I lost my Mavic and need help finding out what happened - FOUND BY STARZ!

[Pablo]

View attachment 4037 View attachment 4038 View attachment 4039 View attachment 4040 Not sure if Pablo is aware yet. I'm guessing not. There is a 7 or 8 hour time difference. Please don't forget that without the info provided by msinger, this would probably have a different outcome. This mp was exactly where his map showed it to be in earlier page. The video provided by Pablo was also a big help on finding where to start the climb up the rock. This rock outcropping was roughly 100 yards wide in both directions and about 100 feet tall from surrounding area. I had with me one of the guys that work for me who actually grew up in Nogales which is only 20 minutes away. Not an area to go into by oneself. There is a lot of border crosser activity but more that the climb could be tricky (very steep) and thought it better to have a backup in case of a fall. If this mp had gone down 6 feet farther west it would have tumbled down a 150 foot drop off. South, north and west face of this rock structure was too steep to climb without proper equipment. East face was the only access to the top. We both felt it would be best to get as high as possible for to us to see as much area as we could. The mp could have hit a cliff face and tumbled down in several different directions. We got almost to the top and looked into this 2 to 3 foot wide crack and bingo, there it was. Looked like it must have tried to land on a very steep rock face,took out some prop material and fell about 15 feet. So now, how to get it out of the crack? We hashed out a plan that we thought would work. The thought that this may not be worth the risk did come up. We had some rope and a hook that we brought in case we had to fish it off the side of a cliff face so I tied that around my chest with my helper holding on to the other end. Down the crack I went. Luckily he is twice my size so I was not to worried. The only concern I had was the drop off that was just on the other side of the mp,so I took my time and it all worked as planed. I'll post the pictures and then go through and explain them.

Just reading through the details now and this is all so thrilling. I can't believe you did all that for me. I can honestly say had I tried on my own I would have failed, or badly hurt myself in the process. As an English guy in a very foreign landscape I must admit I find the desert incredibly beautiful but also completely terrifying . I'm so glad you and your friend got back unscathed.

Next time I'm back in Arizona (my wife is from there so I'm there quite a lot), I'm taking you boys out for beers

 

[Wacker2611]

Best thread on here so far by a country mile. So pleased you're getting it back Pablo - I'm assuming the gimbal will be nackered but having said that it looks amazingly intact in the pics so you never know! Keep us all posted[emoji3]


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[Pablo]

So thank you very much -- my wife and I have both been pretty lucky in life, and we try to pay it forward as much as possible.

But let's keep in mind -- the real work here was done by @Starz -- he's the one who took the time out of his day to go recover the drone, so he deserves the credit in my book.

The lesson here (in addition to being REALLY careful with your Mavic) is that there are still some good people in the world (and also some not-so-good). Drone flying is an excellent hobby, and we should all do our best to promote the community and that means we should all look after each other.

Absolutely. I agree with all of this. Honestly when I started the thread I just wanted to establish what happened, and if it was all my fault. I didn't even consider the possibility of getting it back! The thought of someone else going and getting it back for me never even crossed my mind.

I think it's a wonderful story for this forum and I will be telling people about this for years to come. You should all be very proud of yourselves.

 

[Pablo]

Best thread on here so far by a country mile. So pleased you're getting it back Pablo - I'm assuming the gimbal will be nackered but having said that it looks amazingly intact in the pics so you never know! Keep us all posted[emoji3]


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I can't believe it Wacker! I'm hoping that PolarPro filter took the brunt of the damage for the gimbal, but it is terribly fragile, so we'll see. Either way, I had had no hope of ever seeing it again, so to see it, even in pictures , is absolutely mind blowing!

@Starz by name, star by nature

 

[Jordan]

As for repairs if required. I wonder if DJI would print a postage label so Starz could post it in for repair and then DJI could send it back to the UK?

 

[Palliz]

View attachment 4037 View attachment 4038 View attachment 4039 View attachment 4040 Not sure if Pablo is aware yet. I'm guessing not. There is a 7 or 8 hour time difference. Please don't forget that without the info provided by msinger, this would probably have a different outcome. This mp was exactly where his map showed it to be in earlier page. The video provided by Pablo was also a big help on finding where to start the climb up the rock. This rock outcropping was roughly 100 yards wide in both directions and about 100 feet tall from surrounding area. I had with me one of the guys that work for me who actually grew up in Nogales which is only 20 minutes away. Not an area to go into by oneself. There is a lot of border crosser activity but more that the climb could be tricky (very steep) and thought it better to have a backup in case of a fall. If this mp had gone down 6 feet farther west it would have tumbled down a 150 foot drop off. South, north and west face of this rock structure was too steep to climb without proper equipment. East face was the only access to the top. We both felt it would be best to get as high as possible for to us to see as much area as we could. The mp could have hit a cliff face and tumbled down in several different directions. We got almost to the top and looked into this 2 to 3 foot wide crack and bingo, there it was. Looked like it must have tried to land on a very steep rock face,took out some prop material and fell about 15 feet. So now, how to get it out of the crack? We hashed out a plan that we thought would work. The thought that this may not be worth the risk did come up. We had some rope and a hook that we brought in case we had to fish it off the side of a cliff face so I tied that around my chest with my helper holding on to the other end. Down the crack I went. Luckily he is twice my size so I was not to worried. The only concern I had was the drop off that was just on the other side of the mp,so I took my time and it all worked as planed. I'll post the pictures and then go through and explain them.

Looks in remarkably good shape - the ding is probably in the best place it could be & the gimbal looks to be in great shape too - WOW! What a story & even better what a great ending - DJI should showcase this in future marketing - pretty incredible all around by you guys who came together to help Pablo get his Mavic back. Seriously enjoyed watching this drama unfold & with such a happy ending - great work you guys! Love to know if the Mavic actually just requires a new battery props & flies perfectly - now THAT would be something huh????

 

[Pablo]

I do wonder what the camera looks like behind that Polar Pro filter. The filter looks like it took most of the impact (thank God I had it on) but if the glass is smashed on the camera I think I'll have to send it off to DJI.

I don't have DJI Refresh by the way. I would have got it but as I flew it first in USA I would have had to register it there (that's as I read the T&Cs anyway). I planned to get it when I brought it back to England, but for obvious reasons, that never happened

 

[Pablo]

Also I better order some spare props. Two of them look very damaged. The other two look just about useable? I have the two spare in the box, so I should be ok, but I think it's time to order some more to be safe.

If it turns on I'm hoping the battery is ok, if not I do have a spare one I ordered here in England before Christmas.

That dent on the body I'm hoping will just be cosmetic.

In summary, it looks like, assuming there's no significant damage to the gimbal/camera, that it came through a pretty rough landing pretty much intact. That's pretty impressive!

 

[LawFlyer]

@Pablo - it's 4:15 am here but I just checked my phone and saw your comments...very chuffed that you saw the happy news. I'll post a longer comment later but the wife and I are going to be in London in May, so if you happen to be down there maybe we can grab a pint at the pub. Anyway congrats and fingers crossed that your Mavic is back in the air soon....and how great is it that @Starz got his tracking number the same day?

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[Pablo]

@Pablo - it's 4:15 am here but I just checked my phone and saw your comments...very chuffed that you saw the happy news. I'll post a longer comment later but the wife and I are going to be in London in May, so if you happen to be down there maybe we can grab a pint at the pub. Anyway congrats and fingers crossed that your Mavic is back in the air soon....and how great is it that @Starz got his tracking number the same day?

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I believe they call that karma.

I'll definitely buy the beers if I can get to London in May

 

[Nyikhmur]

Amazing story!!! What a cooperation between forum members! Happy to hear that there are still helpful people in this wicked world! Pablo your mavic now has some extraordinary history!

 

[Starz]

I do wonder what the camera looks like behind that Polar Pro filter. The filter looks like it took most of the impact (thank God I had it on) but if the glass is smashed on the camera I think I'll have to send it off to DJI.

I don't have DJI Refresh by the way. I would have got it but as I flew it first in USA I would have had to register it there (that's as I read the T&Cs anyway). I planned to get it when I brought it back to England, but for obvious reasons, that never happened

I did think about pulling the filter off to check the camera but since this doesn't belong to me, I thought not. The idea of sending it off to dji was also a thought,but I really don't think it needs that process at this time. After someone mentioned powering it up to check functionality,that was done. All seemed right except the gimbal banging around because the filter is not in correct position. I will pull it off if and check again if that works for you.

 

[Starz]

Other question I have for everyone. In shipping back to the happy guy,how do the shipping folks handle the lipo battery. I know you can do a carry on if you are on a plane, but they are not allowed in the cargo area. So if the package is mp and battery,does that mean ground only. To early for me to check with local shipping people. ????

 

[Mystiko]

If in doubt, my gut instinct would be to ship the mavic minus the battery. If the battery has anything more than cosmetic damage it might be worth considering chucking it away...


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[maikm]

Other question I have for everyone. In shipping back to the happy guy,how do the shipping folks handle the lipo battery. I know you can do a carry on if you are on a plane, but they are not allowed in the cargo area. So if the package is mp and battery,does that mean ground only.

UPS restrictions apply only to batteries that are not installed in a device: UPS: Shipping Batteries or Devices with Batteries
At least I'm reading it as that. I think you could easily ship the drone with the included battery, especially when it's almost empty, but no additional batteries along with it?

 

[Darkbrood]

Big high 5 to you guys. Amazing!

Unbelievable


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[Pablo]

I did think about pulling the filter off to check the camera but since this doesn't belong to me, I thought not. The idea of sending it off to dji was also a thought,but I really don't think it needs that process at this time. After someone mentioned powering it up to check functionality,that was done. All seemed right except the gimbal banging around because the filter is not in correct position. I will pull it off if and check again if that works for you.

Yeah if you want to carefully remove the filter and turn it on to check the gimbal and camera I'd appreciate it. At least I know what I'm up against then.

The fact those Polar Pro filters can't be installed before you power on is annoying, but ironically, from the pictures it looks as though that bulky filter has saved the gimbal from further damage.

 

[JayBird]

This thread is better and more riveting than the last 3 movies I've watched! Nice to see a community come together like this. Glad it was recovered! Happy for Pablo and much respect to LawFlyer, Starz, and all the others that sacrificed their time to contribute to the recovery effort. Oh, and way to bingo the location msinger!


Fly Safe, Fly Legal, and Protect Our Hobby! -Jay

 

[J-Dub]

Yeah if you want to carefully remove the filter and turn it on to check the gimbal and camera I'd appreciate it. At least I know what I'm up against then.

The fact those Polar Pro filters can't be installed before you power on is annoying, but ironically, from the pictures it looks as though that bulky filter has saved the gimbal from further damage.

More good karma, Polar Pro has new lighter ones if you are not aware, install and power on after. But if you had those new ones maybe just maybe the filter would not have protected it...can't wait to hear the results from Stars

 

[leesmavic]

Don't ship the drone without a gimbal clamp. Otherwise it will die on the way home and it will be a pity after surviving in a crash.

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