So, just flying around my neighborhood (nearest neighbor 3/4 of a mile) and on the way back my MP just stops says there is an obstacle. Not likely I'm 80 feet above any obstacle. Okay, so it's the sun and happens quite often this time of year. I do what I always do, because it's easy and I'm lazy. I turn the MP around so it's facing the bare spot on the hill across the canyon and fly home backwards. Before doing this I was showing my wife the warning "Mavic breaking obstacle, return sticks to neutral" or something like that. Start flying home (backwards) notice it's taking longer then normal check the distance and sure enough it's returning no problem the distance is getting shorter. Still hasn't come back and I can't hear it, check distance and now it's getting further away. Just then I loose video, then loose RC contact with the drone. Message pops up RTH, Okay cool, wait and the MP doesn't come home. All this sound familiar? Wait for it, MP flyway. NOT. Here's what happened. While showing my wife the obstacle message I turned the MP to the wrong bare spot on the other side of the canyon, did I mentioned I always do this because it's easy and I'm lazy so the MP was flying back on an oblique path until it crashed into a tree 1200 feet to the the north and 40 feet above my altitude. I live in the forest ,very steep hilly forest. The good news I have a Marco Polo on my drone in case it ever got lost in the forest, I go searching, 1 hour later I find MP, so much for lazy and easy. MP hit the top of an 80 foot tree, fell and landed upside down, 3 broken props, missing 2 of extended landing gear, no other damage. I write this to inform, don't fly backwards unless you absolutely have to, turn off the obstacle avoidance and fly home where you can see where you are going. Pilot Error, Flyaway NOT.
