replacement by dji after flyaway

[bk1]

has anyone received a replacement phantom from dji under warranty after having a flyaway drone?

 

[msinger]

Flyways are very rare with the Phantom 3. In fact, I don't recall seeing one legitimate flyaway yet. In most cases, the pilot thinks the Phantom is flying away due to a pilot error.

 

[GadgetGuy]

has anyone received a replacement phantom from dji under warranty after having a flyaway drone?

No matter the reason for the inability to recover the aircraft, without a body, there is no murder. Best you'll likely be able to get from DJI, without an aircraft to send in, is a 30% "good will" credit towards buying a replacement new aircraft from them, at their current price.

 

[dirtybum]

Even with the p2 my buddies "flyaway" was most likely a gps error resulting in atti mode which more the less was a drift away! And my own p2 "flyaway" was more of a low bat land

 

[CaptainDrone798]

has anyone received a replacement phantom from dji under warranty after having a flyaway drone?

Unfortunately whenever someone reports a flyaway it is another way of saying... I flew my Phantom and it never came back. DJI has probably one of the best failsafe technologies in the Phantom 3 & 4 drones. If the Phantom can not communicate with the controller it will return to home. It will not suddenly develop an intelligent AI and become self aware and fly off to a secret drone hideout. If a drone doesn't come back it's either because the RTH was not recorded, the battery ran out or it crashed into something. All of which DJI will say is user error.

 

[Wally Bird]

Mine didn't come home the other night either. It was returning to home and hit a tree and I had it at the max height of 400 feet. I took off in the valley and made it over the trees on the top of the hill but on the RTH it hit a tree. I did recover the drone.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Unfortunately whenever someone reports a flyaway it is another way of saying... I flew my Phantom and it never came back. DJI has probably one of the best failsafe technologies in the Phantom 3 & 4 drones. If the Phantom can not communicate with the controller it will return to home. It will not suddenly develop an intelligent AI and become self aware and fly off to a secret drone hideout. If a drone doesn't come back it's either because the RTH was not recorded, the battery ran out or it crashed into something. All of which DJI will say is user error.

Real fly aways were due to an incorrect home point setting. The aircraft has an incorrect home point setting that may be 1,000's of miles away. When signal is lost, the aircraft then flies towards that home point, as far as it can, until it autolands, when the battery finally dies. How an incorrect home point can be recorded is a matter of debate, but I can attest to having flight points recorded in my flight logs on three occasions that were in another state! Had that occurred when the home point was being set, and had I used RTH, it could have been ugly. However, the first thing the new DJI GO app tells you is, "Home Point set. PLEASE CHECK IT ON THE MAP!" If you do, and it is correct, you won't have a true flyaway today.

 

[bk1]

I was under the impression that dji never replaced a flyaway but to my surprise they are going to replace my Phantom 3 standard . Took them about 3 weeks to finally notify me of their decision, but I'm thrilled to be getting it replaced for free

 

[CaptainDrone798]

I was under the impression that dji never replaced a flyaway but to my surprise they are going to replace my Phantom 3 standard . Took them about 3 weeks to finally notify me of their decision, but I'm thrilled to be getting it replaced for free

Ok, you have to share with us what you told DJI because this is a first for me hearing that DJI would replace for a flyaway.

 

[bk1]

Ok, you have to share with us what you told DJI because this is a first for me hearing that DJI would replace for a flyaway.[/

Ok, you have to share with us what you told DJI because this is a first for me hearing that DJI would replace for a flyaway.

I filled out the questionairre they sent me, then sent my flight logs to dji, waited and waited and even contacted support department several times, but .all they would ever tell me is that a supervisor would email me, they never emailed me since i filed my claim 3 weeks prior. but then i got an email yesterday saying they would send me a replacement. I had really thought i had no chance of getting it replaced

 

[bk1]

To

• [email protected]

Message body

Dear Bruce K
After having our data analysis team take a look at the flight log from the flight in question, we were unable to determine the cause of this unfortunate event.

There does not seem to be any user error, but without the craft, to analyze the flight records there is no way to be 100% sure.

With that being said we have decided to cover your unit by warranty, and offer the craft only at no cost to you
Please reply with your return shipping address.

Once this information is obtained I will be able to move forward with your case.

Thank you for your understanding

 

[CaptainDrone798]

Well done! No evidence other than what you had on your tablet/phone I presume. I'm impressed with DJI on this one.

 

[OrlyP]

Fly-aways may also be caused by strong winds.... which falls under pilot error or force majeure. Either way, not DJI's fault.

I wonder how much propulsion is available on tap when the aircraft is in RTH mode?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I was under the impression that dji never replaced a flyaway but to my surprise they are going to replace my Phantom 3 standard . Took them about 3 weeks to finally notify me of their decision, but I'm thrilled to be getting it replaced for free

Great! You are the unlikely winner!
But what "flight records" did they analyze, since the .DAT files were never analyzed, because the aircraft was not recovered?
Also, they never characterized it as a flyaway. That was your characterization, with which most of us would disagree, so this was really a warranty replacement based upon no apparent evidence of pilot error for an unrecovered aircraft. I'm sure it helps that the Standard is the cheapest aircraft with no Lightbridge on board, and they likely have many left over with very little demand for sales, and they are only replacing the aircraft.

 

[Squirrel!]

" very little demand for sales, "

Seems that the P3s is a best seller from what I have been observing. By far it is the lowest price point for entry, but the highest quality of the price point. No other drone can compare.

 

[mdowney58]

Great! You are the unlikely winner!
But what "flight records" did they analyze, since the .DAT files were never analyzed, because the aircraft was not recovered?

Doesn't that leave just one source? Not sure why you're asking....

Also, they never characterized it as a flyaway. That was your characterization, with which most of us would disagree,

Not sure "most of us would disagree" is fair. There has to be some % of defective units. I've never heard of any product that had a zero % defect rate.
Why is the Phantom believed to be infallible?

so this was really a warranty replacement based upon no apparent evidence of pilot error for an unrecovered aircraft. I'm sure it helps that the Standard is the cheapest aircraft with no Lightbridge on board, and they likely have many left over with very little demand for sales, and they are only replacing the aircraft.

It sure sounds like you are trying to rain on this guy's parade....

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Squirrel!]

Mine didn't come home the other night either. It was returning to home and hit a tree and I had it at the max height of 400 feet. I took off in the valley and made it over the trees on the top of the hill but on the RTH it hit a tree. I did recover the drone.

You hit a 400' tall, tree?!

 

[GadgetGuy]

" very little demand for sales, "

Seems that the P3s is a best seller from what I have been observing. By far it is the lowest price point for entry, but the highest quality of the price point. No other drone can compare.

Uhmm, have you missed the thousands of brand new P3P's being sold by PixelHub on eBay for $759-$799? They come with Lightbridge and a 3 mile range and the 4K camera and the 100W charger!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Doesn't that leave just one source? Not sure why you're asking....



Not sure "most of us would disagree" is fair. There has to be some % of defective units. I've never heard of any product that had a zero % defect rate.
Why is the Phantom believed to be infallible?


It sure sounds like you are trying to rain on this guy's parade....

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I am asking because DJI refused to even look at my iPad flight logs. They will not use them. If they did, I want to know, rather than assuming!

Nobody said his unit was not defective. It just wasn't a flyaway, and DJI did not characterize it as such. The OP did, mistakenly, IMHO.

Not raining on anyone's parade. I congratulated him on his success!

 

[mdowney58]

I am asking because DJI refused to even look at my iPad flight logs. They will not use them. If they did, I want to know, rather than assuming!

Nobody said his unit was not defective. It just wasn't a flyaway, and DJI did not characterize it as such. The OP did, mistakenly, IMHO.

Not raining on anyone's parade. I congratulated him on his success!

So who is the wizard who officially defined "flayaway"?
If something on-board fails, and the quad flys away, I'd accept that as being a flyaway.
Lack of DJI not actually saying it was a flyaway, does not prove it wasn't a flyaway either.

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