P3 Standard disappeard

james miller · May 9, 2017

I've had my Phantom 3 standard for about 2 years now. I did the DBS antenna mod and was testing out some distances using the new antenna. I got a little over confident I was quite a distance out and signal was getting sketchy. It went in to RTH mode I can canceled that once I got a connection again I was going to try and fly it back myself but, I lost signal again. RTH beep started going so I figured I'll just let it do it's thing and come back on its own. Well after 15 minutes it never returned. I immediately drove to the last known coordinates and the drone is nowhere to be found. I have since borrowed another drone and I have scoured the area looking for the missing drone. I was hoping someone on here with better knowledge about reading logs could take a look and give me some ideas where it may have ended up. Thanks in advance for any help that the group can provide.

Airdata UAV - Flight Data Analysis for Drones

msinger · May 9, 2017

Please upload your TXT flight log here and post a link back here. You'll find instructions for locating your TXT flight log at that link.

james miller · May 9, 2017

msinger said:
Please upload your TXT flight log here and post a link back here. You'll find instructions for locating your TXT flight log at that link.

I was using the litchi app. So I think the log would be a. CSV file not a. Txt file. You should be able to download the csv via the link I provided to my healthy drone log.
Here Airdata UAV - Flight Data Analysis for Drones

Meta4 · May 9, 2017

james miller said:
I was using the litchi app. So I think the log would be a. CSV file not a. Txt file. You should be able to download the csv via the link I provided to my healthy drone log.
Here Airdata UAV - Flight Data Analysis for Drones

If you upload the data to Phantomhelp.com, it will be a lot easier to analyse
Trying to work it out from just a CSV file can be very arduous.

james miller · May 9, 2017

Understood. I followed the instructions to upload, there doesn't seem to be any data in the low viewer. here is a link to it. Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

james miller · May 9, 2017

Okay, I got the device I used for that flight and pulled the log from there. This looks much better. here is the link.
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Meta4 · May 9, 2017

james miller said:
Okay, I got the device I used for that flight and pulled the log from there. This looks much better. here is the link.
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

The big problem is that when the flight record ends (where you finally lost contact), the Phantom was 6400 feet away and 937 feet up.
It was battling wind and making very slow progress in RTH and the battery is down to 38%.
It would not have been able to get home against that wind and would have reached critical battery level and autolanded.
I wouldn't like to guess how far it came back before that but at least it looks like pretty open country to go for a walk and search between home and where you lost signal.

james miller · May 10, 2017

That was pretty much my thought too. I've walked the area and everywhere nearby with no luck. I've flown a loaner P3 all around in patterns at 300, 200, 150 and 70 feet. Still no missing drone. I've found about 50 golf balls and, apparently there is an unusual amount of drone sized pieces of styrofoam and other misc trash in the desert. I just figured someone else should have a look at the log maybe I'm missing something. I'll keep searching but, rattlesnakes are out now!. Anyone have a certain search pattern that works best? I've been having the loaner P3 fly with a fixed heading at 17mph and making large sweeps left to right while on its way to or from the last known coordinates.

Jesse_M · May 10, 2017

Hope you find it mate!

msinger · May 10, 2017

james miller said:
Anyone have a certain search pattern that works best?

It's going to be tough to find since we don't know how consistent the wind was as your Phantom attempted to return to the home. The red line in the image below shows the direction your Phantom was heading at the end of your flight log. Assuming the wind stayed consistent and the Phantom did not make it back since the battery was so low, I'd recommend you look in the yellow area.