Spark Battery Drop Out Captured On Video

[Andre Levite]

The important thing: How was the Spark after the crash? If it didn't it the wood, chances are it's still A-OK. I shook mine out of a tree-top and she dropped about as far as that one did (on grass) and was none the worse for wear.

If you watch the video with the volume turned up you will hear 2 distinct and loud sounds when drone and battery hit the pavement below.

The deck was fairly high and the Spark had ascended too. Doubtful the gimbal could survive that drop unless extraordinarily lucky. It sounded awful

This didn't land on grass like yours did.

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Great thing about these forums, before I got my Spark I had read about this issue when it was becoming apparent and what could be done to fix... so I got the clip on strap, and it was on my Spark on its very first flight. Buyer beware or at least wary.

 

[Akuen_527]

Be well advised to get this thought out of your head. Here's what happened to my Spark after a barely 5 feet drop. And it wasn't even flying.

Palm launch FAIL

So I was attempting the Palm launch today in one of the parks in the neighborhood and the drone just took off awkwardly and fell off from my hand on the hard tarmac pedestrian walkway. The front left arm got broken and one of the propellers got snapped (picture below) . Really upset with the way...

sparkpilots.com

Sorry Nilan, but we were both talking about a crash onto GRASS, distance and conditions don't really matter when yours fell onto hard pavement/concrete. And yet another reason for me NEVER to try and use that palm launch crap. I did that with my $40 toy drone, I could just throw it up the air and it's sensor would flip it upright and flying. Of course that was a toy, and the few times it just fell to the ground it was undamaged since it was such a small and simple drone, not the case with spark. Have you talked to dji yet? Maybe your flight logs reveal something they would cover? Or more likely theyll just say "pilot error".

 

[Andre Levite]

Sorry Nilan, but we were both talking about a crash onto GRASS, distance and conditions don't really matter when yours fell onto hard pavement/concrete. And yet another reason for me NEVER to try and use that palm launch crap. I did that with my $40 toy drone, I could just throw it up the air and it's sensor would flip it upright and flying. Of course that was a toy, and the few times it just fell to the ground it was undamaged since it was such a small and simple drone, not the case with spark. Have you talked to dji yet? Maybe your flight logs reveal something they would cover? Or more likely theyll just say "pilot error".

If you read the entire thread that you are quoting from you will see that the original poster admitted his damage was caused by pilot error.

He admitted to both poor palm launch technique and using palm launch when excessive wind.

I respect him for admitting his mistake and learning from the experience. Others are quick to blame DJI for their own fails. Palm launch is my favorite Spark feature but it's a learned technique -- you can't throw it in the air like the $40 toys.

 

[Buddy411]

It's a tough little bird.

 

[Sooner4lifejj]

...and Wintergreen Lifesavers will Spark in the dark when compressed. ?

I’ve got mine. ?, can’t afford not to. Cheap insurance in my opinion.

 

[Virtual1]

If you don't tie your shoelaces snugly. And they untie and you trip. And you bloody your nose. Are you gone blame Nike for a bad design?!? NO!!!

Although I totally agree with that, I wonder how much of the time it's not attached securely vs how much of the time it either just comes unattached on its own OR is "partly attached". I know on my spark i have to use more force than seems reasonable to get the battery to positively lock into place. (and I also don't like having to finger-dance to get the battery to release, you need to have somewhere opposite the battery to apply counter-force, and it's easy for fingers to find the camera, which is a horrible place to naturally try to apply the counter-force)

So, how much of this is pure user-error, and how much can we attribute to "bad design"?

If it were up to me to re-design it, the battery would "dock" nose-first into the body at an angle, and then swing the rear end UP and lock in that way. MUCH easier (and much safer) to apply counter-force to the top side of the spark than the other end. And if the spring action was in the middle area of the battery (or even at the front) then you have actual leverage to be compressing in the battery, AND the lock of the battery also has leverage on the spring to make it easier/safer for the lock to hold the battery. Currently, 100% of the spring force has to be retained by two very small plastic clips.

As it is now, it works, but the design is definitely not optimal and it contributes too much to failures like this.

(and the "battery buckle" seems like an inconvenient hack around the design flaw)

 

[archipelagodronie]

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

Night flight as well.

Had put on a siliconcover. And think I didn’t push the battery all the way.

After a few seconds it all went silent and the drone came down faster then ever.

So now I press an extra time or two just to be safe.

 

[Jeremy Lanfranco]

Simple and cheap O-ring fix. 54mm X 3mm

 

[caspian]

Although I totally agree with that, I wonder how much of the time it's not attached securely vs how much of the time it either just comes unattached on its own OR is "partly attached". I know on my spark i have to use more force than seems reasonable to get the battery to positively lock into place. (and I also don't like having to finger-dance to get the battery to release, you need to have somewhere opposite the battery to apply counter-force, and it's easy for fingers to find the camera, which is a horrible place to naturally try to apply the counter-force)

So, how much of this is pure user-error, and how much can we attribute to "bad design"?

it's a combination of poor design and originally manufacturing error which made the poor design even more apparent. if user misoperation is even possible then the design is fundamentally flawed. don't expect the OP to agree though, he's made up his mind to be wrong on the subject.

If it were up to me to re-design it, the battery would "dock" nose-first into the body at an angle, and then swing the rear end UP and lock in that way.

and I'd have a very simple fail-safe lockout where the locks had to be fully engaged before a switch was depressed or an electrical contact made, so the Spark could not power up at all unless the battery was locked in properly.

(and the "battery buckle" seems like an inconvenient hack around the design flaw)

it's less than ideal, but considerably less inconvenient than watching an aircraft be destroyed.

 

[Tony Love]

DJI Spark Life Saver

Yep i use one on my Spark as i have a mix of old style and new style batteries.

 

[Tentoes]

Yea. I check that the battery is firmly clicked in. I've seen too many reports of this.

 

[dnluce]

The video montage linked below includes a battery drop out and crash at the 1:23 mark. I don't think this has ever been caught on film before.

The Spark had taken off for only about 2-3 seconds when the battery fell out. The Spark was flying at low speed so no crazy G forces to blame. Those two factors are highly suspicious that the operator did not properly insert the battery. Can't blame DJI for this one!

Spark Battery Fail - Pilot Error

How did the Spark continue to record with no power?

 

[Andre Levite]

How did the Spark continue to record with no power?

The Spark didn’t record with no power. In fact it wasn’t recording at all.

That video was obviously taken by a spectator. Not the Spark or the pilot. Watch it again

 

[dnluce]

I didn't see a link to the video...

 

[Spark 317]

I didn't see a link to the video...

Post #1. At the bottom.

 

[Andre Levite]

I didn't see a link to the video...

Here is a link to the original post for this thread that includes the video footage of Spark crash. It will make a lot more sense once you’ve actually seen what happened...

Original Post