Crash or Flyaway?

[bg4166]

I lost my Mavic Air 2 today. It was in the air 1 minute and 8 seconds, at a height of 117 feet and a distance of 275 feet, and I was recording at the time. My DJI Fly app showed the battery at 91% and suddenly I got an error message "weak signal. Adjust antennas. Aircraft not connected to RC. Image transmission signal may be blocked". I waited for Return to Home to activate, but it never did. I couldn't hear it any longer, and it wasn't found after searching the area of it's last known location.
My flight logs are here: https://www.phantomhelp.com/.../D7KDXC0I8IE3QHB3UF1HZV5XF...
The video ends suddenly. No bird strike or obstructions present.
I would appreciate it If anyone can help me understand what happened.

 

[Meta4]

I lost my Mavic Air 2 today. It was in the air 1 minute and 8 seconds, at a height of 117 feet and a distance of 275 feet, and I was recording at the time. My DJI Fly app showed the battery at 91% and suddenly I got an error message "weak signal. Adjust antennas. Aircraft not connected to RC. Image transmission signal may be blocked". I waited for Return to Home to activate, but it never did. I couldn't hear it any longer, and it wasn't found after searching the area of it's last known location.
My flight logs are here: https://www.phantomhelp.com/.../D7KDXC0I8IE3QHB3UF1HZV5XF...
The video ends suddenly. No bird strike or obstructions present.
I would appreciate it If anyone can help me understand what happened.

Your drone was 270 feet up and flying forwards at 18 mph with no obstacles to block signal.
Signal was lost.
The pitch, roll and yaw data shows no indications of instability or collision.
The battery level was not a problem.
Loss of signal action was set to the default value of Return to Home.

Losing signal in that situation would trigger RTH.
But the drone did not return.
The only possible explanation is that the drone suffered a total power loss and fell from the air.
The fall would have taken approximately 3 seconds and the drone would have crashed about 80 feet further from the last location data, in the direction it was flying.
That puts it in the water near 34.17127 -78.04416

 

[msinger]

The only possible explanation is that the drone suffered a total power loss and fell from the air

Agreed. Flyaways are rare events and the flight log shows no sign of a crash as @Meta4 noted.

How deep is the water here? Maybe you can spot it from the side of the road.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I waited for Return to Home to activate, but it never did. I couldn't hear it any longer, and it wasn't found after searching the area of it's last known location.

I am left wondering why there is no comment to the effect that you could not see the drone ?
I suppose the sudden silence backs up Meta4's conclusion that it was a power loss but I'd have thought you looked for the drone in the sky. Since I am deaf I am not in the position of being able to hear a drone and I perhaps rely on looking at the drone more than hearing pilots do.

 

[Dale D]

I am left wondering why there is no comment to the effect that you could not see the drone ?
I suppose the sudden silence backs up Meta4's conclusion that it was a power loss but I'd have thought you looked for the drone in the sky. Since I am deaf I am not in the position of being able to hear a drone and I perhaps rely on looking at the drone more than hearing pilots do.

I know nothing about how to read the records but I am wondering if the sudden loss could have been induced if the battery fell out?
Dale
Miami

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I know nothing about how to read the records but I am wondering if the sudden loss could have been induced if the battery fell out?
Dale
Miami

That's more or less what Meta4 is suggesting.
I think you might find looking at logs quite interesting, perhaps you could give it a go.

 

[Capt KO]

If the lost drone is found in the water soon, it might be worth trying to save. Otherwise looks like a replacement A2/A2S is in your future, especially if you have spare batteries

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I know nothing about how to read the records but I am wondering if the sudden loss could have been induced if the battery fell out?
Dale
Miami

It doesn't even need to fall out, the swelling can be just enough that it breaks electrical contact but remains in the aircraft. I had that happen on an Air 2 before. Luckily it was about 20 ft up and 30 ft away so I saw the entire thing. It even powered back up once it was on the ground.

 

[bg4166]

Your drone was 270 feet up and flying forwards at 18 mph with no obstacles to block signal.
Signal was lost.
The pitch, roll and yaw data shows no indications of instability or collision.
The battery level was not a problem.
Loss of signal action was set to the default value of Return to Home.

Losing signal in that situation would trigger RTH.
But the drone did not return.
The only possible explanation is that the drone suffered a total power loss and fell from the air.
The fall would have taken approximately 3 seconds and the drone would have crashed about 80 feet further from the last location data, in the direction it was flying.
That puts it in the water near 34.17127 -78.04416

Thank you. I have searched in a radius of over 200 feet and can only conclude it is under water. Thank you for the assistance.

 

[bg4166]

If the lost drone is found in the water soon, it might be worth trying to save. Otherwise looks like a replacement A2/A2S is in your future, especially if you have spare batteries

Fortunately I had insurance on the drone. I am using this opportunity to upgrade.

 

[msinger]

I have searched in a radius of over 200 feet and can only conclude it is under water

Did you search the water? It's most definitely not on land.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Thank you. I have searched in a radius of over 200 feet and can only conclude it is under water. Thank you for the assistance.

It might be considered courteous to have a look in the water, that is if it is shallow enough and clear enough to see the bottom and, of course, safe enough.

 

[bg4166]

Did you search the water? It's most definitely not on land.

From the shore only; there's an 8 foot long alligator that currently calls that pond his.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

From the shore only; there's an 8 foot long alligator that currently calls that pond his.

I think that that is a good enough excuse to avoid an in pond search lol

 

[careless]

Sounds like it's time to upgrade to the Air 3

 

[rjwmorrell]

Sounds like it's time to upgrade to the Air 3

Honestly I love my Air 2S, but I am salivating at some of the Air 3 features and might offload the 2S

 

[Starz]

and might offload the 2S

A backup is a thought.

 

[Felix le Chat]

From the shore only; there's an 8 foot long alligator that currently calls that pond his.

Have you looked inside the alligator?

 

[MS Coast]

Have you looked inside the alligator?

Local wisdom in my area suggests that they don't respond well to such investigations.

 

[rjwmorrell]

A backup is a thought.

A very good point, and I really enjoy flying the Air 2S. However, I could use the proceeds towards the Air 3. It's a tough call.