Accurate Flight log, last location

[barrybethel]

So I am flying the mavic in active track following the car and I get a message saying its too far away to return to home on the battery power (or something to that effect). We stop I get out to land it and it loses signal and decides to just hover then land in a garden tree.

Unfortunately that garden has a load of dogs and lots of locked gates and a lot of trees. It definitely landed in a tree and near the trunk of a tree, I saw that when I re-connected later but then the battery warning went off and the dogs heard me, so I had to run.

Also the owners are away and not likely to be back for a while, also I am in Portugal and the neighbour says they have someone who feeds the dogs now and again. Argh!

Anyway the flight log suggests it landed over 50m away on the other side of the road, so my question is, can I get a more accurate 'last location' of the drone? I figure I will go for the correct tree and just try and throw the dogs a bone and hope they dont go for me. They are big dogs.....

 

[Spanishcop]

That's an expensive dog toy.

 

[msinger]

The most accurate location can be found in your TXT flight log. If you didn't review it yet, you can upload and view it online here.

 

[barrybethel]

Thanks for the info, used this and it looks like the flight log stopped at 69m high and thats it..... went looking for the drone again today and couldnt find it. I think its in a tree somewhere, will have to keep lookig but frustrating that the flight log didnt record the crash landing? One thing, when I went to look for it last night the battery warning was beeping at me and dogs were barking so I just turned the controller off. Not good but would that have wiped the rest of my log perhaps? I turned it on again a little later on and I could see through the drone, lots of leaves and a few dogs walking around. I just assumed it would accurately pinpoint where it landed...

There are a few files in the flightlog folder there is a .dat file. will that help?

 

[msinger]

I just turned the controller off. Not good but would that have wiped the rest of my log perhaps?

It would not have wiped out your log, but no additional data would have been logged while your remote controller was turned off.

There are a few files in the flightlog folder there is a .dat file. will that help?

No. I'll help you find it if you post your TXT flight log here.

 

[barrybethel]

Oh Thank you, As you can see a the end of the file it stops mid air.... I think it lost signal at this stage.

 

[msinger]

Here's your flight log:
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[msinger]

Do you have any other TXT flight logs? A second TXT file should have been created when you turned your remote controller back on.

 

[barrybethel]

No, this is the frustrating thinhg, have one other from yesterday when I was taking off. Could they be anywhere else?

Thinking I aint going to find them so my next thought is would it fly as the crow flys back to the start position if it lost connection.

What does it normally do just land itself? Why did it land in a tree?

 

[BudWalker]

Do you have any other TXT flight logs? A second TXT file should have been created when you turned your remote controller back on.

I think that a .txt gets created only if there is a launch. So there won't be another .txt just because the RC was turned on..

 

[msinger]

Using the default settings, RTH will be auto initiated 3 seconds after the remote controller signal was lost. At that point, the Mavic will fly straight back to the home point. Since your RTH altitude (30 meters) was below the current altitude, the Mavic would have returned home at its current altitude.

At the end of your flight log, your Mavic was moving slowly across the road as it was trying to find the target it was tracking. It probably would have continued along that path for 3 seconds after the remote controller signal was lost. Assuming that happened, it would have tried to fly back to the home point roughly on the green line below.



The VPS is showing the Mavic was at about 28.2 feet above the ground at the end of the flight log. Since you saw it in a tree on the camera view, that would at least tell you it missed the houses between the last location and the crash site.

You're not going to be able to find exact tree since your flight log is missing data at the end. I'd start looking in the areas circled in red above.

 

[msinger]

I think that a .txt gets created only if there is a launch. So there won't be another .txt just because the RC was turned on..

The would explain the missing flight log.

 

[barrybethel]

Been again today... This info is great, I was actually looking infront of the first house.... Will go back and check those spots.... fingers crossed.....

Thanks again.

 

[barrybethel]

msinger, you have been a real help, unfortunately I cannot find the drone. Absolutely Gutted.... Is my situation complete user error? for it to just fly off is a real nightmare. I could see it and then I heard it crash and then nothing.... Saw lots of leaves, saw the trunk of a tree and saw some dogs. Cant for the life of me understand why I cant find it but am so gutted. Is this any kind of fly away situation? I have DJI care, do I have a hope with that?

I am going out with my friend tomorrow who has a drone to see if he can find it but I think I am beginning to annoy the Portuguese farmer who owns the place....

I even wrote some leaflets and handed them out.... missing drone... reward!

 

[msinger]

Is my situation complete user error?

Yes. You forgot to set the RTH altitude before taking off. It was too low for the area where you were flying.

I could see it and then I heard it crash and then nothing.... Saw lots of leaves, saw the trunk of a tree and saw some dogs.

That should narrow down your search. Look in all locations in the area where there are confined dogs and trees. I doubt it went passed the areas I circled since there are so many houses in the area that are above the altitude your Mavic was flying.

Were you able to get into the garden with the locked gates?

 

[barrybethel]

I did have the obstacle avoidance on but it obviously just hit a tree. Its sooo frustrating that it just lost signal at the vital time, annoyingly it did connect again though but seems like this part was not recorded on the .txt file? Any reason for that?

I was convinced I saw it hovering parrallel to were I lost signal, perhaps 10m inside the garden that looks very barren and brown with trees in, this garden is where all the dogs are and the, now annoyed Portugese farmer.

I have also got into the area with the larger red circle but its a plot ready to be built on, so no dogs but easy to get into. Very overgrown though.

Ah well will keep searching..... Thanks again..

 

[BluesDragon]

Hate to put this out there, but.. having to big dogs myself.. I'd check the dog house. Of the two dogs I have here, the female hates anything RC. She will attack and attempt to shred my RC cars, mini copters... anything RC. Not to say that's what happened here, but if you seen dogs in the vid before going out that'd be where I'd start... or end.
You mentioned that a neighbor said someone is watching over them. Try to get in touch with this person and see if he/she wouldn't mind checking the property for you (should they not be able to let you do so yourself). Maybe even leave a message at the entry way to contact you.

I can imagine what you're going through. My nerves would be wrecked. Best of luck. Hope you're able to locate it soon.

 

[barrybethel]

Yeah, slightly stressed.... The guy who owns the house has happily let me look around, actually I think its the gardener. When I saw the dogs on the video I was sure they were way below, and near the trunk of the tree. I have it in my mind they were literally barking at the tree with the drone in it. But now beginning to wonder if I was seeing things..... I only have my memory of the last contact with the drone. Why I didnt take a screen shot of the location or at least a photo of it I will never know.. My phone was too full to cache anything.... grr so many school boy errors

I went into the garden the night it happened but the dogs literally came barking at me so I decided to leave before they went for me, wish I had stayed and kept looking now.

I have made flyers as well... missus thinks I am loopy but I loved that thing.....!

 

[msinger]

annoyingly it did connect again though but seems like this part was not recorded on the .txt file? Any reason for that?

As @BudWalker noted above, it probably did not log since you did not start the motors and take off again.

 

[barrybethel]

Quick question, when it lost signal, I do remember it saying it was initiallising Return to Home mode. But then I also remember it hovering over the middle of that garden parrallel to were it lost signal. Would it have actually dont that or am I imagining things, as soon as it losses signal does it just fly home? I would assume some movement before that happens?

Why did it just fly into the tree though, obstacle avoidance was on.....