Fell out of sky, now stuck in tree.

[Talkenrain]

Was on a pretty routine flight returning when the drone (Mavic air 2) literally fell out of the sky (last recorded at 230 feet). I noted at takeoff. The battery didn’t seem to seat completely. I pressed on it and it seemed firm in place but apparently it lost contact during flight. At 230 feet above ground there was nothing blocking the path but when I check the flight history it literally disappeared at only 300 feet away from me. I could hear it and then all of a sudden silence and I lost contact and it was gone. I used “find my drone” to locate it. I found the battery on the ground almost exactly where the transmission ended. There was several pine trees nearby. I suspect the battery lost contact and transmission stopped. The drone fell out of the sky hit a pine tree, and the battery popped off the chassis, leaving the drone in the tree only to find the battery still active.. it still has 2/3 charge. The trees are only about 40 to 50 feet tall. Any ideas on retreating the drone or at this point is it even worth trying to recover it versus replacing with a new drone?

 

[mavic3usa]

These threads might give you some ideas:

Offering rescue services for drones stuck in trees and other high places.

Sep 25, 2018

Hello,

I am an arborist (tree surgeon) based in the Hampshire/Berkshire UK area. In the last few years I have had to rescue quite a few drones from the tops of trees whilst working in the UK and Europe and i always enjoy getting them safely back to their owner. So if anybody on here should need some help recovering their drone from a tree or other high places for a fair price please feel free to get in contact via my email address - [email protected] and I will be happy to give you a call and help.

If this post violates any forum rules or is in the wrong place could someone...

• Arbrescue
• drone recover drone stuck in tree
• Replies: 21
• Forum: Lost & Found Mavics

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My Mavic 3 is in a tree 40m up

Feb 17, 2024

Unfortunately, my Mavic 3 flew into a tree during a RTH procedure . I managed to find it with “find my drone”, only it’s about 40m up in the top of a tree… I can get a professional to climb the tree and fetch my drone, but that will cost quite a bit of money. I have 2 years of DJI refresh but if I don’t return a broken drone it’s a fly-away and I think that’s also expensive. What would be the best option? I’m OK with spending some money on this, just don’t know what’s the best option….

• IBL
• Replies: 52
• Forum: Crash & Flyaway Assistance

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[Bad Santa]

If you don't know which pine tree, it's tough.
If you do know which pine tree, find some kid who doesn't play video games 24/7 (hard to find) and offer them $50 to climb up and get it. Or find a pole that can reach.
Pine trees are climbable. Just need to get to the first branch.

 

[DJ Wes]

If you do know which pine tree, find some kid who doesn't play video games 24/7 (hard to find) and offer them $50 to climb up and get it.

Extremely bad advice! To encourage someone else's child to risk falling out of a tree and breaking a bone or worse is very careless.

You want to risk someone's safety, climb the tree yourself!

 

[Bad Santa]

~sigh~

 

[YVRGUY]

Talkenrain, you are experiencing the ‘Charlie Brown’ syndrome. As many of us agree, it’s not worth risking yours or any others life to rescue it.

 

[Greasy]

Extremely bad advice! To encourage someone else's child to risk falling out of a tree and breaking a bone or worse is very careless.

You want to risk someone's safety, climb the tree yourself!

When I was a kid I lived in trees but I guess they are growing them meaner now lol.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I would check all of your batteries if you find the drone. They are known to pop out and cause this exact scenario. It doesn't take much swelling for them to lose contact. I have a few that are relegated to non-flying duty.

 

[maggior]

I would check all of your batteries if you find the drone. They are known to pop out and cause this exact scenario. It doesn't take much swelling for them to lose contact. I have a few that are relegated to non-flying duty.

I also put a few of these batteries out of service when I saw the bottom bulging a bit and it felt a little harder to get the battery secure in the drone. They are cheap enough (at the time at least) that it was just not worth the risk of them popping out.

I used to put them on the charger shortly after using them and I think this caused premature swelling. I now let them totally cool before charging them and the batteries have been lasting noticeably longer.

 

[Sky Wombat]

Go to You Tube and search retrieve drone from tree. Lots of ideas and some may even work.

 

[Cafguy]

 

[Calson]

I would first determine on whose property the tree is located and get their permission to retrieve the drone. When you get permission I would then phone a local arborist to find one who is willing to climb the tree.

The arborist will have insurance and so you are protected should they injure themselves.

 

[AMann]

Being that you’re in Oregon, there are probably lots of forestry people in your area that can help. The safest way to climb any tree is with using tree climbing ladders, or by roping in while doing it. Try this website to get local help- some of these guys will also rescue drones. You are also in luck, there’s a guy listed on it at Lake Oswego named Bob Stewart:

Cat in a Tree Emergency Rescue

catinatreerescue.com

 

[Bad Santa]

I didn't even realize the OP was from the Portland area.

The OP hasn't replied to the thread so it's unlikely we will know more info but the bottom line is if one doesn't know which tree, or where in the tree, it's not going to be easy to get someone to get it down.

I used a tree service company but I knew exactly where the drone was. It was still almost the cost of the drone to get it down.

 

[JoeShmoe]

Was in same situation once: Mini 2 SE got stuck on top of a maple tree ~60 ft high. Maple is much treacherous type of wood,so climbing was not an option.
Got myself a M2P, hooked up a motorized 3-prong claw, and successfully fished the Mini out of the branches. All it took was lots of pla ning and patience.

 

[Bill Lazar]

I lost an almost new drone in a wooded area. Walked around trying to figure out where it was using Find My Drone. Signal kept changing. But my sharp-eyed sister-in-law saw it up in a tree about 20 feet from the ground. Fortunately, my brother-in-law was a ham radio nut and had an extra 25 foot antenna lying around. We managed to knock it out of tree, essentially unharmed. Luck was with me on that one.