Here's a lesson for all.
Small boats and drones DO NOT MIX.
Had our
Mavic 2 Pro out on a river shooting a marine salvage. We all had to get out of the Big 30 foot Boat and into a Small 15 foot open boat.
Client still wants to cover it with the drone. So we are taking off and catching the drone in our hands.
So the technique was: It takes off from the palm of my hand, then when landing - hover in front and grab the landing strut with right hand and kill the throttles with left hand, Drone flops down and all good.
Grabbing the strut stops it avoiding the hand.
All goes well for about five or s ix launches. On the final landing, the boat is moving just a tiny bit. Just in the current.
It was late in the day - 16.45.
Drone comes in and starts to veer away each time it gets close. Does not want to come in close to the boat. Obviously not happy about the landing area. Who can blame it. 14 foot boat with four blokes in it.
Finally get it down to where my colleague can grab it. Soon as he gets a hold of the landing strut it starts to rev up like crazy, he's holding on but even with throttle all the way down the drone won't stop. In fact it is revving flat out.
The look on his face - anyway, So I fearing for his safety I just tell him to let it go and we'll have another pass. Drone goes up to about 10 feet above water and I start to get "Auto Land Messages" on the screen. All of which I say NO to. Hit the red X.
They keep coming up. Meanwhile trying to get the Drone back over the boat but it keeps beeping and giving me the Auto Land message. Each Time I hit no.
It says inappropriate Landing area or something - then, even with the left stick all the way up, quietly drifts away from the boat and methodically hovers about an inch from the surface of the water- then lands itself on the water and drops into the murky depths.
Guy driving there boat can't get near it in time. If it was at 50 feet, maybe we could have got under it but there were divers below and no way to easily manoeuvre.
Downloaded flight logs today.
The Obstacle avoided message then Auto land then Force Landing.
Plenty of battery.
So I have read it is a mixture of causes, water surface. Obstacle avoidance. Seems a bit silly that it just went into forced landing. Even with a three quarters full battery.
I'm devastated but at least nobody got hurt.
Flight data attached.
Thoughts?
Ian.
