Midflight Failure - Please Help Identify Cause

[Ivan Bondarenko]

Good day,

I am relatively new pilot with about 20 flights with Phantom 3 Professional latest firmware V01.08.0080.

Was flying over a body of water at 60m no wind and when I started rolling softly to the left, the drone suddenly started falling and spinning uncontrollably straight into water and could not be recovered. Please see attached clip from Ipad https://youtu.be/ejx0NWNrQeo

Please help identify possible cause of the failure. Is it pilot error or hardware failure? Does this happen often? I am now not sure if I should by the same drone again.

Many Thanks,
Ivan

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[JWarren]

I'd say you lost a motor.

 

[diveguy]

My theories: motor failure (or other mechanical failure on one of the motors/props) or bird strike (though I don't see a bird in the video).

 

[dirkclod]

I lost one several months back and that's what mine did .
Sorry for your loss and welcome to the forum .

 

[dewster]

My Hexa did that after a battery malfunction. I had a bad cell and flew it anyway. Stayed up in the air about 8 minutes before having a brown out. There was still power, just not enough.


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[Sinisalo]

get your log off the ipad you were flying with and post it here, someone should be able to help you decipher it

 

[Ivan Bondarenko]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I managed to dig out the flight record file - attached. If someone can decipher it will be much obliged.

Can I also ask those you lost the drone in similar circumstances - did DJI replace the drone?

Thanks,
Ivan

 

[With The Birds]

Very good battery, plenty of satelites, low wind.... it does seem like the compass was misbehaving though. From the reports I have read the best DJI offers is half price on a replacement bird if you cant salvage the wreck.

 

[Sinisalo]

I agree With The Birds, DJI will probably offer 30% off a replacement but you should push for 50% off and they will give it to you. DJI sells the aircraft and camera only for the P3P for $709 which is 29% off the P3P retail price. If DJI sells the P4 aircraft and camera only for 29% off, that means they would sell it for $994 USD. So basically I estimate you can get a replacement aircraft and camera for $497 if DJI gives you a 50% off discount.

 

[jonebk12]

Did the front right prop come off? I don't see it in the video.

 

[WetDog]

My theories: motor failure (or other mechanical failure on one of the motors/props) or bird strike (though I don't see a bird in the video).

Probably not a bird strike - the videos of those tend to show the craft yawing badly for a second after the strike and then just not recovering. This one went down fast. Likewise compass / IMU or other electronics failure probably won't not shut things down as rapidly. There was also enough battery to run the radios until contact.

So I would agree - major mechanical malfunction in the lift generating bits.

 

[Ivan Bondarenko]

Not sure about the propeller coming off. Was about 300m away and happened very very fast.

 

[Ivan Bondarenko]

Thanks guys for your feedback and support. I am now waiting response from DJI support.

 

[MrGarvey]

Did the front right prop come off? I don't see it in the video.

I think you're on the right track. There clearly is a propellor missing in the video.

 

[Sunfox]

Going frame-by-frame, the very first thing that happens from 100% stability is the front right arm instantly drops down into the field of view of the camera... and its propeller is clearly missing. As it tumbles you can see occasional circular blurs from the front left propeller, but absolutely nothing similar is visible in very sharp views of the right arm.

 

[WetDog]

Not sure about the propeller coming off. Was about 300m away and happened very very fast.

This is why it is often called "Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly".

 

[Sunfox]

Frame-by-frame:

 

[dewster]

DJI redesigned the props on the P4 to prevent them from spinning off. Those self tightening props are subject to coming loose. I think it could be due rapid changes of direction and hard braking. May even be due to a bird strike...

Reading between the lines when DJI develops a new product is a glimpse into their acknowledgment of issues with the old.



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[ghook73]

Excellent analysis Sunfox


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[sorin]

ESC fail


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