Lost Mavic Mini - Lost over water

[Geekser]

Just a bystander here - but I gotta say, you guys are amazing! Hope I never have a similar problem but great to know there are resources like you guys here for help if I need it. Thanks for all you do....

 

[JrFish]

Well, to add a bit more hassle to the situation, the phone I was using at the time of incident is no longer with us. Actually it's alive, but the screen is dead. All files from the DJI FLY app are accessible and I have them on the PC.

Chatting with DJI CS now, and they are asking me to 'sync' the files from my DJI FLY on the original phone. Can't really use that phone to do that, and he is hesitating when I ask for another option. He is also telling I am only able to use the new phone for synching is if the 'Auto-Sync' feature was active at the time of the incident.

I have loaded DJI FLY on my new phone, but I haven't transferred any files over yet. Do you guys have any recommendations on how I get them sync'd files in this situation?

Edit: Looks like I just need to email them a link to download my DJI/dji.go.v5/FlightRecord directory . CS rep was acting like it couldn't be done. So, I'll be sending tonight. Will update you as whether Justice gets served or denied. Thanks!

 

[sar104]

Well, to add a bit more hassle to the situation, the phone I was using at the time of incident is no longer with us. Actually it's alive, but the screen is dead. All files from the DJI FLY app are accessible and I have them on the PC.

Chatting with DJI CS now, and they are asking me to 'sync' the files from my DJI FLY on the original phone. Can't really use that phone to do that, and he is hesitating when I ask for another option. He is also telling I am only able to use the new phone for synching is if the 'Auto-Sync' feature was active at the time of the incident.

I have loaded DJI FLY on my new phone, but I haven't transferred any files over yet. Do you guys have any recommendations on how I get them sync'd files in this situation?

Edit: Looks like I just need to email them a link to download my DJI/dji.go.v5/FlightRecord directory . CS rep was acting like it couldn't be done. So, I'll be sending tonight. Will update you as whether Justice gets served or denied. Thanks!

You already retrieved and posted the relevant files here, so you can send them to DJI by any number of means, including just sending them a link to this thread. In any case, the cause of the incident is obvious - you just need to be persistent with them, escalating the case as needed.

 

[Rodders]

You have no chance with DJI your fault.

 

[itsneedtokno]

You have no chance with DJI your fault.

Well now that's not very nice.

DJI has always done right by me.

Albeit, the wait can feel like forever, but if it truly, honestly was not your fault they usually take care of it.

 

[itsneedtokno]

Well now that's not very nice.

DJI has always done right by me.

Albeit, the wait can feel like forever, but if it truly, honestly was not your fault they usually take care of it.

I fought them on the loss of my Mavic Air, blaming them for everything under the sun...

Until I looked HARD over the flight records and went back to the location only to notice I clipped a channel marker.

 

[bulldoser222]

I checked you data. Did you purchase the drone with fly more combo? And did you store the mini in its box?
You can see in the data file that the rear motors’s soeed is much more tham the front motors. If the drone just hovers the speed must be equal but I do not see anywhere where the rpm is the same for all the 4 engines. If you do not store well the mini the back propa bend (also in the original box) and cannot provide as much lift or power that it is nevessary to have the mini ober water/ground. You can clearly see in the data file that the rpm is several time over 15000.
If you have .500 firmware on the mini it shows the error message motor speed error please immediatly return home and replace prop. If you have the .400 firmawe there is no warning and mini can fell down.
So i assume your back props were not able to produce as much lift as it should have been necessary to reach home point.

 

[sar104]

I checked you data. Did you purchase the drone with fly more combo? And did you store the mini in its box?
You can see in the data file that the rear motors’s soeed is much more tham the front motors. If the drone just hovers the speed must be equal but I do not see anywhere where the rpm is the same for all the 4 engines. If you do not store well the mini the back propa bend (also in the original box) and cannot provide as much lift or power that it is nevessary to have the mini ober water/ground. You can clearly see in the data file that the rpm is several time over 15000.
If you have .500 firmware on the mini it shows the error message motor speed error please immediatly return home and replace prop. If you have the .400 firmawe there is no warning and mini can fell down.
So i assume your back props were not able to produce as much lift as it should have been necessary to reach home point.

The rear props always run faster, even when hovering, and so that isn't always definitive. But as you can see in post #8, the rear motors go to maximum, which is the problem.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

just an add on to sar104's post, the rear props carry more weight, hence higher speeds are required

 

[JrFish]

I have just sent in the files to DJI and opened the data analysis ticket in the last couple days. I will update the thread and let everyone know the outcome. I expect it will take a while and some going back forth and forth, whatever the outcome turns out to be. Thanks for all the input.

I checked you data. Did you purchase the drone with fly more combo? And did you store the mini in its box?
You can see in the data file that the rear motors’s soeed is much more tham the front motors. If the drone just hovers the speed must be equal but I do not see anywhere where the rpm is the same for all the 4 engines. If you do not store well the mini the back propa bend (also in the original box) and cannot provide as much lift or power that it is nevessary to have the mini ober water/ground. You can clearly see in the data file that the rpm is several time over 15000.
If you have .500 firmware on the mini it shows the error message motor speed error please immediatly return home and replace prop. If you have the .400 firmawe there is no warning and mini can fell down.
So i assume your back props were not able to produce as much lift as it should have been necessary to reach home point.

PS. And yes, the mini was always stored in its case that came with the fly more combo. Fresh propellers would have been a smart idea at that altitude, but that's hindsight. However, it was functioning normally in flights prior to this at this location.

 

[JrFish]

You have no chance with DJI your fault.

After literally 0 back and forth, just sent them my Flight Records directory, the following was the response from DJI:

The unfortunate incident that occurred to your aircraft has been confirmed as a warranty case according to our data analysis.
If the aircraft cannot be recovered, we would like to offer you a replacement, Mavic Mini (without the remote controller and battery charger).

Very impressed that there was no argumentative posturing. 1st thing I'll do with the replacement is activate Care Refresh, as the next will probably be MY Fault entirely.

Thanks most everyone for chiming in and helping out a noob, and for directing me on what to do. I would have never expected a company to warranty a product these day...much less 1 I can't even send them the pieces to.

And! THANK YOU SAR104!!!!! for taking the time to look over my situation and advise. Much Obliged good sir!
Jim

 

[sar104]

After literally 0 back and forth, just sent them my Flight Records directory, the following was the response from DJI:

The unfortunate incident that occurred to your aircraft has been confirmed as a warranty case according to our data analysis.
If the aircraft cannot be recovered, we would like to offer you a replacement, Mavic Mini (without the remote controller and battery charger).

Very impressed that there was no argumentative posturing. 1st thing I'll do with the replacement is activate Care Refresh, as the next will probably be MY Fault entirely.

Thanks most everyone for chiming in and helping out a noob, and for directing me on what to do. I would have never expected a company to warranty a product these day...much less 1 I can't even send them the pieces to.

And! THANK YOU SAR104!!!!! for taking the time to look over my situation and advise. Much Obliged good sir!
Jim

Good result.

 

[Andowrannl]

At the time, did you see the two battery warnings at 37 and 30%?

I'm no expert by any means but I know at least two things about drone batteries-

• Never take off with less than 100% charge
• Bring it home when the battery gets to 30%

Taking off at such a low battery percentage probably fooled the flight controller into thinking there was more amperage in that battery than there really was... until you buzzed around a few minutes and it ran out of juice...

Also, don't use sport mode when so low on battery, it draws too much and can undervolt. Specially considering your height.

 

[DieselE]

Wonder what the best speed and mode is for a max battery range return? Where is its efficiency sweet spot?

 

[Camino Ken]

Wonder what the best speed and mode is for a max battery range return? Where is its efficiency sweet spot?

The manual states the maximum flight time of 31 min occurs at about 15mph (25kph) With no wind. It seems like this might be the most efficient point.

 

[Steel63]

You guys are awesome ? God bless and thank you all

 

[AlexBeyd]

I came here for the info because I had similar issue yesterday over river. My drone abruptly lost connection just after I've came under a bridge.
The last image I saw on my phone is the water really close. I've opened a case with DJI - they said if the drone is unrecoverable it's not covered by replacement. My last hope that an engineer will confirm that it was a drone failure.
The bad news are that is happen at 18% of battery and I cannot stop thinking they will exploit it to their benefit. What you guys think?

 

[Meta4]

The manual states the maximum flight time of 31 min occurs at about 15mph (25kph) With no wind. It seems like this might be the most efficient point.

The speed that gives the longest flight time is quite different from the speed that will give the longest distance.
The longest distance is at a speed close to Max Speed in P-GPS mode.

 

[Meta4]

I came here for the info because I had similar issue yesterday over river. My drone abruptly lost connection just after I've came under a bridge.
The last image I saw on my phone is the water really close. I've opened a case with DJI - they said if the drone is unrecoverable it's not covered by replacement. My last hope that an engineer will confirm that it was a drone failure.
The bad news are that is happen at 18% of battery and I cannot stop thinking they will exploit it to their benefit. What you guys think?

The recorded flight data would show exactly what happened.
But without being able to see the data, you will just have people making guesses and most would be completely wrong.

 

[slup]

...My drone abruptly lost connection just after I've came under a bridge.

Well ... that's not so strange after all. If you stood there where the HP was recorded, which looks to be elevated from the river surface & flew under that bridge ... you effectively blocked the RC/AC connection both by flying low & under a steel reinforced concrete bridge. The AC was far outside unobstructed line of sight & that most probably cut the connection ... & if you was under the bridge when that happened, the failsafe RTH would have sent your AC straight up under the bridge, hitting it from underneath ... & game over.

...I've opened a case with DJI - they said if the drone is unrecoverable it's not covered by replacement.
My last hope that an engineer will confirm that it was a drone failure.

As all log recording stops to your mobile device when the connection is lost nothing will give a hint about what happened there after ... if the AC isn't recovered. If the AC can be saved DJI can investigate the onboard log & possibly there spot the reason for the incident. An AC that looses the connection & don't suffer from any faults before the disconnect & isn't recovered will make DJI say ... reason unknown, which in most cases means no replacement or warranty.

...happen at 18% of battery and I cannot stop thinking they will exploit it to their benefit.

That's usually not the way DJI works ... they read the logs & make their decision out from there.

...What you guys think?

Speculations will not lead anywhere & will not change DJI's decision ... what's possible to read out from logs matter.

If you want somebody here at the forum to look your logs over I recommend you to start up your own thread to keep all incidents neatly separated & there attach the logs from this flight.