Mavic 2 Pro Crash out of Control

[Phantomrain.org]

There should be an entire set of literature from DJI then on city flying in my opinion at least.

What i think your missing is that the drone is capable of flying down the street just not using GPS .
All the tools are there in the Drone and the Controller its just a matter of understanding why you would need to use them.

The minute you saw that you only had 6 Satellites you would have known to bail out of the GPS mode and utilize the Atti mode and its not easy but it can be done.

To your point had I not been aware that atti mode was going to happen I to would have crashed just like you did , however because I was aware of how the GPS signal works I would be keen to spot the trouble signs immediately.

Atti mode is like that small tire you have to put on your car when the main tire goes flat.
It can get the job done but not without a lot of focus.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Pouring Rain.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

So DJI has zero fault then for entering atti mode unexpectedly like that huh?

What is it you would have them do. What would you have DJI program the aircraft to do when it no longer has GPS lock?

Because I can tell you what it looks like when a drone loses GPS lock, but does not go into ATTI. The AC goes completely haywire and your sticks are absolutely useless. I've experienced this.

So I then learned how to fly ATTI. In other words, I learned how to fly by stick without the positioning aid of a GPS lock.

To me that makes little sense who is to say when then it enters atti mode and most pilots aren't equipped to handle that unless seasoned FPV pilots or something. So pilot error was even flying somewhere that could cause a weak GPS signal too?

I'm willing to bet there is mention in the manual about either avoid flying between buildings and solid objects like that, or when you do not have an appropriate satellite count (which gives you the "Ready to fly in GPS" green bar in DJI GO). They probably covered that, legally. I don't know for sure though.

If you need to fault them with anything, it would be them removing the ATTI position on the side switch (which just has S, P, and T). Several of us have programmed in ATTI into one of those switch positions.

However, it's also try that a lot of people flying previous DJI drones with the ATTI position on the controller switch never used it (so never prepared themselves for losing GPS lock, even when they had that ability).

Chris

 

[slup]

So DJI has zero fault then for entering atti mode unexpectedly like that huh? To me that makes little sense who is to say when then it enters atti mode and most pilots aren't equipped to handle that unless seasoned FPV pilots or something. So pilot error was even flying somewhere that could cause a weak GPS signal too?

Sorry but this wasn't unexpected at all ... you had a perfect functioning indication regarding both number of satellites locked in & the positional quality of those in the GO4 app & in the screen of your controller.

In the app:



In the screen:

There should be an entire set of literature from DJI then on city flying in my opinion at least.

Below is stated in the full manual that you can download here --> https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic_2/Mavic_2_Pro_Zoom_User_Manual_v2.2_en.pdf

Here you can read this on page 13 ...



It's always the pilots responsibility to have knowledge about the equipment ... they will never be totally failsafe, in your case the M2P lost all possibilities to aid in horizontal stability as it didn't have any means of getting the position ... the only thing that then remained was ATTI mode which leaves the AC without breaking or position hold when affected by outside forces or stick release.

I'm truly sorry for your sake ... but this time DJI can't be blamed.

 

[DanMan32]

Though it sounds like it hadn't switched to ATTI or not quick enough. I do know that doesn't happen right away as failsafe when it is a poor GPS or compass issue.
If it had gone to ATTI, it might not have crashed. At least not suddenly like in the video. Or was that flip caused by pilot panic?

Also to OP's defense though perhaps weak, one can't be eyeballing every indicator like a hawk. FAA certainly doesn't want you to with VLOS rules.

 

[iglou7]

There should be an entire set of literature from DJI then on city flying in my opinion at least.

there is
in Astorga, Medellin, Colombia I believe
sorry for your loss

 

[Captain Lou]

After watching video a few times it seems there was a glitch at the moment that the traffic lights turned yellow then to red ... not sure if it was just a coincidence but I know that sometimes lights have systems for fire trucks built in so they can regulate the lights and also magnetic sensors in the pavement to sense cars stopped at the lights...
I wouldn’t have tried to fly in the city like you did due to the buildings interference and you’re very lucky that your drone didn’t hit that woman walking down the sidewalk or you’d be posting this from the poorhouse ?

 

[boblui]

So DJI has zero fault then for entering atti mode unexpectedly like that huh?

There should have been multiple warnings telling you that the craft has entered ATTI mode :

1) The lady in the APP announcing "ATTI mode". Have you tuned up the volume of the phone ?

2) Warning message on the APP interface :



3) Warning message on the display of the controller :



BTW you are not alone : Mavic Flyaway, Logs Provided

 

[hiflyer201]

They do have that scenario for free with the DJI simulator and it was enough to scare me out of trying it. I get what you were trying for and it seemed simple enough but in hindsight....that pedestrian that was walking down the sidewalk could have had other ideas.

 

[DanMan32]

After watching video a few times it seems there was a glitch at the moment that the traffic lights turned yellow then to red ... not sure if it was just a coincidence but I know that sometimes lights have systems for fire trucks built in so they can regulate the lights and also magnetic sensors in the pavement to sense cars stopped at the lights...
I wouldn’t have tried to fly in the city like you did due to the buildings interference and you’re very lucky that your drone didn’t hit that woman walking down the sidewalk or you’d be posting this from the poorhouse [emoji16]

Probably coincidence.
I think for first responders, it is the vehicles that transmit. The light receives the transmission and changes signal accordingly. Even if the signals transmitted, worst that should happen is RC/AC connection is lost and AC goes to failsafe.

The vehicle magnetic sensors I believe are passive, and even if there's metal in the pavement for the sensors, they wouldn't affect the AC at the height it was.

 

[MavicMan64]

After watching video a few times it seems there was a glitch at the moment that the traffic lights turned yellow then to red ... not sure if it was just a coincidence but I know that sometimes lights have systems for fire trucks built in so they can regulate the lights and also magnetic sensors in the pavement to sense cars stopped at the lights...
I wouldn’t have tried to fly in the city like you did due to the buildings interference and you’re very lucky that your drone didn’t hit that woman walking down the sidewalk or you’d be posting this from the poorhouse ?

Totally agreed with you. He should be very happy that only the Drone was hurt and not the pedestrian. Could have been more serious.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Hey OP, I too am sorry for your loss. One day, you'll have a new drone or get this one fixed. If you want to learn how to add ATTI capability to it, ask us here and we'll point you to the relative threads that detail the steps. (Assuming you'll have a M2P)

Then you can practice flying in ATTI in a safe place (big field), get the hang of flying by stick and not having GPS lock and controlling drift. It's not that bad, once you've trained in it a bit.

Chris

 

[ADS]

The drone moved upward the instant the traffic light at the next intersection turned yellow. Any chance the traffic lights are coordinated by microwave and that interfered with the drone? I don't believe that this was pilot error. The intention was obvious - to fly down the center of the road. To increase altitude, move left, then right, is obviously not the intended flight path.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Traffic signals controlled by microwaves (or any radio signal) would be a nightmare. I doubt they would be controlled by anything other than a wired signal unless they had to (such as at remote locations).

The pilot error was in not observing the GPS status in the controller app, and not knowing how to control the aircraft when the GPS lock was lost. The fact that the pilot did not intend for the craft to go off course is irrelevant.

Chris

 

[boblui]

I don't believe that this was pilot error. The intention was obvious - to fly down the center of the road.

True only if the drone is controlled by intention. The technology has not reached that state yet.

 

[Pawpaw Woody]

Is it possible the EMF from the tree lights on either side may have caused this?

 

[SkyeHigh]

There should be an entire set of literature from DJI then on city flying in my opinion at least.

Not at all. In most countries it is illegal to fly in cities.

You cannot put the blame on DJI for your lack of experience/knowledge of your aircraft.

 

[Meta4]

Is it possible the EMF from the tree lights on either side may have caused this?

No .. not even a little bit.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I just realized that since getting the Smart Controller I have yet to see any of my drones enter atti mode which is crazy considering we used to have that happen a lot.

So if you have a picture of the Smart Controller in Atti Mode post it for me so I can see what I am missing out on. ?

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain and Land on Water.

 

[Meta4]

I just realized that since getting the Smart Controller I have yet to see any of my drones enter atti mode which is crazy considering we used to have that happen a lot.

If you understood what atti mode is, you'd understand that the controller has nothing to do with it at all.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

If you understood what atti mode is, you'd understand that the controller has nothing to do with it at all.

LOLLOL - I am asking for a Picture of what it looks like on the SC - the warning picture for my collection , THANKS

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your MAVIC in the Rain Snow and Land on Water.