Mavic wouldn't Return to Home - just stayed there - even though it said it was returning

[Shadow2020]

I flew two flights.
On the first, my phone lost communication, which happens occasionally.. and I hit RTH on the controller and my drone returned to home (although it was off by a few feet..had to land manually). A bit unnerving.

I then took off for a second flight. I flew for about 10 minutes and hit RTH on the phone and the drone said it was returning..beeping and all.... but it didn't move..it may have gone to the return height.. but otherwise wouldn't return.

I got a low battery warning and started to panic a bit because I was over a bridge with traffic and water. I invoked RTH multiple times with the phone and the controller and it kept saying it was doing it.... cancelled.. tried again. I then believe (although I was panicking because it said it only had enough battery to return..and I can't exactly remember what was happening..) I tried to fly it home manually without response...

Finally I tried to get it to land where it was manually... it responded to the down command and came straight down. I could control the camera so I pointed it down. I saw that I would miss the bridge... and it would miss the water by about 2 feet. This was the most incredible luck. Down it came and it hit a tree or town and finally landed. I was able to find it using the video as a guide. It was on it's side wrapped around some vines, undamaged. I am now afraid to fly it because I can't trust it to return. I am attaching the flight log and would appreciate any help. I am not a novice although I wouldn't consider myself a pro either. I have never had issues except the occasional loss of connection which unnerves me.

 

[Meta4]

I flew two flights.
On the first, my phone lost communication, which happens occasionally.. and I hit RTH on the controller and my drone returned to home (although it was off by a few feet..had to land manually). A bit unnerving.

Unless you use the Precision Landing feature and allow it time to photograph the launch spot on its way up, the RTH landing will just use GPS and being +/_ a few feet is normal.

I then took off for a second flight. I flew for about 10 minutes and hit RTH on the phone and the drone said it was returning..beeping and all.... but it didn't move..it may have gone to the return height.. but otherwise wouldn't return.

I got a low battery warning and started to panic a bit because I was over a bridge with traffic and water. I invoked RTH multiple times with the phone and the controller and it kept saying it was doing it.... cancelled.. tried again. I then believe (although I was panicking because it said it only had enough battery to return..and I can't exactly remember what was happening..) I tried to fly it home manually without response...

Like so many in-flight mysteries, the solution is in the recorded flight data.
AT 13:32.8 you initiated RTH.
The drone turned to face home and climbed toward RTH height.
It was reporting the whole time: Backing up to avoid obstacle
It reached RTH height (197 ft) but kept climbing to avoid the obstacle until it reached your Max Altitude limit at 394 ft.

The obstacle was almost certainly a bright and low sun and the Mavic couldn't see a way to get past it.
This happens occasionally.
The mavic would have flown anywhere you directed it, except straight towards the sun.
Flying 10 degrees in either direction would have been fine or disabling the obstacle avoidance would have solved the problem.
Your screen display should have shown you obstacle avoidance info (?)

All part of the learning with these things and getting stuck trying to fly past the sun isn't the first thing you think of when it happens.

 

[Kazo]

Unless you use the Precision Landing feature and allow it time to photograph the launch spot on its way up, the RTH landing will just use GPS and being +/_ a few feet is normal.

Like so many in-flight mysteries, the solution is in the recorded flight data.
AT 13:32.8 you initiated RTH.
The drone turned to face home and climbed toward RTH height.
It was reporting the whole time: Backing up to avoid obstacle
It reached RTH height (197 ft) but kept climbing to avoid the obstacle until it reached your Max Altitude limit at 394 ft.

The obstacle was almost certainly a bright and low sun and the Mavic couldn't see a way to get past it.
This happens occasionally.
The mavic would have flown anywhere you directed it, except straight towards the sun.
Flying 10 degrees in either direction would have been fine or disabling the obstacle avoidance would have solved the problem.
Your screen display should have shown you obstacle avoidance info (?)

All part of the learning with these things and getting stuck trying to fly past the sun isn't the first thing you think of when it happens.

I am certainly glad reading this. Explanation makes sense , had myself close call in exactly similar situation - bright sun. Thanks Meta!

 

[Top Hat]

In retrospect, when bright sun encountered....fly backward.
I've done this multiple times, same scenarios.

 

[ac0j]

I like to fly when its a dim sun.

 

[kidroc]

Yepper that one gets'em every time... You should disable RTH AO for sure which is what happened to you..

 

[rfc]

Unless one is flying low and/or in close quarters, doesn't it just make more sense to turn obstacle avoidance off completely?

 

[Lady Rover]

Sports mode does switch off obstacle avoidance and gives control back.
Put her into sport and move her carefully away....