My DJI P3A Flew away just now :( what to do?

[flyNfrank]

I researched the weather history for this day of the loss.
In the thumbnail below I used google earth and a red line arrow to show the exact direction of wind, plus wind speed at the time you your aircraft was lost. The Red Line is not to be confused as a suggested flight path. The line only displays the direction the wind was blowing.
- A huge factor is the wind speed for that day was constantly between 13.8-15mph! That does not include any wind gust.
In your video you mentioned the aircraft drifting away towards the North. If it was in deed drifting, I would have to say as soon a it reached the clearing the aircraft would change it's direction and follow the direction the red arrow points towards. With 15mph wind take the aircraft quickly.

 

[lutece7]

Every time DJI comes out with a new model, I keep hoping they will include a tracker in it. Why not do this? Because I am always amazed at how few people go to the trouble and expense of adding a tracker. This OP said he "trusted DJI", so he didn't add one. If it were me, I would blame myself for not adding a tracker.

 

[flyNfrank]

If you are able to locate a rare lost P3, how would dji be able to sell you a new aircraft?

 

[penguinmaster]

Hi,
During the live streaming via periscope it warned me as GPS lost (it was 50-60 meters far from me with 30 meters altitude) and it immidiately started to drift opposite direction, I made RTH but did not work it continued drifting to the other direction.
I was receiving the video image on my screen but horizontal control was not there then when it was 12% image transmisson also lost.
I do not know where is it, I checked the log, it is showing the place where gps lost close to me, other drifting log was not there.
I made F and A mode but still could not get back the control.
I trusted DJI and did not use gps tracker on DJI drone and now I do not know where my drone is.
Can you give me some clue what to do? how can I find the latest location?
I will contact to DJI because I was calibrating my drone each and everytime, everything seems fine before flying and it was only 50 meters far from me and I couldnt control it which is not understandable.
Please give me your helpful support.
Thanks.
Seri

I'm sorry about ur bird but I hope u had registration on it and that no one was hurt or no property damage that's what to worry about that bird at thirty meters in a flyaway it's probly wasted man when they go down they go hard now it might land when the battery goes low but again anywhere is possible if it had numbers you'll get a.call

 

[chris digata]

A mode also did not work

when gps is lost it is in A mode ATTI so at that point your on your own.. meaning it is drifting with the wind and you have to fly it back manualy.
go home has no affect as it does not know where it is so it could fly anywhere it thinks home is..
Im not saying the phantom was not at fault, im just saying next time be ready for this next time as you have more chance of saving it.
Hope you find it or dji cough up for you.. all the best

 

[KillerKustums]

Guys I've got to be honest. This really scares the crap out of me. I haven'tbought one yet, I've been doing research on them. But how can I make this so I don't have $1500 fly away from me.

 

[James William Kincaid III]

If you don't find it, people in the UK are going to be eating Phantom 3 in their bread. MmmmmMMmmm TASTY! HAHA!

That's great that DJI is admitting their fault and are going to do the replacement. I wonder what the failure rate is of the GPS modules?

I agree, you're not going to find it just walking around out there in those wheat fields, nearly impossible. In addition to looking via another flying camera, perhaps you might get some help from a crop duster or helicopter pilot. Or maybe see what an aerial photography firm would charge to go out and take some high-resolution imagery of that wheat field. Even from the air though, you're going to need some luck to find it because you're going to need to be looking nearly straight down on it.

Someone ought to offer a drone recovery service! That might be a good business to get into given how popular drones are becoming. I just saw an ad on Craigslist the other day from someone in my area that lost an Inspire 1.

 

[msinger]

This really scares the crap out of me. I haven'tbought one yet, I've been doing research on them. But how can I make this so I don't have $1500 fly away from me.

I've never seen anything like this flyaway before. I'd say the chances of anything like this happening to someone else are pretty low. The only thing the OP could have done better was install a GPS tracker on his Phantom. While that would not have prevented this incident, it would have at least allowed him to recover his Phantom.

 

[KillerKustums]

Cool. The gps tracker was going to be on my purchase list as soon as I buy one.

 

[captainmilehigh]

Cool. The gps tracker was going to be on my purchase list as soon as I buy one.

A tracker is next on my list.


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[Squirrel!]

this is my log:

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That sucks. I'm sorry, man. I hope you were able to locate it (I'm not reading 5 pages of replies. )

 

[Meta4]

Guys I've got to be honest. This really scares the crap out of me. I haven'tbought one yet, I've been doing research on them. But how can I make this so I don't have $1500 fly away from me.

Flyaway Phantoms are very rare.
Most users have a trouble free experience.
The things you can do to ensure you do too include reading the manual, understanding how the Phantom works, not being too adventurous when you are starting out and flying in a large open area clear of obstructions.
Here's a well written piece that might help you: Fear of Flying 2016 - The Last Word on Drone Flyaways! - Drone Flyers

To put things in perspective, here are some annual numbers for causes of accidental death in the USA:

Drowning 4000
Falls 30000
Motor vehicles 33000
Pedestrian 5000​

But you still swim, use stairs and ladders, drive to the shops and walk across the street?

 

[KillerKustums]

Flyaway Phantoms are very rare.
Most users have a trouble free experience.
The things you can do to ensure you do too include reading the manual, understanding how the Phantom works, not being too adventurous when you are starting out and flying in a large open area clear of obstructions.
Here's a well written piece that might help you: Fear of Flying 2016 - The Last Word on Drone Flyaways! - Drone Flyers

To put things in perspective, here are some annual numbers for causes of accidental death in the USA:

Drowning 4000
Falls 30000
Motor vehicles 33000
Pedestrian 5000​

But you still swim, use stairs and ladders, drive to the shops and walk across the street?

Hard to argue with those stats.

 

[Numone]

That sucks. I'm sorry, man. I hope you were able to locate it (I'm not reading 5 pages of replies. )

DJI are sending a full replacement, which is great...

 

[fastfed]

WOW!! I just want to say, I've been keeping an eye on this post as its something we all fear happening, first and most important thing I'd like to say, this community is awesome, the amount of help and replies you got helping you is mind blowing! Makes me feel so much better about my choice. The only real complaint I researched when it came to my choice of drone, the Chroma or Phantom 3, was DJI had the worst customer support and Chroma, Horizon Hobby had the best. Since I've been on these forums I haven't really read anything that terrible from DJI, if anything its the opposite and this post proves that, I mean they are giving you a brand spankin new drone! I'm not sure if other companies do that but that is HUGE.I'm in the process of RMA'ing my P3P as we speak, so far I received emails from DJI walking me through the process more so then other companies (Corsair,NZXT,MSI) which get great reviews.

OP I'm so happy DJI is taking care of you!
now someone show me where this terrible customer support from DJI is (crosses finger, don't jinx me, don't jinx me)

 

[Phantomic]

At least you can use the new Phantom to search the fields in a more effective way to find the lost one.

 

[PunaPhantom]

Kinda the same thing happened to me... Like a typical newbie... I went down to Kalapana - by the ocean - Made sure the winds where I was launching from were not going out to sea, then launched... but the winds immediately carried it FAST away from me... panicking I hit RTH... but forgot to change the RTH altitude to something reasonable - had it set to 180 ft after flying around my property which has some high trees... Up up and away she went... galant gal turned and tried to head back to me, but the winds were stronger up there and just like a sailboat... she was edging towards me against the wind, but was slipping rapidly out over the ocean... then signals started to get weak... I panicked and pulled left stick down hard... she came down - I took a bead on her general direction then me and Jax (my dog) took off to find her. Sure enough she was laying upside down props grinding into the lava... but apart from props she is fine... HARD lesson to learn...

Hope your experience turns out as well... good luck...

Aloha

 

[SenginUK]

My guess it is the aircraft is in the trees located in the direction of drift when you last saw it.

They cut the crops on the fields last 2 days and the operator told that it was not on the fields. We need to check the trees on that area

 

[SenginUK]

I'd have to agree. Anytime something goes bonkers with my Phantom, that's the first place it goes.......the nearest trees.[emoji30]

I think it's part squirrel. [emoji883]


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[flyNfrank]

They cut the crops on the fields last 2 days and the operator told that it was not on the fields. We need to check the trees on that area

I feel like it is in or around the trees the red arrow is pointing towards in the image I uploaded the other day(upper right hand corner of image).