M2P Inexplicably Crashed Into The Pacific

[mavicn00b]

15% seems pretty generous for something that is entirely pilot error.

Not when its off RRP. I find cheaper prices elsewhere for the entire kit. You could then on-sell the bits you dont want/need and recoup some of the costs.

 

[sar104]

Not when its off RRP. I find cheaper prices elsewhere for the entire kit. You could then on-sell the bits you dont want/need and recoup some of the costs.

Right - but it's not DJI's problem if there are cheaper sources. They will give a discount on the price that they sell at.

 

[KONY]

honnestly i have been flying MAVIC drones since 2 years now so i built a a good flying experience, and just a couple of months ago, i don't know what happened but i found myself pushing the left stick down as i was flying around above some sea...then when i realised what was going on i quickly moved the left stick up : i had reached something like just 1 meter above the water

i can't explain but sometimes, we you are too focused on getting a good image and a smooth flight for video, you might get confused with the sticks and do some fatal mistake

i was luckier than you because i realised seconds before it's too late.

But this can happen even to experienced pilots.

 

[Rcdorsey1984]

honnestly i have been flying MAVIC drones since 2 years now so i built a a good flying experience, and just a couple of months ago, i don't know what happened but i found myself pushing the left stick down as i was flying around above some sea...then when i realised what was going on i quickly moved the left stick up : i had reached something like just 1 meter above the water

i can't explain but sometimes, we you are too focused on getting a good image and a smooth flight for video, you might get confused with the sticks and do some fatal mistake

i was luckier than you because i realised seconds before it's too late.

But this can happen even to experienced pilots.

Ya it’s an odd mistake, I’m fairly experienced at flying these drones and have never Ever screwed up that bad. The flight record clearly shows what happened. It’s hard to wrap my head around. I must have had the left stick down but until the flight record was analyzed, I totally could not figure why it had dropped. In my head, I had that thing climbing hard trying to get out of the descent. It’s a bummer for sure and costly mistake. It won’t be made again.

 

[sar104]

Ya it’s an odd mistake, I’m fairly experienced at flying these drones and have never Ever screwed up that bad. The flight record clearly shows what happened. It’s hard to wrap my head around. I must have had the left stick down but until the flight record was analyzed, I totally could not figure why it had dropped. In my head, I had that thing climbing hard trying to get out of the descent. It’s a bummer for sure and costly mistake. It won’t be made again.

I haven't quite done that but I have noticed that there is a temptation to pull back on the stick to avoid the ground - perhaps from flying fixed wing?

 

[Rcdorsey1984]

I haven't quite done that but I have noticed that there is a temptation to pull back on the stick to avoid the ground - perhaps from flying fixed wing?

I never flew fixed wing. The only thing that comes to mind is video games that I play. Sometimes that left stick is pulled down to fly up..

 

[mavicn00b]

Right - but it's not DJI's problem if there are cheaper sources. They will give a discount on the price that they sell at.

I think given the OP's predicament, DJI could do a little better than 15%. A base aircraft comes with no RC or battery. So it you only had one battery, thats another item you'd need to buy.

In any case they will need to review drone logs and establish root cause. In cases where they deem to "Product Failure", they do actually send a new unit to the end user, though not very often.

 

[jorus08]

I have salt water damage to my mavic pro and will need 4 new rotor arms , can I buy platinum rotor arms and fit them to the old mavic is my question??

 

[Simmo]

I have salt water damage to my mavic pro and will need 4 new rotor arms , can I buy platinum rotor arms and fit them to the old mavic is my question??

You should perhaps start a new thread with your question.

 

[jayefs]

My Mavic 2 Pro Crashed into the ocean yesterday. I’m in Hawaii and was flying over the ocean about 100 yards off shore. With about 20 percent battery left i began to bring the drone home, i was only a few hundred feet away. For no apparent reason, the drone dove down at an angle and crashed into the ocean. I could not control it all from the remote, although I tried. No sensor warnings went off. I can’t figure out what went wrong and am more than a little disappointed to see my M2P gone. I looked over the flight log and there isn’t much to see. The drone just stops and crashes with about 20 percent battery left, no warnings, no sensor activity- it just dropped from the sky only a few hundred feet away from me on shore. Is there anyone that can analyze my flight log and explain what happened? I’ve never had a problem like this with my old phantom or Mavic Pro 1. If anyone can help, please let me know how to send my flight log info and I’ll do so. Thx

 

[jayefs]

My Mavic 2 Pro Crashed into the ocean yesterday. I’m in Hawaii and was flying over the ocean about 100 yards off shore. With about 20 percent battery left i began to bring the drone home, i was only a few hundred feet away. For no apparent reason, the drone dove down at an angle and crashed into the ocean. I could not control it all from the remote, although I tried. No sensor warnings went off. I can’t figure out what went wrong and am more than a little disappointed to see my M2P gone. I looked over the flight log and there isn’t much to see. The drone just stops and crashes with about 20 percent battery left, no warnings, no sensor activity- it just dropped from the sky only a few hundred feet away from me on shore. Is there anyone that can analyze my flight log and explain what happened? I’ve never had a problem like this with my old phantom or Mavic Pro 1. If anyone can help, please let me know how to send my flight log info and I’ll do so. Thx

I lost mine in a similar manner but I worked out what caused it to fly down into the ocean.

With having mode 2 set on the controls, the left stick is turn left/right and up/down

I wanted to turn right and in doing so. I inadvertently pulled the stick down a little - and down it went.

Since, I have set it up for the drone to go up when I pull the stick down - just like the elevator control on a fixed with aircraft - and now if I inadvertently give it a little down when requesting a turn - it goes up to safety.

 

[sar104]

I think given the OP's predicament, DJI could do a little better than 15%. A base aircraft comes with no RC or battery. So it you only had one battery, thats another item you'd need to buy.

In any case they will need to review drone logs and establish root cause. In cases where they deem to "Product Failure", they do actually send a new unit to the end user, though not very often.

I thought you were referring to this case. The OP flew it into the sea - there was no issue with the aircraft. I don't think that they are going to offer significant discounts for pilot error.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I think given the OP's predicament, DJI could do a little better than 15%. A base aircraft comes with no RC or battery. So it you only had one battery, thats another item you'd need to buy.

In any case they will need to review drone logs and establish root cause. In cases where they deem to "Product Failure", they do actually send a new unit to the end user, though not very often.

To be honest, DJI is not obliged to give the OP anything, because the flight logs clearly show complete pilot error. So anything that DJI offers is really a gift and should be looked at that way. What you are suggesting, would be like some old lady who hit the throttle when she meant to hit the brake and smashed her car into a wall, then expected the dealership to give her more than 15% discount on a new car purchase. Of course she would not be offered anything, not even a discount on the repairs, I bet.

This OP seems to have accept responsibility for his mistake, as much as he finds it hard to believe he did that. Often the crashed pilot still does not want to accept responsibility for what he/she did and tries to blame DJI, so hats off to him for stepping up and saying he did it. If it was me I would be more than happy to accept a 15% discount.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I also want to praise you guys who are able to read the and interpret the flight logs so amazingly well. My hat is off to you guys, not only for being such experts, but also to say thank you, on behalf of all of us, for your generous time offered and immediate help in getting to the bottom of these cashes. I just hope I never will be in need of your expertise. You guys are like the NTSB division of the drone world! I love reading about what you discover, you guys are the best. They could make a reality TV show about you guys.

 

[dwallersv]

It's posts like this that make me nervous, as if I wasn't already nervous enough while in flight. 98% of my flight time is above salt water on our beautiful Nova Scotia coastline. Salt marshes, cliffs, high surf beaches, all the most un-retrievable spots.
But.. the awesome clear sight lines and solid, no interference connections and long distance possibilities make it hard not to love flying over water just the same.
I know, it sounds conflicted. lol
Sorry for your lost aircraft amigo.

I understand your concerns. I've lost two birds -- a Mavic Pro, and an Air -- due to my own errors pushing the limits. Even being very careful, there is always a risk of an accident.

While these are not cheap devices, I'd offer a different perspective: Think of it more like your car, an appliance, expensive touring bike, babied motorcycle as an enthusiast, etc. We use these things for what we purchased them for, and while it never is a happy occasion to have to repair damage or even suck up and entire loss, we don't generally operate in fear of using these things lest they be damaged.

You're drone is no different. It does some amazing things for you, and part of the cost of that activity is the risk of damage or loss. Fly knowing and accepting that, don't fear it. Use your concern to drive you to cross all your T's and dot all you I's when you fly, but fly with joy knowing that, well, you may crash and have to fix it -- just like that front wheel on your touring bike when you got going a bit too fast and hit that tree.

Fly with joy, not fear. It's not a beloved pet that can't be replaced. Being fearful, you'll miss out on once-in-a-time shots, flying thrills, etc., to save a few bucks.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I haven't quite done that but I have noticed that there is a temptation to pull back on the stick to avoid the ground - perhaps from flying fixed wing?

I was a flight instructor for years and taught in both 3-Axis and weight shift aircraft. A weight shift or Flex-wing is like a big hang glider wing type flying machine, but not to be confused with an ultralight. When transitioning 3-Axis pilots to weight shift, there was almost always a major hurdle to have them overcome because that push pull is dead opposite, between the two aircraft types.

The 3-Axis pilots almost always made the mistake of pulling in the bar of the wing when closer to the ground, if they wanted to climb out, because that is what was ingrained into their brain's reaction when suddenly dropping towards the ground and in close proximity, because pulling back on the stick and of course adding power, in a 3-Axis aircraft, would get them back up into the sky. However, in a weight shift type aircraft it would suddenly plummet them into the ground if they were low enough. Plenty of accidents have happened and several deaths due to this mistake.

When I would teach a transitioning pilot, it was hard to get them to understand what they had to instinctively re-learn. To get them to re-think/re-learn their actions to keep them safe when flying solo, I would suggest that they think of the control bar as the ground and if they were getting close to the ground and did not want to be there, they should push the ground away from them, that way they began to get the feel and new understanding in their brains of what their input on that control bar should be. Because in a 3-Axis to gain altitude you would pull the stick back towards your body, but in a weight shift, to climb, you would push the control bar forward away from your body, just the exact opposite of what a 3-Axis pilot was trained to do.

So for any drone flyers, especially new ones, you might just think about that left stick as being the ground and if your drone is going down, you need to push that ground away from you, so push that left stick away from your body. At least then you can climb out and release all stick pressures, so that the drone can hover in safety at altitude, while you dry out your underwear.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I understand your concerns. I've lost two birds -- a Mavic Pro, and an Air -- due to my own errors pushing the limits. Even being very careful, there is always a risk of an accident.

While these are not cheap devices, I'd offer a different perspective: Think of it more like your car, an appliance, expensive touring bike, babied motorcycle as an enthusiast, etc. We use these things for what we purchased them for, and while it never is a happy occasion to have to repair damage or even suck up and entire loss, we don't generally operate in fear of using these things lest they be damaged.

You're drone is no different. It does some amazing things for you, and part of the cost of that activity is the risk of damage or loss. Fly knowing and accepting that, don't fear it. Use your concern to drive you to cross all your T's and dot all you I's when you fly, but fly with joy knowing that, well, you may crash and have to fix it -- just like that front wheel on your touring bike when you got going a bit too fast and hit that tree.

Fly with joy, not fear. It's not a beloved pet that can't be replaced. Being fearful, you'll miss out on once-in-a-time shots, flying thrills, etc., to save a few bucks.

Just like in real flying where you are in the aircraft, taking to the air is inherently risky, so as the pilot in command in the sky or safely on the ground with a controller in hand, it is your job to minimize as many of those risks as possible in order to keep yourself and your drone as safe as possibly. Never get complacent when flying and always sit up straight and pay attention to what you are doing while in control. And... don't relax as you are coming in to land, the flight is not over until it is over. Therefore, full attention must always be given to the job at hand, until the props stop turning.

 

[sar104]

I was a flight instructor for years and taught in both 3-Axis and weight shift aircraft. A weight shift or Flex-wing is like a big hang glider wing type flying machine, but not to be confused with an ultralight. When transitioning 3-Axis pilots to weight shift, there was almost always a major hurdle to have them overcome because that push pull is dead opposite, between the two aircraft types.

The 3-Axis pilots almost always made the mistake of pulling in the bar of the wing when closer to the ground, if they wanted to climb out, because that is what was ingrained into their brain's reaction when suddenly dropping towards the ground and in close proximity, because pulling back on the stick and of course adding power, in a 3-Axis aircraft, would get them back up into the sky. However, in a weight shift type aircraft it would suddenly plummet them into the ground if they were low enough. Plenty of accidents have happened and several deaths due to this mistake.

When I would teach a transitioning pilot, it was hard to get them to understand what they had to instinctively re-learn. To get them to re-think/re-learn their actions to keep them safe when flying solo, I would suggest that they think of the control bar as the ground and if they were getting close to the ground and did not want to be there, they should push the ground away from them, that way they began to get the feel and new understanding in their brains of what their input on that control bar should be. Because in a 3-Axis to gain altitude you would pull the stick back towards your body, but in a weight shift, to climb, you would push the control bar forward away from your body, just the exact opposite of what a 3-Axis pilot was trained to do.

So for any drone flyers, especially new ones, you might just think about that left stick as being the ground and if your drone is going down, you need to push that ground away from you, so push that left stick away from your body. At least then you can climb out and release all stick pressures, so that the drone can hover in safety at altitude, while you dry out your underwear.

I tried reversing the action of the throttle to see if it felt more natural, and it did. However, I didn't want to get used to a non-standard stick mode, so I switched it back to Mode 2.

 

[n-xplorer]

You crashed into water which can be tricky for the sensors, and you were tossing the drone around, having just spun it 90 degrees from facing west to north in the last half second.

Yes indeed, water seems to be very confusing to the sensors and these don't always recognize water. I had a similar accident with my MA flying above a river when it flew into an area out-of-sight and I pulled the wrong joy stick down. MA dropped like a rock (sport mode) into the river. Luckily I responded very fast (after the horrific splash) and was able to fly up and away!! Unfortunately I was not recording video at the time, it would have been quite entertaining.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Yes indeed, water seems to be very confusing to the sensors and these don't always recognize water. I had a similar accident with my MA flying above a river when it flew into an area out-of-sight and I pulled the wrong joy stick down. MA dropped like a rock (sport mode) into the river. Luckily I responded very fast (after the horrific splash) and was able to fly up and away!! Unfortunately I was not recording video at the time, it would have been quite entertaining.

To my knowledge the downward sensors are only used in specific flight modes and are most useful when close to the ground - the altitude is controlled by a barometer so in normal flight the drone should not change altitude due to the vision sensors. I fly my MA above water all the time (both still and flowing) and never disable VPS - personally I have never had any issues, even when flying only a couple feet above.