Almost lost it!

[Tomcat16]

Went out to fly my MA2, after flying for about 45 min of and on, I got up enough courage to try my first flight over water.
I put in a new battery (I charged all of them the night before). It was
small reservoir and there was an interesting rock formation on the other side. Less than 2,000 ft away I got to the formation flew for a minute or two, I got a low battery warning and hit the return to home button. A minute or two latter I got a critical low battery warning. Almost immediately it told me to find I safe place to land, I'm over water! I manually try to bring it back asap. Then I see 0 speed, 0 altitude. I go into recover my drone and it shows my drone has landed on the shore, I don't know how! I located it in a very level clear area.
I will not be flying over water again for a long time.

Good luck, safe flying!

 

[Ars3nal3432]

Thanks for the report. What was your altitude above water?

 

[Nonprophet]

Yeah, if ever there was a time to be SUPER mindful of battery capacity--it's when you're flying over water. During terrestrial flights, I usually start to return home between 25-35%, but when flying over water I don't let it get below 40% just to add a margin of safety. What a stroke of luck for you that it landed on the shore! Have no idea if it's possible or not, but sure would be a nice feature if when the drone initiated an emergency landing due to critical low battery that it at least tried to get to the nearest point of land if it happens to be flying over water at the beginning of the critical low battery decent....

 

[Tony McDrone]

It was in RTH mode, and lucky for him that is a straight line back to the takeoff point. It traveled far enough in that effort to make it to a piece of land. Luck...nothing more! This event would’ve happen exactly the same over land, don’t blame the water.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Went out to fly my MA2, after flying fire about 45 min of and on, I got up enough courage to try my first flight over water.
I put in a new battery (I charged all of them the night before). It was
small reservoir and there was an interesting rock formation on the other side. Less than 2,000 ft away I got to the formation flew for a minute or two, I got a low battery warning and hit the return to home button. A minute or two latter I got a critical low battery warning. Almost immediately it told me to find I safe place to land, I'm over water! I manually try to bring it back asap. Then I see 0 speed, 0 altitude. I go into recover my drone and it shows my drone has landed on the shore, I don't know how! I located it in a very level clear area.
I will not be flying over water again for a long time.

Good luck, safe flying!

The key to flying over the water it to understand that your drone does not know your flying over the water, it does not know your going to be flying back in a headwind , you have be to be the brilliant pilot who negotiates all those factors.

I always suggest you get a Rescue Jacket so the next time you go out over the water , you can gain some confidence and learn without sacrifice how to pilot over the water.

Once you gain the confidence understand why the drone is force landing with 15 % battery left and what to do because of it , you will be a far better pilot for it .

Please check out this thread on the Rescue Jacket and how you can ease yourself back into the world of flying over the water.

( Keep in mind you get a 2800 Ft Visual Line of Sight with the Rescue jacket.)

AIR 2 Rescue Jackets ------ Lands on Water : 2800 ft VLOS Boater Notice

The Air 2 Rescue Jacket is based off of the amazing design we had with the Sea Lander for the Mavic 2. Coming in under 3 ounces with a very small foot print the Air 2 Rescue Jacket is quite capable. You can Land on Swells in the Sea or the Lake , or send it down river. Phantomrain.org Gear...

mavicpilots.com

 

[volition]

Got lucky, very glad for you.

lesson of the day. Don’t go 2000ft distance away over water when your battery is below 50% do that earlier in the flight.

May all drones come home

 

[Tomcat16]

Thanks for the report. What was your altitude above water?

I was flying at 154 ft the entire time.

 

[boblui]

Fear not my friend. Next time when it happens, push the throttle up to stop the descent and fly the drone back to you. The drone can still fly for at least a minute after the battery has dropped to 0%

 

[Meta4]

I put in a new battery (I charged all of them the night before). It was
small reservoir and there was an interesting rock formation on the other side. Less than 2,000 ft away I got to the formation flew for a minute or two, I got a low battery warning and hit the return to home button. A minute or two latter I got a critical low battery warning.

Post your flight data and it will show if there was something wrong with the battery or if you just lost track of time.

 

[Tomcat16]

Yeah, if ever there was a time to be SUPER mindful of battery capacity--it's when you're flying over water. During terrestrial flights, I usually start to return home between 25-35%, but when flying over water I don't let it get below 40% just to add a margin of safety. What a stroke of luck for you that it landed on the shore! Have no idea if it's possible or not, but sure would be a nice feature if when the drone initiated an emergency landing due to critical low battery that it at least tried to get to the nearest point of land if it happens to be flying over water at the beginning of the critical low battery decent....

Thanks for your reply. I have had the same thought about the drone mapping to the nearest point of land if it is over water. Maybe something DJI could look at. It is really a miracle it landed on dry land if you ask me.

 

[boblui]

....Less than 2,000 ft away....low battery warning and hit the return to home button....

The drone was just 600 meters away. If the default setting of the Air 2 is the same as those of M2, low-battery warning is issued at 25% battery. In no-wind condition, the Air 2 consumes about 5% battery per km. Doing 600 m should consume just 3% battery so you should not have hit the critical battery threshold of 15% unless the craft was flying against wind or the RTH height was set to a very large value.

There may be some problem with the battery. I would recommend checking the flight log.

 

[snapdog]

The key to flying over the water it to understand that your drone does not know your flying over the water, it does not know your going to be flying back in a headwind , you have be to be the brilliant pilot who negotiates all those factors.

I always suggest you get a Rescue Jacket so the next time you go out over the water , you can gain some confidence and learn without sacrifice how to pilot over the water.

Once you gain the confidence understand why the drone is force landing with 15 % battery left and what to do because of it , you will be a far better pilot for it .


I live by the ocean. Have a feeling this may not get work here?

Please check out this thread on the Rescue Jacket and how you can ease yourself back into the world of flying over the water.

( Keep in mind you get a 2800 Ft Visual Line of Sight with the Rescue jacket.)

AIR 2 Rescue Jackets ------ Lands on Water : 2800 ft VLOS Boater Notice

The Air 2 Rescue Jacket is based off of the amazing design we had with the Sea Lander for the Mavic 2. Coming in under 3 ounces with a very small foot print the Air 2 Rescue Jacket is quite capable. You can Land on Swells in the Sea or the Lake , or send it down river. Phantomrain.org Gear...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Tomcat16]

The drone was just 600 meters away. If the default setting of the Air 2 is the same as those of M2, low-battery warning is issued at 25% battery. In no-wind condition, the Air 2 consumes about 5% battery per km. Doing 600 m should consume just 3% battery so you should not have hit the critical battery threshold of 15% unless the craft was flying against wind or the RTH height was set to a very large value.

There may be some problem with the battery. I would recommend checking the flight log.

Thank you for replying, I thought that the battery ran out far too quickly. There was very little wind so that was not a issue.
Thank for your help, I will take a look at the flight log.

 

[Peter B]

Went out to fly my MA2, after flying fire about 45 min of and on, I got up enough courage to try my first flight over water.
I put in a new battery (I charged all of them the night before). It was
small reservoir and there was an interesting rock formation on the other side. Less than 2,000 ft away I got to the formation flew for a minute or two, I got a low battery warning and hit the return to home button. A minute or two latter I got a critical low battery warning. Almost immediately it told me to find I safe place to land, I'm over water! I manually try to bring it back asap. Then I see 0 speed, 0 altitude. I go into recover my drone and it shows my drone has landed on the shore, I don't know how! I located it in a very level clear area.
I will not be flying over water again for a long time.

Good luck, safe flying!

 

[Peter B]

Not sure what your trouble could be . I’ve been flying over water for two years. I fly a Mavic Pro and an Air2. I have never had any unusual occurrences with either. It sounds to me like you have a battery problem, not a drone problem.. living next to a lake Gives me unobstructed view and is a great place fly. I always return with 20-30% battery to give me a good margin for wins charges.

 

[Capt KO]

Did you check UAV Forecast? Wind at 150ft might have been quite high and against your return flight. RTH speeds are not the fastest and often keep you up in that higher speed winds. If you watch your screen, it will be obvious that it is returning too slowly. Reducing altitude to lighter winds and if necessary, switch to sport mode (fast) and getter done.
Happy for your save but don’t let it stop you from water flights. Accept your, and your drones, limitations. Every flight is a learning experience. Enjoy

PS: use a float (GetterBack) if you have Care Refresh or over fresh water for retrieval.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Did you check UAV Forecast? Wind at 150ft might have been quite high and against your return flight. RTH speeds are not the fastest and often keep you up in that higher speed winds. If you watch your screen, it will be obvious that it is returning too slowly. Reducing altitude to lighter winds and if necessary, switch to sport mode (fast) and getter done.
Happy for your save but don’t let it stop you from water flights. Accept your, and your drones, limitations. Every flight is a learning experience. Enjoy

PS: use a float (GetterBack) if you have Care Refresh or over fresh water for retrieval.

Getterback is very unreliable , we use to fly with 1 on the phantom 4 lost that in the water than went to flying with two of them on the Phantom 4 and lost that one also , Its the sole reason why we made the Rescue Jackets.

The longer you have the getterback the less chance its going to work.


Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the rain and float on water.

 

[Capt KO]

Getterback is very unreliable , we use to fly with 1 on the phantom 4 lost that in the water than went to flying with two of them on the Phantom 4 and lost that one also , Its the sole reason why we made the Rescue Jackets.

The longer you have the getterback the less chance its going to work.


Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the rain and float on water.

Bummer. Popped my bubble. ? guess I’ll go back to using a crab trap float with bottom sensors blocked. Otherwise the flight gets Very Interesting. ? Especially when it goes up to God knows where. ?
Remember the fun days of the gimble guards on Phantoms. No telling how high some of them went. ?

 

[Tomcat16]

Did you check UAV Forecast? Wind at 150ft might have been quite high and against your return flight. RTH speeds are not the fastest and often keep you up in that higher speed winds. If you watch your screen, it will be obvious that it is returning too slowly. Reducing altitude to lighter winds and if necessary, switch to sport mode (fast) and getter done.
Happy for your save but don’t let it stop you from water flights. Accept your, and your drones, limitations. Every flight is a learning experience. Enjoy

PS: use a float (GetterBack) if you have Care Refresh or over fresh water for retrieval.

Thanks for the reply and advice. I did switch to speed mode, watching the video speed seemed to be consistent. As the drone approaches land the recording stops, I didn't know if it was in the water or made it to land. Went to recover my drone it showed I was on land, I took a deep breath.

 

[RayKelly]

Went out to fly my MA2, after flying fire about 45 min of and on, I got up enough courage to try my first flight over water.
I put in a new battery (I charged all of them the night before). It was
small reservoir and there was an interesting rock formation on the other side. Less than 2,000 ft away I got to the formation flew for a minute or two, I got a low battery warning and hit the return to home button. A minute or two latter I got a critical low battery warning. Almost immediately it told me to find I safe place to land, I'm over water! I manually try to bring it back asap. Then I see 0 speed, 0 altitude. I go into recover my drone and it shows my drone has landed on the shore, I don't know how! I located it in a very level clear area.
I will not be flying over water again for a long time.

Good luck, safe flying!

You were very very lucky. Glad it did not land in the water. Flying over water definitely has it's challenges. I don't go that far from shore. Do you have a video of it?
Here's a video I just did by the Long Island Sound