Lost my other drone, my Mini 3 Pro

[jwilson]

Well, I lost my other drone, my mini 3 pro, on the last day of the trip! Probably lost about 90 minutes of 4k video, because I had already flown more than two batteries. The good news, if you can call it that, is I have a screen recording of the crash. I had to repair it because, in my distraught state, I turned my tablet off before I stopped recording. But it just so happens, that the same company that makes the screen recorder, makes a file to repair the corrupt files, which I did. To save the repaired file, you have to buy the Pro version, but for now, I can hopefully put a screen capture of the repaired file, so you can see exactly what happened. I'm not sure I can do this because all the files are in the Android directory, which is restricted to some extent.
Basically, there was great surf, and an offshore breeze, so it looked really neat with the top of the wave being blown back in white mist. So I flew out to record it. Unfortunately, this great looking white mist, hit my drone, and IMO, caused the motors to lose power. You can see the radar altimeter slowly go down, till it's in the red, and then hits the ocean, never to be seen again. So you can draw your own conclusions as to whether or not it was pilot error. It certainly wasn't a drone failure.

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[mavic3usa]

sorry to hear about your mishap; you seem to have a lot of them.....lately.

 

[jwilson]

sorry to hear about your mishap; you seem to have a lot of them.....lately.

You sure got that right. Four in one year. Two in 20 days. I probably won't try to replace the mini. I never liked it. I bought it because I thought it had the same waypoint missions as the Mavic pro. I thought that, because people on YouTube were saying it now had waypoints. But they were talking about from third parties, like Dronelink. But their waypoint missions have to always have to stay connected. All I have left from the mini, are two good batteries and an off brand hub charger. So maybe I'll just sell them or give them away. When a flew with the defective battery today it said overheated, land immediately. But the drone wasn't hot at all.

 

[Meta4]

Unfortunately, this great looking white mist, hit my drone, and IMO, caused the motors to lose power. You can see the radar altimeter slowly go down, till it's in the red, and then hits the ocean, never to be seen again. So you can draw your own conclusions as to whether or not it was pilot error.

I don't think your screen recording has anything to support what you've guessed to be the cause of the incident.
It looks like your drone descended under power (landed).
The recorded flight data is always the place to look to find what actually happened and learn how to prevent similar things in the future.
But you've never shown any interest in doing that for your other incidents so I guess we'll never know what actually caused your incident.

 

[jwilson]

I don't think your screen recording has anything to support what you've guessed to be the cause of the incident.
It looks like your drone descended under power (landed).
The recorded flight data is always the place to look to find what actually happened and learn how to prevent similar things in the future.
But you've never shown any interest in doing that for your other incidents so I guess we'll never know what actually caused your incident.

There's no way I was pushing down on the stick. I was pushing up when I saw it going down. But maybe for some reason, like salt water, the drone was programmed to land. I'm sure DJI will find the reason. But it does look like it descended at a constant rate, like it was auto landing. I've never learned how to analyze the flight data. But I would say, for most, if not all my crashes, I know why it crashed. Yesterday I got stuck in heavy rain. Way more water than it got from that waves spray. But it wasn't salt water. Also, I was thinking that the water may have obscured the downward sensors, and that may have initiated a landing. But I'm glad you noticed that. I didn’t think of it.

 

[DoomMeister]

Post the flight data for the incident and two of the best flight data analysts outside of DJI @Meta4 and @slup can give an honest unbiased assessment of what actually happened. They have helped people to get DJI to overturn a pilot error decision as well as confirming pilot error.

 

[Cafguy]

The video clearly shows you are way too low for flying above salt water.
Salt water mist into the drone. Drone dies.
Water droplets on the bottom sensor and you just may cause the Drone to auto-LAND.
TIP: DJI Drones cams have a zoom feature.
EDIT If you are purposely flying with a defective battery you need to STOP and rethink what you are doing...You could easily start a fire that you cannot get too in time!!!! You can hurt or even KILL others this way! What if your defective Battery flashes mid-flight and your new "meteor" lands on someones roof !!

 

[MS Coast]

So you can draw your own conclusions as to whether or not it was pilot error.

Is there any other possible explanation for the drone being flown into the saltwater spray blowing off the top of a wave?

 

[Meta4]

There's no way I was pushing down on the stick. I was pushing up when I saw it going down.

The data would show if this was the case, or if perhaps there was more happening than what you were aware of.

But maybe for some reason, like salt water, the drone was programmed to land.

No

I'm sure DJI will find the reason.

Yeah ... lets leave it to DJI.

But it does look like it descended at a constant rate, like it was auto landing.

I wonder why.
If only there was some way to tell.

I've never learned how to analyze the flight data. But I would say, for most, if not all my crashes, I know why it crashed.

Or you've made a guess.
Perhaps if you'd investigated the data, you could have learned how to avoid having lost so many drones.

Yesterday I got stuck in heavy rain. Way more water than it got from that waves spray. But it wasn't salt water. Also, I was thinking that the water may have obscured the downward sensors, and that may have initiated a landing.

Another guess for an unlikely explanation.

 

[Cafguy]

After going back thru your "adventures" in The Drone world thru various posts I am going to kindly suggest a competent mentor to teach you the Intricacies of being a drone pilot.
These drones are not A.I. and will not save you from getting into Dangerous and possibly even lethal actions on a Pilots part.
SORRY Really but you are headed for a tragic OR/and already expensive accident. I have been in this Hobby (RC) My whole life and I can see it comin from a mile away..
Learn and Know everything about your Drone and its components.
Fly safely.
Be mindful at all times of those around you.
Be Smart and practice smart Planning.
Know the area and the Laws BEFORE you Fly.
Just some advice, financial and safety wise.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I have been in this Hobby (RC) My whole life and I can see it comin from a mile away..

 

[YorksPhotos]

You are way over the the risk curve into recklessness. You call your wife dumb, that alone is reckless. Maybe its dumb and dumber.

 

[agiorgitis]

You have crashed more drones than a normal guy will fly over the next 15 years.

 

[Tower669]

Here is an idea. After reading all of your lost drone threads.
You should:
make a video of yourself opening a new drone that you bought after losing another drone. In the video, you should just throw it into the ocean while filming yourself with a different drone, then crash into the ocean with the drone you are filming with. Then blame it on DJI and see if they'll send you 2 new drones. Then report back to us.