When planning an automated mission, pine trees are higher than you think. I thought I added enough altitude for the highest terrain on the mission route. Not.
Drone crash video
- Thread starter bsartist
- Start date
I was convinced it was going to be a permanent pine tree ornament. Don't know how I'd get it down. I decided to look around the area in the ground. I'm guessing it had its fall broken on the way down. And landing on its back on snow probably helped. I was amazed the battery was laying within 8'. Others have talked about the battery being dislodged. Seems odd.
If I had got mine stuck up there, I would have got my father's chimney sweeping gear. It's like a stick that screws in to another to make a long pole to reach up the chimney. Would have been able to knock it down.
That was luck. Glad there wasn't any more damage. Were you using Litchi?
How long? This tree had to be close to a hundred feet tall. I thought I might cut it down if I had nothing to lose.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2016
- Messages
- 44
- Reaction score
- 9
- Age
- 45
Yes. I feel very fortunate. Yes I was using litchi. Not litchi's fault though. I had actually added more height to all the waypoints thinking it would be plenty. I was not following the terrain but I checked against the highest elevation on the route and planned based on that. But misunderestimated the height of those pines up there. I'll add a hundred feet and try again.
Altitude was 121 ft above ground elevation at first waypoint/takeoff point.
Crash point had a ground elevation of 33 ft higher than that first ground elevation. So I guess that tree was 88 ft. The tallest tree at takeoff I had surveyed in my initial planning at 70 ft. Clearly I was cutting things way too close.
Love seeing someone who can see the humor in their own "awshit" moment! Glad you got away virtually unscathed
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2016
- Messages
- 44
- Reaction score
- 9
- Age
- 45
But I only missed clearing it by a foot or two.
Just glad you were able to get out of it as easy as you did. I crashed my P4 into a tree the 2nd day I had it by watching the screen instead of the drone while orbiting around my house. Ended up taking the next day off work and paying $100 for a bucket truck to come get it down. But I'll tell you what, I respect the hell out of some trees now!!! Amazing how they just refuse to give way. Jerks.
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
No way a bucket truck was getting anywhere near this tree. I was definitely nauseated by the thought of my only option being to fell the tree and hope the drone survived. I consider this a fair wake up call. I think there are four kinds of drone pilots.
Those that have crashed their drones
Those that will crash their drones
And those that can't count.
Watching the drone up there can be deceiving. Can't always tell if you are above the treetops.
I was not expecting the crash going backwards...i laughed out loud...I can't believe you only broke a piece of the propeller and that's all? Those pine needles must have cushioned the fall. Did you cut the motors when it hit the tree or did they cut off on their own?
This was an automated flight. Using litchi. Just after it went out of site I heard the crack of it hitting the tree. Since the camera was facing backward I had no opportunity to react to the display. The battery ejected itself on the way down. You can see the props spinning till the end.
Last edited:
Never trust litchi with the height settings there are big variations could be up to 10 m off!!
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
I had some lucky calls so from now i fly litchi missions 45m altitude +
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
There are sub-divisions though, for example
Those who crashed while not paying attention during flight
Those who pre-programmed the crash before the flight
Similar threads
