Just Crashed my Mavic 3 Into the Ocean

[Noah Hollins]

I have been a member of this forum for some time but have yet to post anything or report any incidents. I've owned my Mavic 3 for some time now and had no crashes. I was out over the water at a sandbar filming some people in the water (you can see me with the handheld camera in the water.) My brother was the one flying the drone, (pictured on the boat on the right) we are a team of 3 videographers, our other videographer uses different control method which caused my brother to get disoriented, panic and fly my drone into the outriggers (which were not in use) of a fishing boat a couple feet away (seen on the left). The drone was submerged for less than 10 seconds and we quickly pulled it out of the water and dried it off. Its currently sitting in rice and praying that I dont have to fork over 1000$ / 2000$ for a new drone as I do not have DJI Care on this one.

I was able to recover all the footage apart from the clip that was recording at the time of the crash.

Attached is a screenshot of a video taken 5 minutes prior.

Any thoughts?

 

[ryguy80]

Sorry for the drone loss. Hope the rice does the trick, but I'm guessing you'll be forking over for a new drone if I had to wager a bet.

I guess I would have used a control scheme that your brother is comfortable flying, especially being around other people and objects that can be harmed. That would be my first procedural change. A panicked pilot is a dangerous pilot.

 

[Meta4]

our other videographer uses different control method which caused my brother to get disoriented, panic and fly my drone into the outriggers

A different control method?

Any thoughts?

If your drone has been in salt water, even briefly, it's unlikely to work properly again.

Saltwater + electronics never mix.

 

[Noah Hollins]

A different control method?

Saltwater + electronics never mix.

DJI offers 3 different control methods on the DJI Fly app. MODE 1 / MODE 2 / MODE 3

for example the left stick makes the drone go up and down and the right stick back and forth.

this is the method default by DJI and what we use. Mode 1 reverses this, which is what confused the pilot.

So he tried to turn the drone away from the boat and ended up going right into it.

 

[Cafguy]

and dried it off

MISTAKE. If it had a chance, Sorry you should have taken it out of the salt water and immediately placed it in a bath of clean water (no salt) then total disassembly into an alcohol bath With Salt water every min counts BUT Good luck you may have a slight chance,

Mode 1 reverses this, which is what confused the pilot.

SO.....No Pre-Flight?

 

[Meta4]

The drone was submerged for less than 10 seconds and we quickly pulled it out of the water and dried it off. Its currently sitting in rice and praying that I dont have to fork over 1000$ / 2000$ for a new drone as I do not have DJI Care on this one.

The effectiveness of rice is a myth.
It's not going to help you.
As explained above, you would have had to rinsed the salt out and then used alcohol.
But the damage has already been done and the salt is now spreading in the drone's circuitry, damaging everything it contacts.

 

[Noah Hollins]

The effectiveness of rice is a myth.
It's not going to help you.
As explained above, you would have had to rinsed the salt out and then used alcohol.
But the damage has already been done and the salt is now spreading in the drone's circuitry, damaging everything it contacts.

It only happened a few hours ago. do you think fresh water is still good or too late? along with alcohol?

 

[Meta4]

It only happened a few hours ago. do you think fresh water is still good or too late? along with alcohol?

It can't hurt, but it's unlikely it would have saved your drone even if it was done straight away.
Saltwater kills electronics.

 

[timinator]

Use distilled water for the rinse and dispose the battery responsibly.

 

[Bad Santa]

Saltwater is highly corrosive. Plain water isn't nearly as corrosive.

Pure water is not a conductor of electricity. It's the impurities in the water that makes it conductive.
Salt water is a decent conductor.

The more salt, the more conductive.

The #1 goal would be to remove any trace of salt. Taking it apart and rinsing it as good as possible with distilled water is your best bet. Then, as suggested, rinse the water out with alcohol. NOT the cheap rubbing alcohol. There's a 90%+ version available. Us that if you can't get hold of any 99% pure.
You could try everclear drinking alcohol but that's not much better than the 90% stuff.

DO NOT LET THE SALT DRY OUT IN THE DRONE. That's the worst thing for it right now.

Once you have everything rinsed out as good as you can, put it in a box with desiccant (NOT IN THE DESSICANT) in a warm place.
Rice is a desiccant in a pinch but so is kitty litter.

I don't know what you'd do to "lube" the motors but whatever oils that are in them will be gone with the alcohol.

 

[Noah Hollins]

No where to get 90% alcohol at this time, only thing available is the 70%

 

[Bad Santa]

Well, there's an easy way to distill the 70% to much higher.
Funny thing, though, it involves (NON IODIZED) salt.

Salt doesn't dissolve in alcohol but it attaches to water.
You could put a teaspoon of salt in a bottle of rubbing alcohol and shake it up real good. Wait for it to separate and the salt water will be the lower 30% and the alcohol will be the upper 70%.

Or go to a pharmacy and get the 90% stuff.
(or go to a print shop and ask them for 99%)

I can't believe, after the covid pandemic, there are people who don't have this stuff under their sink.

 

[Cafguy]

As said above really you will have to be VERY lucky to get it working after the salt water bath BUT its worth the chance to try.