P4v2 - Sudden and Permanent Disconnect & Vanish

[Tap2FlyCommode]

I have looked over these logs from the Go App very thoroughly, While I am no expert flight data analyst, I have found nothing that can really pinpoint why the controller was unable to reestablish connectivity. It is not like I cut the engine and dropped it off a cliff. I have never had a drone disconnect and neither, a) reconnect, nor b) respond to Return to Home input.

Basically, at 6 mins into my flight, I was over 200ft high and my P4V2 lost signal. I didn't panic at first, I mean after all... that is a normal occurrence; however, after about 35-40 seconds of solid disconnect and no video feed to speak of.... I definitely panicked. Naturally, I assumed I must have hit a tree, b/c I was flying backwards when it disconnected. (But later discovered I was at least 100 ft above the treeline)

I drove across the road to where it disconnected, but I couldn't see it anywhere on the ground, and nowhere in the air. I stayed out looking for it until 1AM that night. Climbed up and on top of buildings, walked through all nearby wooded areas. In the two days to follow (last Saturday and Sunday), I went back out seven (7) times looking for it. All I've managed to find is poison ivy.

The .txt event log attached, shows "The Channel Does Not Exist!!", numerous times, with two exclamation points.

If anyone IS interested and can retrieve pertinent info from those logs, I would appreciate any feedback. Losing a drone is one of the sickest feelings I have ever experienced.

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Below or Access Via this Link - AirData

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[Meta4]

If anyone IS "interested", and can retrieve pertinent info from those logs, I would appreciate any feedback.

Your flight data indicates that there were no significant winds.
The data just ends with the Phantom in stable flight and ni indication of a collision with anything.
The most likely cause of the incident is a sudden complete power loss, due to a battery dislodging or a hardware fault.

Given the height and speed when signal was lost, the drone probably continued in the direction of flight for another 50-65 metres as it fell.
The small arrow indicates where signal was lost and the larger arrow shows a likely search location.
There are quite a few trees in that area.
The Phantom could have caught in one as it came down, possibly further west on that yellow line.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

I GREATLY appreciate you taking the time to reply. I will certainly head down there in the morning! Thanks!

 

[Phantomwolf]

I GREATLY appreciate you taking the time to reply. I will certainly head down there in the morning! Thanks!

Let us know if you are succesful retrieving it and whether is was in the area indicated by Meta 4. This should be a great learning experience for all of us.

 

[Capt KO]

Hopefully you labeled the drone with your phone number. Best of luck

 

[3putts]

What a great group of folks in this forum! Hope I never need to use their expertise, but know they are there if needed. Good luck with your search and am anxious for the results.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

I totally agree with you, 3putts. This morning I searched that area, high and low. No luck. I will elaborate further in 3-4 hours, when I have the time. For now it remains a mystery. One that would be far less mysterious, if I knew the answer to one question.

When the controller & app disconnected and all data recording ceased on my end - was this disconnection the cause of the subsequent drone loss , or had the drone indeed experienced total power loss, resulting in disconnection. Until Meta4 suggested the drone was bricked and dropped like one, the scope of my searches were much larger. I had assumed the problem was limited to connection/GPS/home-point loss, and that the drone had gone into its default ATTI mode.

Given the fact I had 20+ minutes left of battery... my gosh - even with a 2mph wind, it could have gone many thousands of feet.

Thanks so much for now. I'll be back soon with more info, and maybe a miracle! (likely not though)

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[Tap2FlyCommode]

Hopefully you labeled the drone with your phone number. Best of luck

My past planes and couple of drones have all been labeled properly,. With this one, I kept saying, "I'll do that tomorrow." Uggh... Which reminds me of a fitting Garth Brooks song.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

Check these out for more info.

Yes, they have reserved a chapter for me in the DSM-VI.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

Just got back from my 10th time out. Some of the area searched today was for the second or 3rd time. I really appreciate the interest and advice from this forum, so I do wish I had better news.
Alas, I just do not.

 

[3putts]

Just got back from my 10th time out. I really appreciate the interest and advice from this forum, so I do wish I had better news.

Alas, I just do not.

Now.... For my last calculation.?
$1500 $4.35 ? This time next year I'll be flying again!?

Hope everything works out for you, sure it will.

 

[Meta4]

When the controller & app disconnected and all data recording ceased on my end - was this disconnection the cause of the subsequent drone loss , or had the drone indeed experienced total power loss, resulting in disconnection.

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If a drone loses signal, that will initiate RTH and the drone will return home, usually regaining signal as it gets closer, unless:
the return height is too low and the path is blocked by an obstacle

• the wind is too strong
• the battery is too low for the distance
• Loss of SIgnal action is set to Land or Hover.

In your incident:

• The drone was high enough to clear any obstacles in the vicinity
• Winds were too light to be a factor
• Battery level was sufficient for the return trip
• Failsafe action was set to RTH.

That's a pretty good indication that the loss of signal was due to the loss of power

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

If a drone loses signal, that will initiate RTH and the drone will return home, usually regaining signal as it gets closer, unless:
the return height is too low and the path is blocked by an obstacle

• the wind is too strong
• the battery is too low for the distance
• Loss of SIgnal action is set to Land or Hover.

In your incident:

• The drone was high enough to clear any obstacles in the vicinity
• Winds were too light to be a factor
• Battery level was sufficient for the return trip
• Failsafe action was set to RTH.

That's a pretty good indication that the loss of signal was due to the loss of power

Ahh! Ok, totally makes sense now. Thank you so much!

Given this, what happened the flight immediately before this one, was probably of way more significance than I thought when it happened.

On that flight, I took the drone up with a full battery. I don't think I was even in the air a minute, and I heard, "Battery level low. Return to home in 10....". It wouldn't release that error either. It went into the emergency landing routine, and started to descend. I didn't have much daylight left, so I brought it back and put a fresh battery in and took off again.

Wow... now that I think about it, I was in the air about the exact same amount of time I was on the previous battery, when the drone disconnected. I will check the logs of the previous flight.
But you know, even if I found even more direct evidence of hardware failure, the warranty on this bird expired almost a year ago. As I am sure you know, most DJI birds only have a 1 yr warranty.

 

[Meta4]

Given this, what happened the flight immediately before this one, was probably of way more significance than I thought when it happened.

On that flight, I took the drone up with a full battery. I don't think I was even in the air a minute, and I heard, "Battery level low. Return to home in 10....". It wouldn't release that error either.

That's more likely to be an issue with the battery of the first flight, rather than something that would carry accross to a flight with a different battery.
Post flight data and I'll check.

 

[Andy9]

Was it really the new battery? On the previous flight, the battery was changed with the new one. I suppose that the empty one was charged before the new flight. If it was the same battery that caused the problem on the previous flight then the situation is pretty clear.

 

[Meta4]

Was it really the new battery? On the previous flight, the battery was changed with the new one. I suppose that the empty one was charged before the new flight. If it was the same battery that caused the problem on the previous flight then the situation is pretty clear.

There's no indication that there was a problem with the battery in the problem flight.
When data ended, the battery was showing 63% with all cell voltages >3.6V, while the drone was flying forwards at full stick.

 

[Andy9]

IMaybe you're right but according to the provided Airdata I would not trust such battery.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

AirData First Flight

Here is the first flight. I have not searched this flight record in great detail yet; however, from what I have seen so far - the flight data shows no record of the actual battery warning I received. Again, at this point I have only had time to briefly look at this record.

I am 100% certain that the battery I put in on the enclosed flight, was at or near fully charged when I departed. I am also 100% positive that the DJI GO app forced me to land, with battery level low warnings - in what seemed like no time. Made absolutely no sense.

 

[Tap2FlyCommode]

Was it really the new battery? On the previous flight, the battery was changed with the new one. I suppose that the empty one was charged before the new flight. If it was the same battery that caused the problem on the previous flight then the situation

Are

There's no indication that there was a problem with the battery in the problem flight.
When data ended, the battery was showing 63% with all cell voltages >3.6V, while the drone was flying forwards at full stick.

Andy9, are you asking if I accidentally put in the same battery that errored the flight before? I can’t tell for sure if that’s what you meant, but if so… no. They show different identifying numbers in the data log.

 

[Andy9]

OK then.
The data shows that your max. speed was nearly 40 mph. Is that possible?