Mavic Command Timeout -> Lost Drone

[RC5728]

I've been flying drones for years and never seen anything like this happen.

I was flying my DJI Mavic today in a remote part of Nusa Penida island (near Bali, Indonesia) and suddenly without warning I got a bunch of "command timeout" messages, lost signal on my RC, and lost video completely.

At this point, the drone was about 200 feet away from me, and I had been hovering it stationary over the ocean parallel to some tall cliffs. I tried to fix the signal by adjusting my position where I was standing, unplugging and replugging the lightning cable on the RC, adjusting the RC antennae, etc. I finally tried to initiate RTH several times and that also didn't work. The drone had also disappeared from sight at the bottom of the cliffs.

Now what do I do? There is no way to retrieve the drone without risking my life. Some of the local villagers here in Nusa Penida offered to climb down the VERY steep cliffs and look for it, but it's not safe for them to do that either and honestly I don't think it's possible the drone would be in working condition anymore. The ocean at high tide comes up to the bottom of the cliffs so I'm sure the tide has taken the drone away by now.

I've flown in this exact spot several times now, and I am certain the drone was still within normal signal LOS and I did not bump it into the cliffs. My video signal was FLAWLESS right up until the moment that I got the command timeout messages. The drone was still hovering stationary, not moving, when I lost signal completely.

I will try to post a flight log shortly.

 

[Robbyg]

Sorry for your loss. It speaks volumes about your character that you would not send someone else to do what you would not do. Hopefully the log can at least give you some info into what happened.

Rob

 

[X424]

Sorry that you have lost the drone.

 

[Bintryin]

Sorry for your lose Hope you can get an answer to what went wrong .

 

[Cyberpower678]

I'll see if I can help you with the flight logs when you post them.

 

[joshuaperry]

I just got back from my vacation at nusa penida. My drone went down under the arch at broken beach. I then rented a snorkel boat at crystal bay to try to find my drone. It took a lot of effort but I found four mavic pros down there. lucky my sd card was still readable as well as one other drones. The other two looked like they where down there a long time. Maybe one of these where yours?

 

[victor_lim]

4 mavic pro at one crash site...that kinda unnature, is it magnetic field area for that crash spot?

 

[TroutboyNZ]

That's is like the "Mavic Triangle" or something! Any pics of them??

 

[Daoud333]

It's a Mavic trap ?

 

[Duse]

I just got back from my vacation at nusa penida. My drone went down under the arch at broken beach. I then rented a snorkel boat at crystal bay to try to find my drone. It took a lot of effort but I found four mavic pros down there. lucky my sd card was still readable as well as one other drones. The other two looked like they where down there a long time. Maybe one of these where yours?

,Pics??

 

[timesnaps]

yes... pics pics pics....! please..!

 

[Brojon]

lol - this I gotta see!

 

[Jacknet007]

That's is like the "Mavic Triangle" or something! Any pics of them??

The infamous Mavic Triangle!

 

[RC5728]

I just got back from my vacation at nusa penida. My drone went down under the arch at broken beach. I then rented a snorkel boat at crystal bay to try to find my drone. It took a lot of effort but I found four mavic pros down there. lucky my sd card was still readable as well as one other drones. The other two looked like they where down there a long time. Maybe one of these where yours?

Nope, my crash was on the other side of the island. I don’t think mine would be reachable with a snorkel boat since it was more isolated.

Congrats on finding yours though!

 

[Mavic_Pete]

Sorry for your loss. Doesn't that Mavic return home if connection is lost between the drone and RC (I think thats what I have mine set to do)? Or did you have it on hover in place or...? Wondering so if a situation like this happens to me (or another member) I know what to do and wont panic.. Once again sorry for the loss.

 

[joshuaperry]

sorry all I should have taken pictures of them all together. The first drone I found was a hour or two after my crash around 4 in the afternoon. One of the locals was diving down with me and he pulled it out, I was so happy he found my drone. Then I realized it wasn't mine we went back to crystal beach and they kept that drone. It was covered in white salty corroded stuff and algae.

I decided I was going to go back at 7 am and maybe the ocean would be calmer. It wasn't! swimming down there was like being in a washing machine. I started shivering after ten minutes and had to get out but not before I found my second drone. This one looked a little newer but still had heavy corrosion but still had its lens on the camera though. I threw this one out.

I then returned to shore with a new plan. I would return at noon when the hot sun would be over head and the tide would be at its lowest. This was going to be my last attempt so I needed as much help as I can get. I told the locals that I would give the finder of my drone 100 bucks US. That rallied the troops and 5 of them came. The water was still about 40 feet deep at low tide. There are large boulders down there so id dive down and check under each one systematically. A couple of times I didn't think I was going to make it back to the surface. Eventually one of them popped up with a drone.

Alas it wasn't mine, so then half of them left me for the boat. I stayed searching for an hour more now searching the outside of the arch. This was the really deep side took all I had to make it down there. Eventually it appeared but was still to deep for me to fetch. I surfaced knowing it was under me some where I called the 2 locals left and we dove down and got it.

I was able to pull the video out of my chip and one other drones chip. I have footage moments before the crash maybe I can show you those some how. They stop right before they hit the wall. There inst any mid air spinning or a splash sadly. I had to download a software just to fix the corrupt video.

Right before my take off I said to myself "maybe I should switch this chip out for a new one" I had all three weeks of areal footage on it from Indonesia. I didn't, so that is why I was determined to find it, that and my wife kept pushing me telling me I would eventually get it. I have the drone sitting next to me now. It is now just a conversation piece.

One local tells me that he goes spear fishing in that spot and always sees drones and there will be more there in no time lol it really is some kind of Bermuda triangle.

 

[Surge]

I don't understand what happened. If you have it set to RTH, it should return to home if it loses the signal.
Yesterday, I was literally over Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada, when I get the Warning: Command Timeout! But it returned to home by itself.

 

[joejaxvic123]

So, what is a command timeout? I'm having a hard time believing the ' Bermuda triangle' story with a bunch of mavics and no pics...

 

[Surge]

Agree. My guess is they lost signal while under a rock outcrop or cave. If that happens, with no overhead obstacle detection, the Air will try to RTH and hit the rock, and crash.

 

[joejaxvic123]

Thanks, Surge. I guess I should just search, but I'm too lazy, I've never heard of 'comand timeout'. And apparently this is a MP. A Mavic Pro watery graveyard or whatever...