I lost my Mavic and need help finding out what happened - FOUND BY STARZ!

[Helo]

Wow it looks like it had a nice soft landing and is sitting in that crevice right on top of the hill. It also looks like that south east approach is only about 30 degrees, doable. Go LawFlyer!!View attachment 3961

No better idea, send your wife up with the rifle, if she can't find it fire one shot, if she finds it fire two shot, if she needs rescued fire three shots. Good luck.

 

[Pablo]

Thanks you all so much for the help, it's truly humbling!

@LawFlyer If you do make an attempt to find it please keep me updated. Regardless of whether you find it or not I'm extremely grateful that you, and others, have taken the time to help me out

 

[LawFlyer]

Thanks you all so much for the help, it's truly humbling!

@LawFlyer If you do make an attempt to find it please keep me updated. Regardless of whether you find it or not I'm extremely grateful that you, and others, have taken the time to help me out

No worries.....I'm just annoyed that I can't go down there today. But it's a bank holiday weekend here, so we're going to plan a day trip maybe Saturday, or even Friday if possible. Wife is 100% up for it. She is already talking about putting together a kit with some ropes, grappling hooks, etc.

My fingers are crossed that it landed either directly on top or slightly east, but the KML file viewed in Google Earth shows it more to the west. On your YouTube video, there's a really good shot of the rocks about 2-3 seconds before the end, but it's just not clear where those are relative to the rest of the hill....but I guess we will find out.

The fun question is whether our cell phones will work out there --- would be great to post live updates from the field....but that is seriously one of the most remote places in AZ, so I'd be surprised if there's any signal at all.

In any event, I will post a note here when we're heading out.

 

[AAPhoto]

Pablo - Beautiful area! Sorry for the mishap. I know what it's like to drive by a scene like that knowing you don't have any fully charged batteries. It's extremely tempting. (Mental note: I need to invest in a car charger... Or buy more batteries).

Lawflyer - props to your wife! You're lucky to have an adventurous partner like that. If possible, I'd look into getting permission from local law enforcement. I don't want to read about you getting arrested for trespassing or anything like that. Maybe they'll offer to drop you over the fence via helicopter, who knows? It'll be an adventure, that's for sure. Also, thanks for mentioning the bank holiday... It's a 3 day weekend for me as well...Woohoo!

 

[maikm]

No pressure LawFlyer, but it looks as it could start raining there on Saturday...

 

[Pablo]

No worries.....I'm just annoyed that I can't go down there today. But it's a bank holiday weekend here, so we're going to plan a day trip maybe Saturday, or even Friday if possible. Wife is 100% up for it. She is already talking about putting together a kit with some ropes, grappling hooks, etc.

My fingers are crossed that it landed either directly on top or slightly east, but the KML file viewed in Google Earth shows it more to the west. On your YouTube video, there's a really good shot of the rocks about 2-3 seconds before the end, but it's just not clear where those are relative to the rest of the hill....but I guess we will find out.

The fun question is whether our cell phones will work out there --- would be great to post live updates from the field....but that is seriously one of the most remote places in AZ, so I'd be surprised if there's any signal at all.

In any event, I will post a note here when we're heading out.

Thanks once again to you and your wife

 

[Big Bull]

The fun question is whether our cell phones will work out there --- would be great to post live updates from the field....but that is seriously one of the most remote places in AZ, so I'd be surprised if there's any signal at all.

A live Mavic rescue online would be epic! Keep us posted.

 

[LawFlyer]

No pressure LawFlyer, but it looks as it could start raining there on Saturday...

Yep, I see the forecast isn't great. Hmmm.

Like I said, I'm hopeful we can take Friday off and run down to Rio Rico....but if the weather isn't good, we may have to delay the trip.

 

[Andrew F]

@Pablo - Don't give up yet. I shared your story with my wife Jane who happens to be British (she's from west London). Although your crash area is about 160 miles from our house, Jane wants to launch a rescue mission. "It would be a fun adventure!", she said.

I just have two concerns. The first is that this area is dangerous due to the proximity to Mexico. Mexico itself is great...we go all the time...but these border areas are used by armed drug traffickers, and due to that problem, local property owners who see people trespassing on their land have been known to shoot first and ask questions later. What can I say, it's the wild west out here.

My second and more practical concern is the size of that hill....do you really think it's climbable? I would hate to drive that far only to find the hill is 1,000 feet tall and impossible to climb. We are very happy off-roading in the Arizona desert, but rock climbing a vertical wall is probably out of the question.

If you think that hill could be reached easily enough, we might have to take a trip down this weekend.

I think your willingness is stellar. I think the likelihood of sustaining a problem bigger than the price of the drone outweighs the likelihood that that drone is sitting there unharmed. Just my two cents. Sorry, Pablo.

 

[Andrew F]

No worries.....I'm just annoyed that I can't go down there today. But it's a bank holiday weekend here, so we're going to plan a day trip maybe Saturday, or even Friday if possible. Wife is 100% up for it. She is already talking about putting together a kit with some ropes, grappling hooks, etc.

My fingers are crossed that it landed either directly on top or slightly east, but the KML file viewed in Google Earth shows it more to the west. On your YouTube video, there's a really good shot of the rocks about 2-3 seconds before the end, but it's just not clear where those are relative to the rest of the hill....but I guess we will find out.

The fun question is whether our cell phones will work out there --- would be great to post live updates from the field....but that is seriously one of the most remote places in AZ, so I'd be surprised if there's any signal at all.

In any event, I will post a note here when we're heading out.

LawFlyer, it seems to me his video was edited and "cut" before the video went fuzzy. Maybe you can get the raw file and the last moments might reveal more about location. It looked pretty steep to me where it was vertically over when the video cut off. Not landable.

 

[LawFlyer]

I think your willingness is stellar. I think the likelihood of sustaining a problem bigger than the price of the drone outweighs the likelihood that that drone is sitting there unharmed. Just my two cents. Sorry, Pablo.

I totally agree that the odds of finding the drone unharmed are probably 50/50 at best....but for $40 in gas and a few hours driving through beautiful Arizona, I think it's worth at least trying. Hey, even if the drone is destroyed it would be interesting to see where it finally went down, and I'd be surprised if the battery isn't still usable even if the rest is dead.

I also have no intention of risking my health or safety, so if I can't recover the drone safely, I will accept defeat without pushing it.

Still, I enjoy challenges and I enjoy helping people. And if I was in Pablo's position, I'd want someone to help me....so that's just simple "Golden Rule" stuff -- treat other people the way you'd like to be treated yourself.

 

[Kent Boehm]

LawFlyer you are a deadset champion. I couldn't believe this thread as I read through! Good luck, and I will be following the outcome!

Not sure if Pablo has DJI care refresh but if he does, it will still be worth it even if the Mavic is damaged. Without the airframe, the Care Refresh package is useless.

 

[Andrew F]

I totally agree that the odds of finding the drone unharmed are probably 50/50 at best....but for $40 in gas and a few hours driving through beautiful Arizona, I think it's worth at least trying. Hey, even if the drone is destroyed it would be interesting to see where it finally went down, and I'd be surprised if the battery isn't still usable even if the rest is dead.

I also have no intention of risking my health or safety, so if I can't recover the drone safely, I will accept defeat without pushing it.

Still, I enjoy challenges and I enjoy helping people. And if I was in Pablo's position, I'd want someone to help me....so that's just simple "Golden Rule" stuff -- treat other people the way you'd like to be treated yourself.

Wish I was there to join in. Really is like a treasure hunt isn't it!

 

[Tok Pilot]

The video of the flight from my phone for reference (excuse the poor quality):

1. I get a battery 30% warning and cancel POI on 13 seconds and take control.
2. On 59 seconds I have positioned it above the rock, facing back to my location.
3. I start to head home, then on 1min 5 seconds it just auto-descends behind the rock and it's gone.

I guess I'm confused about how the video gets on the phone. I've always downloaded it after landing, but it sounds like it can download while being filmed???


Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

 

[Andrew F]

I guess I'm confused about how the video gets on the phone. I've always downloaded it after landing, but it sounds like it can download while being filmed???


Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

Yep. You can have it record locally too if you want. Photos and video. It's a lower quality but still very good. I always do this.

 

[J-Dub]

In app Cache video to Device is enabled, you set the limit of memory used. While filming it sends a lower res video stream to your device (Accessed under "Edit" within the DJI Go 4 App, no Mavic connection required to view later on). If you want to download the full resolution video, you must be connected to the bird for access to the memory card. If I recall correctly...

 

[Tok Pilot]

In app Cache video to Device is enabled, you set the limit of memory used. While filming it sends a lower res video stream to your device (Accessed under "Edit" within the DJI Go 4 App, no Mavic connection required to view later on). If you want to download the full resolution video, you must be connected to the bird for access to the memory card. If I recall correctly...

Then where do you find it to play it back?


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[maikm]

Then where do you find it to play it back?

Main screen (the one where you choose your device to connect to), second tab on the bottom.

 

[J-Dub]

"Editor"

 

[J-Dub]