Frozen App. Drone Down. What Should I Have Done?

[WobblingWillie]

Yes, I've had to roll back the app to 1.4.2. There was just too much potentially dangerous weirdness with the latest version: telemetry would freeze while fpv video was fine, or fpv video would freeze and telemetry would be fine, and there were always annoying video stutters which clearing the cache and even uninstalling/reinstalling didn't help.

I had the same telemetry/video issues and I went back to 1.4.4 but haven't had a chance to test it. I know 1.4.0 works fine because I went from 1.4.0 to 1.4.8.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

If the app stops running, so does recording of the flight data.

I don't think it does Meta4. I have the flight logs here and they show an unbroken stream of information and warnings from the entire flight. One thing that is strange though is that it hasn't recorded the first warning message, just before the app froze, that the battery was low and that it was about to initiate RTH. Neither has it logged my subsequent cancelling of RTH.

Also, a message that I distinctly remember getting shortly before the drone finally landed that the landing area was unsuitable was never recorded.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

I just experienced my 2nd incident in the past 2 days. v1.4.8 appears to be the cause, as I never had the app crash prior to the update to 1.4.8.

First time it happened, screen froze but I could still control the a/c. Giving the RTH command caused my Mini 2 to return to home as expected.

This 2nd time, I had already initiated the RTH function while the app was working normally.

My 1st clue to v1.4.8 app crash was the RTH height. I programmed the a/c to climb to 100m before starting the return journey. At 94m height, I could see the height was not increasing per the screen indicator.

I re-started the DJI Fly app but it made no difference. That gave me reason to worry. I figured a re-start would result in regaining control over the screen of my phone. (I use a Samsung S8 on my Mini 2). App re-start did not resolve the problem. However, a 2nd re-start of the app worked.

The drone did however, return to home point and I was able to control and land it without any problem.

Would flight logs show if the app has crashed??

Until DJI releases a fix for their latest update (1.4.8), we should all be extra careful to maintain VLOS at all times and use RTH if the screen freezes again. And don't allow the battery to get too low in case you experience problems.

Can someone ask DJI to fix the DJI Fly app v1.4.8 please?

There is no clue in my flight logs that the app had crashed.

 

[Meta4]

I don't think it does Meta4. I have the flight logs here and they show an unbroken stream of information and warnings from the entire flight.

If it was able to record data, the app hadn't completely stopped running.
If you lose the app, you also lose data recording

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

If it was able to record data, the app hadn't completely stopped running.
If you lose the app, you also lose data recording

Makes sense. Looks like it was a partial crash where the interface froze up.

 

[Bill Dunnuck]

I have a standard rule that when battery remaining hits 5 minutes, I head for home. No exceptions and this pertains to flights that are not far away as well. I don’t fly out very far. Set personal standards for yourself and stick with them.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

I have a standard rule that when battery remaining hits 5 minutes, I head for home. No exceptions and this pertains to flights that are not far away as well. I don’t fly out very far. Set personal standards for yourself and stick with them.

That is now very much my rule too! I've not been flying that long Bill, so I'm still making the mistakes and that was one of them. I got very lucky on Sunday. It was yet another case of confidence overtaking competence.

A bit like new fighter pilots in WW2. If you made it through the first few sorties, your chances of survival dramatically increased...

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

It wasn't in RTH, I cancelled it.

As long as you had a reliable Home Point recorded after take off and had set the App controls to put the drone at a suitable elevation to clear obstacles prior to returning to your Home Point, why would you possibly want to cancel RTH if your battery is getting low, your drone is out of sight (!!!) and your screen has frozen up?! When the drone turns for home, take some screen shots of the horizon camera view and turn the camera down (F button) and again capture some screen shots as the drone is flying RTH. That way, if the battery drains critically and the drone auto lands, you can also see what it is coming down on - assuming the video feed is still live. But I would definitely leave the drone on its homeward path. You might consider only flying within line of sight in future and also consider fixing a strobe to the drone, if flying a lot over longer distances in rural areas. Good luck. ????

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

That is now very much my rule too! I've not been flying that long Bill, so I'm still making the mistakes and that was one of them. I got very lucky on Sunday. It was yet another case of confidence overtaking competence.

A bit like new fighter pilots in WW2. If you made it through the first few sorties, your chances of survival dramatically increased...

If you imagine that your new drone cost you $50,000, you will be a lot more cautious ……… ??

 

[Ken-Mav-Mtl]

My temporary fix for the unstable app version 1.4.8 is to use my backup phone (Samsung Note 10) since I had not updated beyond v.1.4.4.

Hopefully DJI will realize that they put out an unstable version and will soon issue an update.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

As long as you had a reliable Home Point recorded after take off and had set the App controls to put the drone at a suitable elevation to clear obstacles prior to returning to your Home Point, why would you possibly want to cancel RTH if your battery is getting low, your drone is out of sight (!!!) and your screen has frozen up?! When the drone turns for home, take some screen shots of the horizon camera view and turn the camera down (F button) and again capture some screen shots as the drone is flying RTH. That way, if the battery drains critically and the drone auto lands, you can also see what it is coming down on - assuming the video feed is still live. But I would definitely leave the drone on its homeward path. You might consider only flying within line of sight in future and also consider fixing a strobe to the drone, if flying a lot over longer distances in rural areas. Good luck. ????

As I said in the OP, I cancelled it just before the screen froze (I have a feeling it might have been cancelling the RTH that crashed the app) because I was flying straight back to the homepoint anyway. There are lots of experienced flyers on this forum that say they only ever use RTH if there's absolutely no other option. I felt at that point I had another option.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

Hopefully DJI will realize that they put out an unstable version and will soon issue an update.

It is incredible that these sort of potentially dangerous software problems are left to just sit out there for so long. It's inconceivable that DJI aren't aware of it. I can only assume they're not always easy to fix.

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

If you imagine that your new drone cost you $50,000, you will be a lot more cautious ……… ??

Frankly David, it might just have well have done...

 

[Ken-Mav-Mtl]

It is incredible that these sort of potentially dangerous software problems are left to just sit out there for so long. It's inconceivable that DJI aren't aware of it. I can only assume they're not always easy to fix.

Perhaps DJI will get a lot of warranty claims for crashes that occur due to the use of v.1.4.8? That might force them to roll back the app to the latest stable version 1.4.4 until they fix the app.
(I hope someone from DJI is following this thread)

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

Perhaps DJI will get a lot of warranty claims for crashes that occur due to the use of v.1.4.8? That might force them to roll back the app to the latest stable version 1.4.4 until they fix the app.
(I hope someone from DJI is following this thread)

In the history of consumer IT has any company that designs and sells consumer software ever gone back to an 'old' version of anything? It goes against the entire philosophy of consumer tech.

 

[360 Guy]

Did you happen to pick any corn on your trek through? ?

 

[Baron von Richthofen]

Did you happen to pick any corn on your trek through? ?

I'd definitely lost my appetite by then

 

[Mynah]

I started my flying endeavors with v1.4.0, flew may happy hours and miles, updated to v1.4.2, app crashed on first flight, updated to v1.4.4, app crashed during first flight, then finally gave v1.4.8 a cautious try and low and behold, have done several hours on it without a single glitch. (Touching wood)
Had I started my drone experience with v1.4.2 or v1.4.4 I would have given the hobby up in frustration within a day to take up knitting instead.
I don't envy the software developers of Fly their jobs, there are simply too many variables to cover; types of devices x OS version x device configuration x drone type x user competence etc. etc. I have learnt though to never delete the last working version's APK from my storage.
That said, for a Mini on a Redmi Note 8, running Android 10, Fly v1.4.8 is the latest 'stable' version since v1.4.0.

 

[Kilrah]

In the history of consumer IT has any company that designs and sells consumer software ever gone back to an 'old' version of anything? It goes against the entire philosophy of consumer tech.

Google just did after they broke Chromebooks twice in a row.

Google messed up all those Chromebooks yesterday because of a single typo

A fix has rolled out

www.androidpolice.com

 

[SteCee]

I too have had the App crash on android but always had VLOS. The App freezes and screen goes black. Reset of the phone occasionally worked although the screen froze displaying zero height, zero speed and no location.

This occurred on both the Mini 2 and the Air 2 so something is going on and I'm sure many UAVs will disappear for good.

Glad you retrieved it though.