Lost/crashed drone found...

photo2be · Feb 27, 2021

Hi from Sweden
Approx. three weeks ago I caused a crash (all by myself) when flying for a customer (-12C degrees below zero!) into a 25meter tall pinetree and the Mini2 "dissapeared" somewhere in the snow or in the pinetree ? Snow depth was 70cm. I "saw" the drone in the "Find my drone" but wasn't able to find it så I went home. Today the snow is gone and I went to the cemetry to look for it! There it was!! Lying upside down on the ground! No sign of damage/cracks whatsoever. The props ok too. I just flew it today and everytning works perfect!! What a drone!! The customer will be happy too. Pic attatched!

Phantomrain.org · Feb 27, 2021

Brings new meaning to being reborn from the dead,

Congrats

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 2 in the Rain / Snow

Jay241 · Feb 27, 2021

Nice to hear good news. Glad you found the Mini in flyable conditions.

THE CYBORG · Feb 27, 2021

Good to see everything worked out OK

Saladshooter · Feb 27, 2021

Thats pretty amazing.....electronics had to take quite dousing.

Congratulations.

photo2be · Feb 27, 2021

Saladshooter said:
Thats pretty amazing.....electronics had to take quite dousing.

Congratulations.

Yes, specially as it has been laying up-side-down in the snow for almost three weeks.

DJayI · Feb 27, 2021

I love a story with a happy ending.

Geeforce · Feb 28, 2021

Wow... what a nice story! Lucky you

Robyhe · Feb 28, 2021

Not often you get a positive outcome particularly where water and electronics collide so I guess congratulations are in order...

careless · Feb 28, 2021

I would name the Mini 2 "Waldo"

Itzmyobsession · Feb 28, 2021

I'd go out and buy a Lotto ticket....

byinesm · Feb 28, 2021

photo2be said:
Hi from Sweden
Approx. three weeks ago I caused a crash (all by myself) when flying for a customer (-12C degrees below zero!) into a 25meter tall pinetree and the Mini2 "dissapeared" somewhere in the snow or in the pinetree ? Snow depth was 70cm. I "saw" the drone in the "Find my drone" but wasn't able to find it så I went home. Today the snow is gone and I went to the cemetry to look for it! There it was!! Lying upside down on the ground! No sign of damage/cracks whatsoever. The props ok too. I just flew it today and everytning works perfect!! What a drone!! The customer will be happy too. Pic attatched!

That is good news! I was surprised that after the crash and later on you found your drone. On the ground once the snow was gone I wonder if later on you will experience some problems with your drone due to it being exposed to the inclement weather snow wet surface water had to enter inside of you drone. I’m also wondering if a slow decaying has begun on the inside of your drunk and some short period of time you will begin experiencing some problems. I wish you the best.

monteolsen1 · Feb 28, 2021

Great photo and persistence. ??

LmLphx · Feb 28, 2021

photo2be said:
Hi from Sweden
Approx. three weeks ago I caused a crash (all by myself) when flying for a customer (-12C degrees below zero!) into a 25meter tall pinetree and the Mini2 "dissapeared" somewhere in the snow or in the pinetree ? Snow depth was 70cm. I "saw" the drone in the "Find my drone" but wasn't able to find it så I went home. Today the snow is gone and I went to the cemetry to look for it! There it was!! Lying upside down on the ground! No sign of damage/cracks whatsoever. The props ok too. I just flew it today and everytning works perfect!! What a drone!! The customer will be happy too. Pic attatched!

Hi Photo2be
Hi from Arizona in the USA… I had a similar circumstance that was during the summer and no snow it was involved… Flying my old Mavic pro and the bulging battery apparently caused the battery to disengage from the drone. I'd flown about 300 feet above a canyon in a forested area of the state. Suddenly I lost connection and I waited in the drone never returned. I took the map coordinates and went to the area where it was last reported and never was able to find anything… However about two weeks later I got a phone call from someone who found the drone and of course in the US I have your contact information and registration license on your drone. He found it next to the road and I did get it back, just one of the props slightly damaged but the drone still flies perfectly… I was amazed.

photo2be · Feb 28, 2021

LmLphx said:
Hi Photo2be
Hi from Arizona in the USA… I had a similar circumstance that was during the summer and no snow it was involved… Flying my old Mavic pro and the bulging battery apparently caused the battery to disengage from the drone. I'd flown about 300 feet above a canyon in a forested area of the state. Suddenly I lost connection and I waited in the drone never returned. I took the map coordinates and went to the area where it was last reported and never was able to find anything… However about two weeks later I got a phone call from someone who found the drone and of course in the US I have your contact information and registration license on your drone. He found it next to the road and I did get it back, just one of the props slightly damaged but the drone still flies perfectly… I was amazed.

Hi LML!

Great story too! In Sweden we have to register all drones, except "toys" without cam, and have it marked with name and adress as well as a ID nbr.

Best from Sweden

cgmaxed · Feb 28, 2021

I had a drone in a similar situation, but mine had to do with flood waters. I found it five days later using another drone with a polarized lens to see under water. I found it under water after the flood waters receded a bit. Needless to say, the drone was toast, a brick. I sold it for scrap. It sounded like a sick R2D2 (Star Wars reference) when turned on. I'm surprised it even turned on at all. I had dryed it for 2 days, but 5 days under water was too long. I had another drone that was under water for 15-20 seconds (Mav air 2). I grabbed it, dryed it for an hour and it still flies a year later, no issues.

bernek · Mar 2, 2021

DJayI said:
I love a story with a happy ending.

What seems a happy ending now might be a sudden death the next day. No electronics like water and they corrode faster after being soaked a bit. Eventually it will develop problems and not fly/crash. It's like a curse that you can't escape.... It's sad I know...

DJayI · Mar 2, 2021

No doubt water can be harmful to energized electronics, salt water all the more. At least it wasn't submerged, though it probably got pretty wet from the melt, that is different than being submerged. I have had many electronics survive being wet and go on for years without obvious consequences. However, none of those were a drone with sensitive optics and a GPS guidance system.
Because of the nature of flying machines and the Mini 2's cost, if it were mine, I would probably send it in for an evaluation.

photo2be · Mar 3, 2021

DJayI said:
No doubt water can be harmful to energized electronics, salt water all the more. At least it wasn't submerged, though it probably got pretty wet from the melt, that is different than being submerged. I have had many electronics survive being wet and go on for years without obvious consequences. However, none of those were a drone with sensitive optics and a GPS guidance system.
Because of the nature of flying machines and the Mini 2's cost, if it were mine, I would probably send it in for an evaluation.

DJayl you might be right but I had to buy a new one the day after because of the assignments I had in pipeline. Now I have two Mini2 and I will use the "lost" one for kind of riscy flights. I have so far after I found it been in the air for about 1,5hrs without problems.