Mavic Pro Failing to RTH

[Three Greens]

Hey guys,

I've had my pro for two years now. Just got it back after a magnetic interference required a new gimbal.

Put in all my settings and did all the checks. Had previously did three earlier flights without problem and tested the RTH as I wanted to get some high altitude shots of the sunset.
Started to get lost signal and initiated RTH. The aircraft lost control with the controller completely and as you can see from the flight log it didn't return home. I went to where it was last seen and couldn't find it at any of the properties where it was last seen.
Appreciate peoples thoughts on the log and why it didn't come back? I have DJI care refresh, however they've already seen without the craft I'm on my own.

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[JDawg]

Sorry. @sar104 or @Meta4 are experts at this and hopefully they will see your post.

 

[sar104]

It didn't return because you flew it at 1600 ft altitude in nearly 40 mph winds out of the southwest.

 

[JDawg]

Wow, another that got blown away, sad.

 

[sar104]

This one should be easy to find. It was almost holding against the wind, with a < 1 m/s drift rate at the end.



Based on battery autoland level it should have started auto landing around 895 s and dropped below the 30 mph wind level around 100 s later. That puts its final distance between 1620 and 1700 m.



That creates a pretty small landing area estimate. Looking close up:



If you find it, please don't fly so recklessly again.

 

[BD0G]

Man 1600 feet AGL into 40 MPH winds. Thats kinda nuts!

 

[macoman]

Man 1600 feet AGL into 40 MPH winds. Thats kinda nuts!

Some people are clueless. They spent the money in a expensive device and don't research on what is the safest way to fly a drone.

 

[Grakken]

1600 ft? Way to give ( Mod Removed )man.

I wonder if at that height if it hit one of those roofs, going all the way through and interrupting Jeopardy?

 

[Three Greens]

This one should be easy to find. It was almost holding against the wind, with a < 1 m/s drift rate at the end.

View attachment 60778

Based on battery autoland level it should have started auto landing around 895 s and dropped below the 30 mph wind level around 100 s later. That puts its final distance between 1620 and 1700 m.

View attachment 60779

That creates a pretty small landing area estimate. Looking close up:

View attachment 60780

If you find it, please don't fly so recklessly again.

Thank you for taking your time to calculate a detailed reply. You're probably right, I shouldn't of flown it at such high altitude in those conditions. I could see it for the best part and had already tested the RTH in a previous flight as I wanted the shot - you're right and if on the slim chance I do get it back I will be more sensible.
Thanks again.

 

[Three Greens]

Some people are clueless. They spent the money in a expensive device and don't research on what is the safest way to fly a drone.

I've flown hundreds of flights with my Mavic. I own the farms around where I took my shots. Did I make a mistake? yes. However I thought I had every fail safe in place I could have to get it back should anything go wrong.
I'm sorry I'm not as flawless as you mate.

 

[AMann]

Hope you have your contact info on it, sounds like you should be able to find it or at least some honest person will return it. Glad to see the flight analysis, thank you for sharing it as us less clued folks need the training CheersThree Greens- looking forward to your news of a successful recovery!

 

[sar104]

1600 ft? Way to give Zero F*@*s man.

I wonder if at that height if it hit one of those roofs, going all the way through and interrupting Jeopardy?

It should have auto landed under control - there is no reason to think that it will have fallen.

 

[Meta4]

I've flown hundreds of flights with my Mavic. I own the farms around where I took my shots. Did I make a mistake? yes. However I thought I had every fail safe in place I could have to get it back should anything go wrong.

I'm not sure how you make hundreds of flights without learning some basics about wind.

Looking at your flight data, there are some obvious clues.
At 4:36.1 you took your hand off the right stick, the height was 1526 feet and the drone was moving at 10.8 mph from the right stick input you had been giving it.
By 5:06.5 the speed had slowed to 6.1 mph but that was as slow as it got.
With no joystick input it continued, getting further away.
At 5:23.6 while hovering trying to maintain position, it was getting further away at 8.8 mph.

At around 6:39 (alt 1612 feet battery = 65%) you turned around and started flying back.
At 7:17.5 RTH was initiated.
Altitude is still at 1538 ft and when the stabilises, it's around 2-3 mph ... backwards !!
The drone gets blown another 1000 feet backwards while you bring it down to 1225 feet and signal is lost at 12:58.8 and battery level at 31%.

The simple story is you flew very high (much higher than permitted in most countries).
Apart from the legal/aviation safety issue, flying that high can be risky to your drone.
Winds up high are mostly significantly higher than down at ground level.
If you fly high, you have to be aware of wind strength and direction if you want to bring the drone home.

Flying downwind in a strong wind is a classic rookie mistake.
Leaving the drone up so high where RTH (which is slower than you can drive) is another.

You put the drone up where it's a one-way street going away from you.
While you left it so high, it was never coming back to you.
The clues were there all the time in the altitude and speed data.

 

[old man mavic]

I'm not sure how you make hundreds of flights without learning some basics about wind.

Looking at your flight data, there are some obvious clues.
At 4:36.1 you took your hand off the right stick, the height was 1526 feet and the drone was moving at 10.8 mph from the right stick input you had been giving it.
By 5:06.5 the speed had slowed to 6.1 mph but that was as slow as it got.
With no joystick input it continued, getting further away.
At 5:23.6 while hovering trying to maintain position, it was getting further away at 8.8 mph.

At around 6:39 (alt 1612 feet battery = 65%) you turned around and started flying back.
At 7:17.5 RTH was initiated.
Altitude is still at 1538 ft and when the stabilises, it's around 2-3 mph ... backwards !!
The drone gets blown another 1000 feet backwards while you bring it down to 1225 feet and signal is lost at 12:58.8 and battery level at 31%.

The simple story is you flew very high (much higher than permitted in most countries).
Apart from the legal/aviation safety issue, flying that high can be risky to your drone.
Winds up high are mostly significantly higher than down at ground level.
If you fly high, you have to be aware of wind strength and direction if you want to bring the drone home.

Flying downwind in a strong wind is a classic rookie mistake.
Leaving the drone up so high where RTH (which is slower than you can drive) is another.

You put the drone up where it's a one-way street going away from you.
While you left it so high, it was never coming back to you.
The clues were there all the time in the altitude and speed data.

classic operator error dont blame the UAV

 

[swings16]

I too am shaking my head as to your problems...all were of your own making

I am sure that this was a learning experience,sadly of your own making

NOT trying to shame you but Grakken nailed it...
1600 ft? Way to give Zero F*@*s man.

I wonder if at that height if it hit one of those roofs, going all the way through and interrupting Jeopardy?

One of,if not my MAIN concern while flying is the possible serious injury or death of an innocent person while i fly

i take it very seriously and i would fly as high as you do ONLY when i am in a totally open space in "the country " like the Catskill area of NY

wide open spaces with no humans in sight..Those conditions are ideal

I am sure that you will not repeat your recent flying habits and i don't mean to scold you or lecture you

I am sure that this is a learning experience and i feel no ill will or negativity for you

 

[Peter Hughes]

Thank you for taking your time to calculate a detailed reply. You're probably right, I shouldn't of flown it at such high altitude in those conditions. I could see it for the best part and had already tested the RTH in a previous flight as I wanted the shot - you're right and if on the slim chance I do get it back I will be more sensible.
Thanks again.

Hi, just for clarity, where are you flying? Is it actually legal to fly at that altitude where you are?

 

[sar104]

Hi, just for clarity, where are you flying? Is it actually legal to fly at that altitude where you are?

There is a map of the flight in post #3.

 

[macoman]

I too am shaking my head as to your problems...all were of your own making

I am sure that this was a learning experience,sadly of your own making

NOT trying to shame you but Grakken nailed it...
1600 ft? Way to give Zero F*@*s man.

I wonder if at that height if it hit one of those roofs, going all the way through and interrupting Jeopardy?

One of,if not my MAIN concern while flying is the possible serious injury or death of an innocent person while i fly

i take it very seriously and i would fly as high as you do ONLY when i am in a totally open space in "the country " like the Catskill area of NY

wide open spaces with no humans in sight..Those conditions are ideal

I am sure that you will not repeat your recent flying habits and i don't mean to scold you or lecture you

I am sure that this is a learning experience and i feel no ill will or negativity for you

Even in open country side with no humans around is still illegal to be that higher. Remember that there is still small planes and helicopters that can fly to that altitude. It is very dangerous.

 

[Marko9219]

1600 ft. Really?!? Thanks man. Flights like this and people like you are what is brining legislation against our hobby on a nearly daily basis. Because your toy will fly that high doesn't mean it's OK. Because your toy will fly near an airport doesn't mean it's OK. Because your toy can fly in a National Park doesn't mean it's OK. I'll Because your toy can fly over someone's back yard doesn't mean it's OK . Because your toy can fly over crowds doesn't mean it's OK. Because your drone can chase wildlife doesn't mean it's OK. As long as owners fail to self regulate, then the Governments will have to do it for us I guess.

 

[Peter Hughes]

Even in open country side with no humans around is still illegal to be that higher. Remember that there is still small planes and helicopters that can fly to that altitude. It is very dangerous.

I was thinking that to. If someone is being that reckless so as to fly in commercial air space then, perhaps, it’s a good thing for fate to take a hand and deprive them of their craft.
Hopefully it’s lesson learned.