Drone started losing control and crashing

[hawke]

DJI Mini 3 Pro. I live in Manhattan, NYC; no places nearby where I could fly it outside legally. So I tested it in my apartment.

No issues on the first flight, besides the drone refusing to fly into a hall with a partially-opened door, I'm assuming maybe due to collision detection. Ran out of battery so saved it for another run.

Second flight, it crashed (not sure how, as it happened during a split second where I wasn't looking at either the drone or the controller, and it seemed to be at around the same location on my first flight where the drone refused to fly further).

Ran it for 2 more flights directly afterwards, and both times it was out of control; moved forward or up without me telling it to, didn't seem to respond to my controller commands, and when I attempted to force it to land, it just kept bumping into the ceiling until it eventually fell (flight #3) or ran into a wall (flight #4).

All 8 propellers are visibly scraped or damaged, a few with tiny parts scraped off. I presume some of this damage may have at least partly contributed to the lack of control on flights #3-4. The product only came with 4 spare propellers, so I guess I'd have to buy 4 more.

After replacing the propellers, for the next run I'd definitely fly it outdoors, in an area where I'm legally allowed to do so (may require a little travel). However I'm slightly concerned the drone will be out of control again and just keep flying up or away like it did on flights #3-4 (and perhaps even started doing to a degree on flight #2). And, if this loss of control happens outside, then it could just disappear, and/or suffer a fatal crash.

Does anyone have any theories on why the drone flew fine on run #1, but started going haywire on subsequent runs? And is there anything anyone would advise I check for to ensure it flies correctly on the next runs, besides replacing the propellers? I didn't opt for DJI Care Refresh within the first 48 hours, because I didn't think it would have technical issues and become damaged so soon. Thanks in advance.

 

[timinator]

It didn't go haywire. It was flying in atti mode and you weren't controlling it properly when it had the collision.

Flying indoors or in confined spaces is tough.

 

[old man mavic]

@cmhawke ,without appearing to be rude to you ,may i suggest that you access the manual for your drone from the DJI web site and read it several times
these drones are not really intended for indoor use ,although they can be flown successfully indoors, with the correct understanding of what such an undertaking requires

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

If, where you were flying indoors was NOT well lit, then the drone may well have been in ATTI mode and a nightmare but, if the room/s were well lit with good clear and distinct floor patterns, then I doubt the drone would be in ATTI mode. Why? Because it will use the downward looking sensors to hold position and, with my M2P/Z and perhaps even more so with the Mavic Mini and Mini 2, they are rock solid indoors in suitable rooms that are suitably lit.
I would add that the drone should be over solid surfaces with little or no flapping table cloths or pieces of paper.

Unless you live in a mansion, with VAST rooms, obstacle avoidance should most definitely be off indoors otherwise it's going to see obstacles everywhere and take appropriate action. E.g. with the M2P/Z if the OA is on I can fly in a column about 2ft in diameter and 4 ft tall, try and get outside that column and OA wont let the drone move.

I too would suggest you read or re-read the manual.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

DJI Mini 3 Pro. I live in Manhattan, NYC; no places nearby where I could fly it outside legally. So I tested it in my apartment.

No i

There is always a learning curve with flying a Drone , with or without the manual . There should be no issue testing it in your apartment if you understand fully how the GPS lock works.

The First run its very possible that you had GPS signal and the next Run you lost your awareness and went up without a GPS Lock and the drone was at the will of the thrust and Prop winds as well as the vacuum of the ceiling .



As others have stated you take off before you gain GPS lock than your drone is going to crash as you dont have room needed to Negotiate Atti Mode

My advice try another flight in your home with good GPS lock and gain some Confidence in your drone while it HOVERS in front of you and take notice of the lights and the Controller and pay attention to the number of sats.

Once you have some confidence in your drone , than consider going to outside for your first flight.



Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain. Land on the Water .

 

[Droning on and on...]

Buy the prop cages.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I don't know why people think indoor flights are 'impossible'. Providing the lighting and 'floor' pattern are suitable VPS is more than capable of handling position control and when you are actually moving the droone use gentle stick commands.

These are from a screen capture from a mini 2 indoor flight, VPS only, 0 zero satellites at the start -> 3 satellies at the end, 15min hover with the controller sitting on a table top and me doing something else and the drone was completely out of my line of sight.
Watching the video I'd say the cross hairs would have remained within an A5 piece of paper for the whole flight and within a postcard for the majority of it.

 

[Anthony Ivory]

I don't know why people think indoor flights are 'impossible'. Providing the lighting and 'floor' pattern are suitable VPS is more than capable of handling position control and when you are actually moving the droone use gentle stick commands.

These are from a screen capture from a mini 2 indoor flight, VPS only, 0 zero satellites at the start -> 3 satellies at the end, 15min hover with the controller sitting on a table top and me doing something else and the drone was completely out of my line of sight.
Watching the video I'd say the cross hairs would have remained within an A5 piece of paper for the whole flight and within a postcard for the majority of it.

Hovering is not the same as flying. Most people get n trouble when they start actually maneuvering the drone.

 

[droneworx37819]

DJI Mini 3 Pro. I live in Manhattan, NYC; no places nearby where I could fly it outside legally. So I tested it in my apartment.

No issues on the first flight, besides the drone refusing to fly into a hall with a partially-opened door, I'm assuming maybe due to collision detection. Ran out of battery so saved it for another run.

Second flight, it crashed (not sure how, as it happened during a split second where I wasn't looking at either the drone or the controller, and it seemed to be at around the same location on my first flight where the drone refused to fly further).

Ran it for 2 more flights directly afterwards, and both times it was out of control; moved forward or up without me telling it to, didn't seem to respond to my controller commands, and when I attempted to force it to land, it just kept bumping into the ceiling until it eventually fell (flight #3) or ran into a wall (flight #4).

All 8 propellers are visibly scraped or damaged, a few with tiny parts scraped off. I presume some of this damage may have at least partly contributed to the lack of control on flights #3-4. The product only came with 4 spare propellers, so I guess I'd have to buy 4 more.

After replacing the propellers, for the next run I'd definitely fly it outdoors, in an area where I'm legally allowed to do so (may require a little travel). However I'm slightly concerned the drone will be out of control again and just keep flying up or away like it did on flights #3-4 (and perhaps even started doing to a degree on flight #2). And, if this loss of control happens outside, then it could just disappear, and/or suffer a fatal crash.

Does anyone have any theories on why the drone flew fine on run #1, but started going haywire on subsequent runs? And is there anything anyone would advise I check for to ensure it flies correctly on the next runs, besides replacing the propellers? I didn't opt for DJI Care Refresh within the first 48 hours, because I didn't think it would have technical issues and become damaged so soon. Thanks in advance.

Flying indoors can present a whole new set of challenges. On your controller, you need to watch the icon which shows your connection to the available satellites. Your controller gives a wealth of information as to range, connectivity, etc. You need to get in a habit of monitoring the safety features of the drone. Get very familiar with the drone itself, the manufacturer recommendations, and the safety settings in the controller.

 

[Eagle Eye 62]

Aside from all of the issues that were well articulated about flying indoors in this thread. I will say that I had similar issues on an outdoor flight (with GPS) a while back. I crashed into a bush and it damaged several of my props. After replacement of all the props And a firmware update. The next flights have been flawless. According to my conversation with DJI tech support, there were some issues (bugs) that were documented and fixed with the most recent firmware update. The moral of the story, always kepp your firmware up to date.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Hovering is not the same as flying. Most people get n trouble when they start actually maneuvering the drone.

Thanks, I am aware that hovering differs from 'flying'.
The point I was trying to make is that,
a) providing the appropriate conditions -good lighting and good surface pattern etc.- are met, VPS position control is every bit as good as GPS, in fact it's better than GPS position control.
b) And that providing those conditions are met there is no risk of ATTI mode, at least not at the 'AGL' heights available to me.

Yes, one has to be careful/gentle with the joysticks and you do need to stay away from walls and ceilings to avoid suck in/up but indoor flying is possible.

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

You have received much advice already but I'd just say that you should practice for hours before trying to fly indoors. Good luck.

 

[KB9Radio]

They do make prop-guards to help in that regard. Depending on the room size and lighting it can be very difficult to fly indoors. I suggest you find a location outdoors to fly, that has a good view of the sky for GPS reception. Set your RTH high enough to clear obstacles on the way home, and wait for a good GPS lock before taking off.

 

[Desert Sands]

Could it be a GPS (or lack thereof) issue?

GPS maybe be spotty inside his home.

Joe