 hour before I have to head home.

Due to it being in ATTI mode and being 500ft in the air being blown by some amount of wind it's likely lost for good. It's blown into a very forest-y area too.
Post an ad in the local paper.. offer a small reward. Most follks wont know what to do with a drone, so your chances of an honest finder are good.
 
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Post an ad in the local paper.. offer a small reward. Most follks wont know what to do with a drone, so your chances of an honest finder are good.

The local newspaper has published an article.

Unfortunately after another 1hr30m search today, the spark was still unable to be found. Me and my boss are heading out tomorrow with his drone and we're going to follow the projected estimated route of my drone to see if we can find it.

Heavy rain due tonight so unfortunately if it is out in the wild tonight will surely be it's last night alive.

Will update everyone tomorrow afternoon.
 
That's what I'm thinking as well. My predictions were right and it's absolutely flooded with rain here.

I think today's search will be a bit more eventful.

I'm considering getting a Mavic 2 ZOOM to help with the search due to its long distance. I don't want to have another spark incident.
 
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