Cruise Control Crash

[RexAsh]

I was flying my M4P in a boat harbor today and crashed it, I was flying towards a bridge, planning to go under it and I enabled cruise control about 30 feet before the bridge to make the shot smoother. I ended up crashing the drone into the side of the bridge, and it fell into the water. I saw the red OA warnings before it crashed but it didn’t avoid the obstacles. I was wondering if obstacle avoidance is supposed to work in cruise control?

 

[MS Coast]

I was flying my M4P in a boat harbor today and crashed it, I was flying towards a bridge, planning to go under it and I enabled cruise control about 30 feet before the bridge to make the shot smoother. I ended up crashing the drone into the side of the bridge, and it fell into the water. I saw the red OA warnings before it crashed but it didn’t avoid the obstacles. I was wondering if obstacle avoidance is supposed to work in cruise control?

From the Mini 4 Pro manual:

If the drone was in Sport mode, OA would not be operating. If it was in Normal mode, I suspect that it's possible the speed could be great enough that the drone couldn't stop in time after sensing the obstacle.

 

[old man mavic]

@RexAsh why did you think it would make the shot smoother,and what mode were you in at the time ,see the post above from @MS Coast

 

[RexAsh]

I just checked and I saw that I was in Normal the whole flight. I don’t understand why It didn’t bypass, I guess you were right about It not being able to break. I thought that cruise control would make it smoother by making it so I didn’t accidentally move the sticks in the wrong direction. I learned my lesson on that.

 

[Macinfo]

I just checked and I saw that I was in Normal the whole flight. I don’t understand why It didn’t bypass, I guess you were right about It not being able to break. I thought that cruise control would make it smoother by making it so I didn’t accidentally move the sticks in the wrong direction. I learned my lesson on that.

Generally, if you are flying towards a potential obstacle and there is even a remote chance you'll hit it, I would not rely on obstacle avoidance. It's pretty good, but its not perfect, specially at perhaps higher speeds.

If all you wanted to do was fly under the bridge, once you set a course that would have cleared it, if all you did was maintain speed, and not touch the other stick, it would have been about as smooth as it could have made it....

 

[RexAsh]

Generally, if you are flying towards a potential obstacle and there is even a remote chance you'll hit it, I would not rely on obstacle avoidance. It's pretty good, but its not perfect, specially at perhaps higher speeds.

If all you wanted to do was fly under the bridge, once you set a course that would have cleared it, if all you did was maintain speed, and not touch the other stick, it would have been about as smooth as it could have made it....

Yes, you are 100% right. I’m going to be a lot smarter next time

 

[MS Coast]

Yes, you are 100% right. I’m going to be a lot smarter next time

Position the drone at the edge of the bridge in the right position to pass under, then fly directly back ward to the point you want to begin the shot, start the camera, and fly directly forward.

 

[RexAsh]

When you get a flyaway replacement does it come with a battery, I know that regular crash you dont get one unless you send one in. But what about flyaway?

 

[mavic3usa]

When you get a flyaway replacement does it come with a battery, I know that regular crash you dont get one unless you send one in. But what about flyaway?

I hope so since your drone flies away with the battery on board....

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

When you get a flyaway replacement does it come with a battery, I know that regular crash you dont get one unless you send one in. But what about flyaway?

Did you have a flyaway? If so do you know what happened?
If you are uncertain what happened then if you post the flight log you might perhaps find out.

 

[Daytona500]

I flew under a bridge once and all the metal caused my ac to go bonkers and crash. I had no control after going under it, it just took off and flew into the tree,s

 

[Droning on and on...]

Lots of good comments here, but one piece of advice that should be followed 100% of the time:

Always fly your drone!!!​

​

I love cruise control. RTH. OA has some very good uses. But don't let them take over, and simply be a "passenger" while you're using these tools. They're great as flight aids, but a crash like this should never happen. If you had been "in control" you could have avoided this smack on the bridge.

Not pointed criticism. This was a learning opportunity, and an expensive one. You're a good member of the community to come share and help others learn the easy way.

The FAA requires that we are controlling our aircraft at all times. Learn to use cruise control as an aid, not as a substitute pilot. Practice and play with it in clear skies, learn all the ins and outs of wresting control from the system in an instant should you need to, learn how it behaves when you interfere with it's flight pattern.

 

[EricJT]

I hope so since your drone flies away with the battery on board....

Or, if you had a fly away without a battery in the drone, l want that make of drone!

 

[RexAsh]

Did you have a flyaway? If so do you know what happened?
If you are uncertain what happened then if you post the flight log you might perhaps find out.

I crashed it into a bridge overwater at 20 miles an hour, and so it’s unretrievable. So I submitted a flyaway case To care refresh.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I crashed it into a bridge overwater at 20 miles an hour, and so it’s unretrievable. So I submitted a flyaway case To care refresh.

That probably won't fly (pun intended). They're going to want the flight logs, and they won't show a flyaway. The logs are going to show you let the drone fly itself into a bridge in Cruise Control, and they're not likely to cover that.

They might cover it because OA didn't do its job, and a not-ridiculous argument can be made it should have, given what the obstacle was. Logs will help determine if OA was faulty.

They might ask for the video cache from the flight too.

So it's not hopeless, but I can just about guarantee they won't accept a flyaway claim, since it didn't.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I crashed it into a bridge overwater at 20 miles an hour, and so it’s unretrievable. So I submitted a flyaway case To care refresh.

I will rephrase my question, did your piloting cause it to crash into the bridge or was the drone out of control?
If the latter and it turns out the drone was at fault then DJI may replace the drone FOC. You would need to post the flight logs for people to check that.

 

[mavic3usa]

Are you talking about flyaway replacement as part of DJI Care Refresh?

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Are you talking about flyaway replacement as part of DJI Care Refresh?

"it’s unretrievable" so it is either a 'flyaway' claim or an attempt at a warranty claim.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Unretrievable != flyaway.

Flyaway == unretrievable.

 

[mavic3usa]

I crashed it into a bridge overwater at 20 miles an hour, and so it’s unretrievable. So I submitted a flyaway case To care refresh.

Sorry I went back and checked your prior statement and you said you made a claim on your DJI Care Refresh for a "flyway replacement."

In this context "flyaway replacement" is a term used by DJI and it's not going to matter if your drone actually flew away or not. If you cannot retrieve it, you will qualify for a flyway replacement (under the terms) and possibly better depending on the findings. Even if it was your fault and you hit a bridge and the drone sank in a pond.

Your flyaway replacement should arrive with a battery.

This is my understanding for DJI Care Refresh in the US.