Lost Signal, aircraft landed, but can't find it!

[msinger]

Here's the log that matches up with the flight in your first post above:
DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[msinger]

Your flight log does not show your Mavic attempting to return home. RTH would have been initiated after the remote controller signal was lost though (which occurred after you flew your Mavic behind that mountain). It would have followed close to the red line below as it traveled back to the home point.



Since you had the RTH Altitude set to the default setting (30 meters), your Mavic did not ascend before it started returning home since it was already at an altitude of 345 feet. Since there was an obstacle in the way, it either crashed into the mountain (if obstacle avoidance was disabled), tried to fly over the mountain (this likely did not happen since it did not make it back), or eventually decided to land since it could not overcome the obstacle.

Start looking around the yellow pin below. That's located at 28.5397311815, -16.1340763136. If it's not there, follow the red path from that point to the top of the mountain.

 

[TheLightSpeed!]

Your flight log does not show your Mavic attempting to return home. RTH would have been initiated after the remote controller signal was lost though (which occurred after you flew your Mavic behind that mountain). It would have followed close to the red line below as it traveled back to the home point.

View attachment 19916

Since you had the RTH Altitude set to the default setting (30 meters), your Mavic did not ascend before it started returning home since it was already at an altitude of 345 feet. Since there was an obstacle in the way, it either crashed into the mountain (if obstacle avoidance was disabled), tried to fly over the mountain (this likely did not happen since it did not make it back), or eventually decided to land since it could not overcome the obstacle.

Start looking around the yellow pin below. That's located at 28.5397311815, -16.1340763136. If it's not there, follow the red path from that point to the top of the mountain.

View attachment 19915

MSinger is usually right!

Better get your hiking boots buddy!

 

[Marisa]

Your flight log does not show your Mavic attempting to return home. RTH would have been initiated after the remote controller signal was lost though (which occurred after you flew your Mavic behind that mountain). It would have followed close to the red line below as it traveled back to the home point.

View attachment 19916

Since you had the RTH Altitude set to the default setting (30 meters), your Mavic did not ascend before it started returning home since it was already at an altitude of 345 feet. Since there was an obstacle in the way, it either crashed into the mountain (if obstacle avoidance was disabled), tried to fly over the mountain (this likely did not happen since it did not make it back), or eventually decided to land since it could not overcome the obstacle.

Start looking around the yellow pin below. That's located at 28.5397311815, -16.1340763136. If it's not there, follow the red path from that point to the top of the mountain.

View attachment 19915

Many thanks, msinger, for your kind reply. Really appreciated. I will go over there and follow the red line path.

There's just one remark I would like to share with you.
When the signal is lost and the iphone screen went black, joystick showed the following messages when RTH is activated:

1.- Max Altitude 345 ft
2.- Going home
3.- Landing (but then detects an obstacle)
4.- Landed (but obviously not at the home point)

So, considering "Find My Drone" shows aircraft as located in the starting point of the earlier flight that morning, is it possible it has chosen that previous information to land there?
Just a thought.

 

[Marisa]

MSinger is usually right!

Better get your hiking boots buddy!

Yes, I'm putting them on now!!!

 

[msinger]

When the signal is lost and the iphone screen went black, joystick showed the following messages when RTH is activated:

1.- Max Altitude 345 ft
2.- Going home
3.- Landing (but then detects an obstacle)
4.- Landed (but obviously not at the home point)

I don't see that in the flight log I linked above.

is it possible it has chosen that previous information to land there?

No. The last marked home point was the spot where your Mavic took off.

 

[Marisa]

I don't see that in the flight log I linked above.


No. The last marked home point was the spot where your Mavic took off.

Thank you so much for your support. I will let you know if I was able to locate it.

 

[MesaAZGuy]

So is the peak of the mountain where the red line is higher than 345'? Interesting..

 

[Starz]

This all looks very familiar. Hope it has a happy ending.I lost my Mavic and need help finding out what happened - FOUND BY STARZ!

 

[LeighD]

Here's the log that matches up with the flight in your first post above:
DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

On my Mavic I just click the google map in the lower left corner and it shows me "live" walking as a blue dot toward the drone, regardless of whether the battery in the drone is dead. Last known spot is saved and I can merely close the distance of the two dots on the map until I'm right on top of it. She would simply open the djigo4 app and click on the google map in the corner, not flight logs

 

[msinger]

Last known spot is saved and I can merely close the distance of the two dots on the map until I'm right on top of it. She would simply open the djigo4 app and click on the google map in the corner, not flight logs

Unfortunately, the Mavic is not at the last recorded location since it was still flying when the remote controller signal disconnected. So, that will not work in this case.

 

[LeighD]

Please upload your TXT flight log here and post a link back here.

The Mavic should record its position on the google map in the lower left even if the controller is not communicating. Not looking at the flight log at all, just the DJIGO4 screen. Somehow my map continues to show the last position at battery shutoff. In fact it even keeps that location after battery exhaustion. It's embedded in the google map on mine. I hope she finds it. I've only flown 275 times and I learn a lot each time.
One time I flew in Colorado (thin clean morning air way out in nowhere (Westcliffe)) and the sun was behind me and I went away from the sun for 13200ft with elevation increasing as I went from flat farmland toward a 14000 ft peak at about 300ft altitude. Warning told me I had to return if I wanted enough battery to make it (calm wind). When I turned around the Mavic froze because the sun blinded it and obstacle avoidance couldn't see so it thought an obstacle was there (got warning). I was at 450 ft now because the slope of the mountain would have added many feet on the way back to the flatter landing area. It wouldn't even descend. For 7 minutes I tried return to home, turning away from the sun and flying home backwards to no avail. It just hovered in position. Signal was fine when I got the warning to turn around because of battery being 54%. I tried sport mode which is supposed to cancel return to home, no luck. Then intermittent response so I lowered the altitude quickly so it wouldn't fall from the sky. At about 125 ft it raced home toward me. Knowing it would t make it I flew the route on the google flight line as fast as possible. I made it 6000 ft toward me and I lowered it to 40 ft, signal still strong now. I chose a smooth spot in a scrubby pasture and kept flying toward me crossing roads below the power lines but above the short barbed wire fences of the properties. At 10% battery, landing commenced as I flew as fast as I could. When altitude was about 10-15' I stopped and tilted the camera down and licked a good spot and it landed with no command from me. Jumped in my truck and drove there via google map insert made large by tap switching to it and there it was 15' from the last barbed wire fence so I wouldn't have a long walk into the field of someone's property. Lesson: RTH isn't always communicative at great distance. Second lesson: you're gambling quotient increases dramatically with distance away from me. Fly at own risk lol

 

[msinger]

The Mavic should record its position on the google map in the lower left even if the controller is not communicating.

The Mavic's current position is only updated in DJI GO (or the flight log) on the mobile device while the downlink is connected. When the downlink drops, the position is no longer being received by the remote controller. At that point, all you'd have is the last recorded location (like in this case).

 

[Starz]

The mavic and its sun avoidance is a known issue. Unfortunately we can't read all the info available in these forums quickly enough! Wisdom is sometimes a slow process that has results which can be hard to live with. Happy flying!

 

[TheLightSpeed!]

The Mavic should record its position on the google map in the lower left even if the controller is not communicating. Not looking at the flight log at all, just the DJIGO4 screen. Somehow my map continues to show the last position at battery shutoff. In fact it even keeps that location after battery exhaustion. It's embedded in the google map on mine. I hope she finds it. I've only flown 275 times and I learn a lot each time.
One time I flew in Colorado (thin clean morning air way out in nowhere (Westcliffe)) and the sun was behind me and I went away from the sun for 13200ft with elevation increasing as I went from flat farmland toward a 14000 ft peak at about 300ft altitude. Warning told me I had to return if I wanted enough battery to make it (calm wind). When I turned around the Mavic froze because the sun blinded it and obstacle avoidance couldn't see so it thought an obstacle was there (got warning). I was at 450 ft now because the slope of the mountain would have added many feet on the way back to the flatter landing area. It wouldn't even descend. For 7 minutes I tried return to home, turning away from the sun and flying home backwards to no avail. It just hovered in position. Signal was fine when I got the warning to turn around because of battery being 54%. I tried sport mode which is supposed to cancel return to home, no luck. Then intermittent response so I lowered the altitude quickly so it wouldn't fall from the sky. At about 125 ft it raced home toward me. Knowing it would t make it I flew the route on the google flight line as fast as possible. I made it 6000 ft toward me and I lowered it to 40 ft, signal still strong now. I chose a smooth spot in a scrubby pasture and kept flying toward me crossing roads below the power lines but above the short barbed wire fences of the properties. At 10% battery, landing commenced as I flew as fast as I could. When altitude was about 10-15' I stopped and tilted the camera down and licked a good spot and it landed with no command from me. Jumped in my truck and drove there via google map insert made large by tap switching to it and there it was 15' from the last barbed wire fence so I wouldn't have a long walk into the field of someone's property. Lesson: RTH isn't always communicative at great distance. Second lesson: you're gambling quotient increases dramatically with distance away from me. Fly at own risk lol

No offense meant, but you're arguing with the foremost expert on finding lost Drones.

It's like arguing with Steve Jobs about how the iPhone works.

He's too nice to say "and how many drones have you found?"

 

[SAm Dodge]

The Mavic should record its position on the google map in the lower left even if the controller is not communicating. Not looking at the flight log at all, just the DJIGO4 screen. Somehow my map continues to show the last position at battery shutoff. In fact it even keeps that location after battery exhaustion. It's embedded in the google map on mine. I hope she finds it. I've only flown 275 times and I learn a lot each time.
One time I flew in Colorado (thin clean morning air way out in nowhere (Westcliffe)) and the sun was behind me and I went away from the sun for 13200ft with elevation increasing as I went from flat farmland toward a 14000 ft peak at about 300ft altitude. Warning told me I had to return if I wanted enough battery to make it (calm wind). When I turned around the Mavic froze because the sun blinded it and obstacle avoidance couldn't see so it thought an obstacle was there (got warning). I was at 450 ft now because the slope of the mountain would have added many feet on the way back to the flatter landing area. It wouldn't even descend. For 7 minutes I tried return to home, turning away from the sun and flying home backwards to no avail. It just hovered in position. Signal was fine when I got the warning to turn around because of battery being 54%. I tried sport mode which is supposed to cancel return to home, no luck. Then intermittent response so I lowered the altitude quickly so it wouldn't fall from the sky. At about 125 ft it raced home toward me. Knowing it would t make it I flew the route on the google flight line as fast as possible. I made it 6000 ft toward me and I lowered it to 40 ft, signal still strong now. I chose a smooth spot in a scrubby pasture and kept flying toward me crossing roads below the power lines but above the short barbed wire fences of the properties. At 10% battery, landing commenced as I flew as fast as I could. When altitude was about 10-15' I stopped and tilted the camera down and licked a good spot and it landed with no command from me. Jumped in my truck and drove there via google map insert made large by tap switching to it and there it was 15' from the last barbed wire fence so I wouldn't have a long walk into the field of someone's property. Lesson: RTH isn't always communicative at great distance. Second lesson: you're gambling quotient increases dramatically with distance away from me. Fly at own risk lol

Yow, i just went through the obstacle 'SUN' avoidance issue too. It actually worked for me to turn the drone around and fly backwards back to home. My son and I feel that every time we fly it it's an emergency situation.. LOL..

 

[TheLightSpeed!]

Yow, i just went through the obstacle 'SUN' avoidance issue too. It actually worked for me to turn the drone around and fly backwards back to home. My son and I feel that every time we fly it it's an emergency situation.. LOL..

If you flip it k to sport mode the sensors shut off

 

[Robbyg]

I have been in that kind of terrain many times and I can tell you if msinger even gets you within 100ft of the location it's still a very difficult task. I suggest the OP pay at least 3-4 teens to help him with the search.

Rob

 

[Marisa]

I don't see that in the flight log I linked above.


No. The last marked home point was the spot where your Mavic took off.

msinger, I would like to thank you so much for your kind help. I found her!!!!! It was located at the spot you indicated, and I couldn't be grateful enough. Considering the time it would take me to get to that spot, I decided to go on the drone hunt just yesterday, as I had to work and wouldn't have enough time to get there before sunset. It took six hours hiking, but it was worthwhile!!!
I just want to say if by any change you happen to be in Tenerife, Canary Islands, please let me know as I would like to buy you dinner and I'm serious!!! Forever grateful!!!

And as regards to all comments on this post, I would like to thank you all for your input and it's been a pleasure to be in such a wonderful forum. Take care you all.

 

[Starz]

Another gold star for msinger!!!!!!!!