Mavic Air Crash in forest

[Angeau]

So today, after more than 144 flights and 72km of experience, my Mavic Air crashed. I was flying it above some trees at around 120 meters. I wanted to return home, but it started landing itself.
At the time, I was only around 250 meters away and still 15% battery left. Started looking for it immediately, but no result after a few hours. Will keep looking, but chances are big that it’s stuck somewhere in a tree...

Any tips for a warranty claim? Will provide the file with my flight record log soon!

 

[E90RAW]

So today, after more than 144 flights and 72km of experience, my Mavic Air crashed. I was flying it above some trees at around 120 meters. I wanted to return home, but it started landing itself.
At the time, I was only around 250 meters away and still 15% battery left. Started looking for it immediately, but no result after a few hours. Will keep looking, but chances are big that it’s stuck somewhere in a tree...

Any tips for a warranty claim? Will provide the file with my flight record log soon!

Do you know that you still have control of the drone after it initiates landing? You need to press up on the stick to keep the altitude where you want it. The drone doesnt actually land but descends to 6 foot or so and just hoovers until you say land. You can resist that by pushing up on the sticks and continue your flight home. The problem is if return altitude is 60 feet and there are structures at 100 feet(for example-trees) than the drone runs into the structures. DJI has very conservative battery management and initiates landing when you are under 3.7 or 3.5 volts in one cell. Forget batt% just focus on the volts. I believe the Mavic Air has 3 cells? So when you approach 9 volts total you are getting low and likely damaging the battery.

 

[boblui]

My M2P starts autolanding at about the same battery level. Scared the shxx out of me the first time it did so. Then I learned the trick of maintaining altitude by applying ( lots of ) throttle up

 

[boblui]

.... problem is if return altitude is 60 feet and there are structures at 100 feet(for example-trees) than the drone runs into the structures .....

Not necessarily. Applying full throttle up can make the craft ascend in autolanding mode. A test I did some time ago :

 

[virtualphotographers]

OK, I know everyone plays police on the forum but common, this video above a crowded area, nearing critical battery??? Just saying...

 

[slup]

... I was flying it above some trees at around 120 meters.... it started landing itself.
... I was only around 250 meters away and still 15% battery left.

Any tips for a warranty claim? Will provide the file with my flight record log soon!

Well, seems you haven't had any time yet to provide the flight log ...

Until then I believe you plain & simple ran into the low battery autolanding, which you could have fought by applying full positive throttle command & made it those 250 meters to home without clipping the trees.

As seen below (with values from a MA1) the low battery autolanding is height dependent ... blue: battery autoland percentage & red: height in meters. And as you said "at around 120m" & 15% left ... If my hunch is correct this isn't a warranty case, instead a pilot error.