PS3 dropped out of the sky. Battery failure?

[appleguy010]

Hey guys. I was hoping you guys could give this flight log a look and tell me what you think. At the end of the flight I was watching the drone and missed the on screen motor overloaded messages. I didn't realize something was wrong until the lights started flashing red signifying a landing. I feel stupid looking at the flight log watching the voltages drop, but I couldn't get it landed in time because I had to do a hand catch because it was over sand. The drone completely lost power, dropped, and now two main motors and all of the gimbal motors are full of sand and unable to move. I charged the battery to 100% just 30 minutes before flying and nothing stood out from the 100s of flights I've had before this one.
Anyway here's the log. Is the anything I did wrong besides missing the motor overloaded warnings/not landing soon enough?

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view flight logs from your DJI drones

www.phantomhelp.com

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Hey guys. I was hoping you guys could give this flight log a look and tell me what you think. At the end of the flight I was watching the drone and missed the on screen motor overloaded messages. I didn't realize something was wrong until the lights started flashing red signifying a landing. I feel stupid looking at the flight log watching the voltages drop, but I couldn't get it landed in time because I had to do a hand catch because it was over sand. The drone completely lost power, dropped, and now two main motors and all of the gimbal motors are full of sand and unable to move. I charged the battery to 100% just 30 minutes before flying and nothing stood out from the 100s of flights I've had before this one.
Anyway here's the log. Is the anything I did wrong besides missing the motor overloaded warnings/not landing soon enough?

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view flight logs from your DJI drones

www.phantomhelp.com

Um,,Yeh that sux,,,I can't work these out proper,,just looking was your smart return home on ?what was your critical battery alert set at,it definitely auto landing from not having power to get back

 

[Meta4]

Anyway here's the log. Is the anything I did wrong besides missing the motor overloaded warnings/not landing soon enough?

Critical low voltage is anything less than 3.3 volts per cell, and the drone will want to land when you get to that level because if you push it beyond that, it probably won't be able to land and will fall from the sky.
You hit that at 19:26.8 with the drone 500 feet away and pushed the very sick battery by forcing it to climb (which drained it even more).
That caused the warning: Motor Overloaded. Aircraft will decelerate to ensure safety.
In a flying machine you need to take the fuel gauge more seriously than you do in your car.
20% = zero.

 

[Andy9]

Yes, no issue at all. It is completely pilot error.
About the sand - maybe in authorized service can clean it up after they open motors or better - by new ones it's relatively cheap..

 

[Capt KO]

It’s too bad there’s no wetsuit for the P3. Seeing as the main reason I have them on, P4’s, is to keep out sand. but I also enjoy flying in the rain.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

With regard to the sand, would leaving ths drone in the sun or sowewhere warm to dry the sand out then sucking it out with a vacuum cleaner not work? Attempting to blow the sand out might move it to somewhere less desirable

 

[Capt KO]

Sounds like a good start. Hopefully you can knock most of the sand off, when dry. The vacuum sounds like a good idea but you still probably are going to need air after. The bearings in the motor are sealed at least on the P4’s so they can be rinsed with water. The most critical place is the battery compartment and the contacts on the battery. Take care to make sure that they are spotless. A grain of sand on the contacts can cause failure

 

[Deleted member 120647]

I would be concerned about knocking dislodging sand inwards, the idea with the vacuuming is that it would tend to always move the sand outwards, unless the suction was powerful enough for air to be drawn from other contaminated areas.
Meaning no offence, are you sure the sealing on the motor bearings is water tight? My recollection of bearings is that the seals were protection against dust and dirt rather than liquid.

 

[Capt KO]

They use these motors on underwater vehicles so yes they are watertight.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Wow, impressive, good to know, thanks.

 

[MPPilot]

With regard to the sand, would leaving ths drone in the sun or sowewhere warm to dry the sand out then sucking it out with a vacuum cleaner not work? Attempting to blow the sand out might move it to somewhere less desirable

Good idea. I would also keep it upside down so when the sand dries it doesn't fall further into the motors.

 

[bille1319]

i also experienced similar only it pranged a branch of a tree on the way down, bent 2 rotors and cracked the gimble bracket. On start up now after a clean and check over; the gimble seems to work and hold position regardless of drone attitude but the drone itself beeps continuously, no flight lights and will not connect to the controller so before I bin it do you think is there anything worth trying?

 

[solentlife]

They use these motors on underwater vehicles so yes they are watertight.

They are NOT sealed ... they are shielded ...

Makes no odds about being used in water ... in fact near all e-motors brushed and brushless will run under water ... we used to 'burn-in' brushed car / boat motors by running them in water !

The killer is Seawater though ... they will run - but corrosion will start literally immediately.

 

[RodPad]

i also experienced similar only it pranged a branch of a tree on the way down, bent 2 rotors and cracked the gimble bracket. On start up now after a clean and check over; the gimble seems to work and hold position regardless of drone attitude but the drone itself beeps continuously, no flight lights and will not connect to the controller so before I bin it do you think is there anything worth trying?

Welcome to the Forum!
You would best of starting a new thread, under your aircraft type. P3, P4, etc.

Rod