Mini 2 bizarre crash in the sea.!!

[clouds9]

Hi everyone. On a serene day in Italy, I embarked on a routine flight with my drone, which I've owned for approximately a year. The weather was calm, with no strong winds, and the sky was clear of any avian activity. As I engaged in filming, the drone maintained a comfortable altitude of around 25 meters, smoothly capturing the picturesque surroundings. However, unexpectedly, the tranquility was shattered as the drone encountered a sudden glitch and motor error appeared. In a disorienting turn of events, it rapidly ascended from its stable position to an altitude of approximately -200 meters. Despite my frantic attempts to regain control by pushing the controls downwards, the drone seemed to defy logic, ascending further even as I attempted to lower it. With a sinking feeling of dread, I witnessed the inexplicable behavior as the drone continued its ascent against my commands. Despite my efforts to maneuver it downwards, the drone's defiance ultimately led to its crash into the waters below. Four minutes after i found it as it wasn't so far from me. Here is the phantom log viewer, if anyone can have an explanation of it. Is it a system glitch or my wrong manipulation with the drone?! Thanks in advance ​ UPDATE: I received an update from DJI support regarding the issue with my drone. They informed me that the drone experienced a hardware failure and a false height indicator issue, and as a result, they will be replacing it at no cost.​

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Just looks like you lost the GPS signal and the drone then went into Atti mode which is very difficult to work with even for experienced pilots over the water. .

Others will break it down the chain for you nicely .

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

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Is the flight path shown on the pH replay correct ?
One thing that leaps out of the log are the crazy negative heights, something definitely went wrong inside the drone.
If the drone is still under 1 year old I would submit the log and the DAT to DJI for examination with a warranty claim in mind.
Did you recover the drone ?


With regards to the ATTI mode I do not think it was lack of satellites, the log is records that the drone was seeing plenty of them.

Thinking about the actual and recorded heights I think I recollect previous logs/threads where the pilot reported an commanded climb but the log showed descent, the two things sort of go hand in hand as the drone would possibly try to maintain height by climbing.
However, if my memory is correct those other drones need not be mini 2s

 

[clouds9]

Hello,
yes, the flight path displayed is accurate. I can confirm that it accurately represents the trajectory of the drone during the flight, and as you can see at the end of the ph replay, the drone was going crazy even without any obstacles on. I was able to recover the drone approx. 4 to 5 minutes after the crash. I immediately rinsed it with clean water to remove any saltwater residue and then allowed it to dry thoroughly for a period of four days. After four days i had put a new battery in and there was no contact happening. The power button was missing some pieces and couldn't make contact to power on. Regarding the drone's warranty status, it is indeed still within the one-year period since purchase. Essentially, I contacted DJI and initiated a warranty claim for my drone. As part of the process, they requested that I return the drone, along with the battery and the controller, for examination and assessment of the issue. I still felt a need to gain some understanding of what might have gone wrong before receiving their official response. I wanted to have some preliminary knowledge about the potential problem while awaiting DJI's assessment.
Thank you

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I am sure @slup @BudWalker @sar104 @msinger @Meta4 etc. will be along shortly to have a look at the log and they might spot the reason for the drone malfunctioning.
I doubt the DAT is readable but, if you have it, you might like to upload it to here just in case it is readable.

 

[clouds9]

I am sure @slup @BudWalker @sar104 @msinger @Meta4 etc. will be along shortly to have a look at the log and they might spot the reason for the drone malfunctioning.
I doubt the DAT is readable but, if you have it, you might like to upload it to here just in case it is readable.

Yes, here is the DAT. Also no videos was found as i unfortunately couldn't get back the data from SD card due to water damage. Only some pictures before the crash :'\

 

[Sjkieffer]

Your narrative read like a novel!

 

[Meta4]

Here is the phantom log viewer, if anyone can have an explanation of it. Is it a system glitch or my wrong manipulation with the drone?! Thanks in advance​

Your drone was flying normally until 16:21.7 when the indicated height begins to show a malfunction.
After that, although you have the left stick pushed forward, the indicated height suggests the drone is descending.
From 16:24.5, even with the left stick centred, the indicated height continues to fall to heights that are obviously false.

This shows that there is a malfunction in the IMU and the barometric height sensor is giving false data.

At 16:25.6 the drone switches to atti mode, but still continues to have good GPS reception and show speed and distance data which comes from GPS.
The reason for the switch to atti mode is unknown.
12 seconds later GPS is back to normal, and indicated height data continues to show very low false values.

At around 17:03 the tilt data begins to show false values.
Three seconds later the roll data showing is also false.
This suggests a problem with the gyro sensors in the IMU.
The drone switches to atti mode again at this time.

Your drone had a malfunction in the IMU sensors which sent false data to the flight controller.
This was a rare, genuine hardware failure and a clear warranty case.

 

[Meta4]

Just looks like you lost the GPS signal and the drone then went into Atti mode which is very difficult to work with even for experienced pilots over the water. .

Although the drone switched to Atti Mode, this was not a factor in the incident.
Atti Mode may confuse flyers who are not used to flying in that mode, but it is not very difficult to use and experienced flyers have no difficulty using it.

In Atti Mode the drone still maintains height, but loses its horizontal position holding ability.
This means that it can drift with the wind and will continue to coast along when the sticks are released.
But it remains fully controllable.

 

[TonyPHX]

Your narrative read like a novel!

I really thought ChatGPT was used. Very descriptive.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

@clouds9 in places there is a lot of switching in and out of quick shots, was that you ?
Also, did you start the drone in your hand ? There is an early set of three negative height shown in the seventh minute.
Was there a previous flight during this drone switch on ? The phantom help replay starts in minute seven. If not flying what was the drone doing prior to the start of the phantom help replay ?

 

[clouds9]

Your drone was flying normally until 16:21.7 when the indicated height begins to show a malfunction.
After that, although you have the left stick pushed forward, the indicated height suggests the drone is descending.
From 16:24.5, even with the left stick centred, the indicated height continues to fall to heights that are obviously false.

This shows that there is a malfunction in the IMU and the barometric height sensor is giving false data.

At 16:25.6 the drone switches to atti mode, but still continues to have good GPS reception and show speed and distance data which comes from GPS.
The reason for the switch to atti mode is unknown.
12 seconds later GPS is back to normal, and indicated height data continues to show very low false values.

At around 17:03 the tilt data begins to show false values.
Three seconds later the roll data showing is also false.
This suggests a problem with the gyro sensors in the IMU.
The drone switches to atti mode again at this time.

Your drone had a malfunction in the IMU sensors which sent false data to the flight controller.
This was a rare, genuine hardware failure and a clear warranty case.

Thanks for figuring out what went wrong with it. I kinda had a feeling something wasn't right. Appreciate your assistance!
UPDATE: I received an update from DJI support regarding the issue with my drone. They informed me that the drone experienced a hardware failure as @Meta4 explained, and as a result, they will be replacing it at no cost.

 

[clouds9]

@clouds9 in places there is a lot of switching in and out of quick shots, was that you ?
Also, did you start the drone in your hand ? There is an early set of three negative height shown in the seventh minute.
Was there a previous flight during this drone switch on ? The phantom help replay starts in minute seven. If not flying what was the drone doing prior to the start of the phantom help replay ?

I guess there was a previous flight before. I remember watching YouTube videos on why quick shots weren't working, then, I realized I needed an SD card, after inserting, the first quick shot worked (You can see at 8:54), but the others didn't, so basically i was trying to figure out these quick shots but it kept loosing the object without any major reason behind. Yes, i started the drone in my hand, there was too much sand.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Are you saying that you inserted the memory card into a drone that was already switched on ?
With regards to the memory card and water damage, water should not damage a card.
Where a recording has been stopped by the drone crashing it is more likely that the recording appears broken because the recording was not properly closed.
There is a thread on the DJI forum where it is suggested that inserting the card into any other DJI drone and switching that drone on will fix such a 'broken' recording, the drone concerned also crashed into water.
I have not yet tested that but certainly inserting the card into the drone that made the recording and switching that drone on normally fixes recording that will not open because the drone was switched off before the recording was stopped properly.
If you have another DJI drone it might be worth trying that but I would wash and dry the card before you try it in another drone.
The above only works where the recording has not been messed with or moved etc..

 

[clouds9]

Are you saying that you inserted the memory card into a drone that was already switched on ?
With regards to the memory card and water damage, water should not damage a card.
Where a recording has been stopped by the drone crashing it is more likely that the recording appears broken because the recording was not properly closed.
There is a thread on the DJI forum where it is suggested that inserting the card into any other DJI drone and switching that drone on will fix such a 'broken' recording, the drone concerned also crashed into water.
I have not yet tested that but certainly inserting the card into the drone that made the recording and switching that drone on normally fixes recording that will not open because the drone was switched off before the recording was stopped properly.
If you have another DJI drone it might be worth trying that but I would wash and dry the card before you try it in another drone.
The above only works where the recording has not been messed with or moved etc..

Yes indeed, i inserted the memory card while the drone was on. What you saying, it does make sense, unfortunately i don't have another drone, but as result the Dji just contacted me and they could verify that there was a system failure on the drone, as result they are giving me a new mini 2 ))). So i might put the memory card and try this in the days coming. Thank you.

ps. Could the memory card make damages to the drone, as it went to the sea and it still can have some negative impact for the drone?

 

[clouds9]

For the enthusiasts. Here are few pictures of the damages sent back by DJI repair service. Aslo the quotation/

Item List
DJI Mini 2 Aircraft, Gimbal and Camera, & Propellers (Global Excluding JP)
Quantity: 1
Net Price : 269.42
Total Net: 269.42

DJI Mini 2 Intelligent Flight Battery
Quantity: 1
Net Price : 45.45
Total Net: 45.45

what i didn't understand is (Global excluding JP), what does this mean are they repairing or giving a new one ?!

 

[Meta4]

ps. Could the memory card make damages to the drone, as it went to the sea and it still can have some negative impact for the drone?

No

what i didn't understand is (Global excluding JP), what does this mean are they repairing or giving a new one ?!

You'll be getting a new replacement drone

 

[clouds9]

If the drone is still under 1 year old I would submit the log and the DAT to DJI for examination with a warranty claim in mind.

The DJI drones are under warranty for a period of 2 years. (Just learned that)

Activation Time： 2022-10-13
Status : Under Warranty
Date of Expiration (Expected) : 2024/10/14

 

[KJC Imaging]

Hi everyone. On a serene day in Italy, I embarked on a routine flight with my drone, which I've owned for approximately a year. The weather was calm, with no strong winds, and the sky was clear of any avian activity. As I engaged in filming, the drone maintained a comfortable altitude of around 25 meters, smoothly capturing the picturesque surroundings. However, unexpectedly, the tranquility was shattered as the drone encountered a sudden glitch and motor error appeared. In a disorienting turn of events, it rapidly ascended from its stable position to an altitude of approximately -200 meters. Despite my frantic attempts to regain control by pushing the controls downwards, the drone seemed to defy logic, ascending further even as I attempted to lower it. With a sinking feeling of dread, I witnessed the inexplicable behavior as the drone continued its ascent against my commands. Despite my efforts to maneuver it downwards, the drone's defiance ultimately led to its crash into the waters below. Four minutes after i found it as it wasn't so far from me. Here is the phantom log viewer, if anyone can have an explanation of it. Is it a system glitch or my wrong manipulation with the drone?! Thanks in advance​ UPDATE: I received an update from DJI support regarding the issue with my drone. They informed me that the drone experienced a hardware failure and a false height indicator issue, and as a result, they will be replacing it at no cost.​

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

This was written by AI / ChatGPT.

 

[clouds9]

This was written by AI / ChatGPT.

Nah, I actually paid an English teacher to craft that gem. And actually GPT stands for ‘Got Paid Teacher’