Flight controller stuck in NFZ

Sportking · Jul 22, 2018

This is my first problem with my Mavic Pro after 143 flights. Yesterday evening I was flying in an area about 2 miles from the outer circle for our local airport in Houston. About 12 minutes into the flight, and still more than a mile outside the circle, I got a warning that I was in a NFZ and auto landing was initiating. I was about 1300' from my home point and at 159' all, so I immediately turned around and full-throttled back toward my home point. I ran out of elevation about 700' from my home point over the corner of a forested area. My Mavic crash landed in the treed area. I immediately hot-footed to the area shown by gps on my map since it was beginning to get dark and after about 10 minutes located the Mavic lodged in some small tree branches in a thicket about 15' above ground. I could not shake it loose so I looked around and found a large fallen branch and broke it off to the right length and dislodged the Mavic. It it landed in more small branches low enough that I could retrieve it.

So far so good. Amazingly, the bird is undamaged so I wanted to see if it would fly before I went home. When I got it powered up, my controller has message in large letters "In NFZ" and my iPad mini gives me a message "Cannot Take Off". I have tried everything trying to get thossages off but to no avail. I have restarted everything but still no. My gps shows me in exact position on map with 14 satellites. I have recalibrate the IMU and also corrected the shock absorber bracket on the gimbal which was partially dislodged by the crash. The camera and gimbal work well.

Ok, sorry for the long post, but here is my question: how do I get rid of the NFZ messages so I can fly again?

Kilrah · Jul 22, 2018

Any temporary flight restriction in your area?

Sportking · Jul 22, 2018

Thank you for your reply. None that I am aware of. Weather is good and no type of emergencies are happening now and we have no visiting dignitaries in our area.

I have never before had any issues with NFZ. I have flown in this same area many times and even within airport circles ( very carefully) before, without any problems. I was still more than a mile outside the circle when this happened. At the beginning of the flight, I was getting an intermittent, blinking IMU calibration error. I moved to another location several feet away ( on grass) and no more IMU errors showed. I carefully launched and observed the flight characteristics for a minute or so at 6' AGL and again at about 90' AGL before continuing with the flight. Everything was working normally. This morning I did a ziMU recalibration but that did not resolve the issue.

Thanks again for your reply.

beachcombing · Jul 22, 2018

Sportking said:
....
When I got it powered up, my controller has message in large letters "In NFZ" and my iPad mini gives me a message "Cannot Take Off". I have tried everything trying to get thossages off but to no avail.

Have you tried going to a different location?

Sportking · Jul 22, 2018

I tried several different locations that I knew were far enough from the airport and have flown in these places before. Same results. Thanks for your reply and suggestion.

Now for the good news: I just got back from a test flight and it is working perfectly. For the last several months, every time I would start up Go4 to fly, I was getting a message to download the new DJI fly zone database and I would always ignore it. So t tried another flight, still getting the same NFZ warning on my controller, but also noticed the download message again. I moved over into the shade of a tree and initiated the download. Immediately the NFZ message on my controller display changed to "downloading database" or something like that. When the download completed less than a minute later, I got the message GPS, ready to fly. It sort of stunned me and I stared st it for a couple of minutes, then completed my mental checklist and tapped the auto take up. It rose up to the normal 6' or so altitude and parked there. After watching it for a few seconds, I ran it up to 90' and watched it a little longer before continuing on to a normal flight, shooting a short vid and some photos. I flew it back and landed. All is well with the Mavic, not even any scratches or prop dings.

Now I need to research and find out if this ever happens again, if there is anything I can do to prevent the drone from initiating autulanding. DJI shouldn't attempt to destroy someone's drone because it strays into or close to a NFZ. Is there any setting I can change to prevent auto landing?

Thanks,
Sportking

Youser · Jul 24, 2018

I think I read months ago that you have two choices, hover or land just outside the NFZ. Not sure if you are able to fly it back if its set to hover as it looks like it automatically lands without giving you an option to fly back if it's set to land when in NFZ.

brilock1 · Jul 24, 2018

Dji need to re think this because just landing or even hovering could be more dangerous than just initiating RTH. These NFZs are causing unnecessary problems and a re think of responses to them is needed.

Kilrah · Jul 24, 2018

If you are outside of an nfz and try to enter it it won't let you, it will just stop on the "virtual wall". BUT if you somehow happen to "suddenly become in it" after takeoff for example becasue it downloads updated nfz data in flight and it just happen to be in a new one then it'll land in place without possibility to intervene.

Sportking · Jul 24, 2018

It is totally wrong for DJI to attempt to destroy your drone or cause you to irretrievably lose it. This time was I was fortunate and found my drone and recovered it undamaged. But now I am afraid to fly it because DJI might decide to try to destroy it. They are treading on thin ice in that they could leave themselves open to a hugh class-action lawsuit, or they should just replace any drones that they destroy or cause them to be lost. The scary thing is that I was not even in a No Fly Zone. I was more than a mile away. It would be just as easy for them to cause it to automatically RTH if you stray into a NFZ. That solution would be just as effective, would be safer and they wouldn't be destroying their clients expensive drones. Listen up, DJI!!!

beachcombing · Jul 25, 2018

Sportking said:
Listen up, DJI!!!

DJI's not here, man.

GavieboyDji · Jul 26, 2018

Sportking said:
It is totally wrong for DJI to attempt to destroy your drone or cause you to irretrievably lose it. This time was I was fortunate and found my drone and recovered it undamaged. But now I am afraid to fly it because DJI might decide to try to destroy it. They are treading on thin ice in that they could leave themselves open to a hugh class-action lawsuit, or they should just replace any drones that they destroy or cause them to be lost. The scary thing is that I was not even in a No Fly Zone. I was more than a mile away. It would be just as easy for them to cause it to automatically RTH if you stray into a NFZ. That solution would be just as effective, would be safer and they wouldn't be destroying their clients expensive drones. Listen up, DJI!!!

I would write that in the dji forum see what response you get.

Kilrah · Jul 26, 2018

As long as an NFZ scheme is enforced landing if found in one to clear the airspace like yesterday is a rational decision.

What IS a problem and needs reporting / fighting for is the fact that it can suddelny find itself in one when there isn't or without seeing it coming. But rambling to other users isn't the solution for that, you need to talk directly to DJI.

Sportking · Jul 26, 2018

I was only trying to get opinions of other users who might have experienced a similar problem or knew of an option in GO4 to prevent a Mavic crash or water landing if this should happen again. I was outside the NFZ by a mile when this happened with about 50% battery power.

Canuk · Jul 26, 2018

It might be time to go with
NO limit drones .
I believe if you use there down loads dji has no longer any control over your drone . I think it’s like .35 or 40 bucks to become a member . Something to read up on

Sportking · Jul 28, 2018

Thanks, Canuk. I will read up on that. Does anyone know of an app that shows NFZ's and other restricted flight areas,graphically, on a map? I downloaded B4UFly but have not had a chance to try it extensively yet. Are there any other zones that will cause my drone to auto land besides NFZ's. I have been flying my MP for almost a year and my P3P a little longer and have almost 150 flights on each drone with never a problem. Last week was the first time I ever had a DJI forced autoland. Until then I didn't even think anything like that was possible. I thought if I was careful with monitoring battery power, setting a good home point on each flight and paying close attention to my flight parameters, and GO4 flight zones on my map, I was relatively safe.

Thanks,
Sportking.

Kilrah · Jul 28, 2018

The map in GO4 or on DJI website are what matters for how the DJI aircraft behaves (note I did NOT say "what's actually legal or not"). If behavior didn't match those which it seems then it is a malfunction that needs to be reported.