My drone crashed in military zone!

[Chris_B]

Hi guys,

New pilot here with a few questions regarding my crash! I flew around 2-3 km away and got to low so it lost signal.

So it started RTH automatically and obviously chose the fastest way which is over the forest where the military is located...

It had so bad connection I couldn't control it so it kept going and the second it was over the milizone it said "no fly zone - auto landing" which I couldn't cancel no matter what I did.
So I'm pretty curious why it goes suicide mode like that. It should go around the zone if it can see there's a zone and especially when I had no signal.


And to all you rulelovers - yes I could see it untill the second it flew to low since I have bright strobe light on it.

 

[RayOZ]

Well, I wouldn't have flown near a military zone in the first place. Even if you are a few hundred meters from the zone line, if any military personal spotted it, they would think you were spying on their facility.
I wouldn't fly around a NFZ just in case it does a RTH and it's path would intersect it. Depending on how big the NFZ trying to fly around it might not be obvious. DJI software engineer would've have to program something to do it, but it's easier to just force land it.
Consider it a learning experience. I hope you are able to retrieve it.

 

[Chris_B]

Well, I wouldn't have flown near a military zone in the first place. Even if you are a few hundred meters from the zone line, if any military personal spotted it, they would think you were spying on their facility.
I wouldn't fly around a NFZ just in case it does a RTH and it's path would intersect it. Depending on how big the NFZ trying to fly around it might not be obvious. DJI software engineer would've have to program something to do it, but it's easier to just force land it.
Consider it a learning experience. I hope you are able to retrieve it.

I was maybe 300-500 meters away from it which I'm allowed to. It just doesn't make sense that it has 2 features that collide like that. It would be better if it just landed instead of landing inside the military.

I called them and told them the situation which they understood but the 2 guys they sent were not happy which is completely fair but they gave it back to me and told me to be more careful and they don't want it to happen again.

I'm lucky I got away with it - could have been way worse...

 

[Deleted member 3792]

They could have shot you and than had a good time flying the confiscated drone.

 

[Chris_B]

They could have shot you and than had a good time flying the confiscated drone.

Haha - yep

 

[Thomas B]

I was maybe 300-500 meters away from it which I'm allowed to. It just doesn't make sense that it has 2 features that collide like that. It would be better if it just landed instead of landing inside the military.

I called them and told them the situation which they understood but the 2 guys they sent were not happy which is completely fair but they gave it back to me and told me to be more careful and they don't want it to happen again.

I'm lucky I got away with it - could have been way worse...

Glad for the happy ending. Recommend using Danish aeronautical maps to avoid this in future.
I am surprised the drone entered a NFZ rather than stopping at the edge of it.

 

[Chris_B]

Glad for the happy ending. Recommend using Danish aeronautical maps to avoid this in the future.
I am surprised the drone entered an NFZ rather than stopping at the edge of it.

I'm also very happy - I use maps that show that it's a no go and I'm also aware of the base and always try to keep a distance but when it makes this kind of stunts it makes me question the features that DJI programmed.

 

[RayOZ]

Glad for the happy ending. Recommend using Danish aeronautical maps to avoid this in future.
I am surprised the drone entered a NFZ rather than stopping at the edge of it.

One reason I avoid going close to NFZs to test if it stops at the edge. Depending on the speed it was flying, by the time it brakes when detecting the edge of the NFZ, it would already be inside the NFZ. So force landing it goes.

 

[AMann]

I'm also very happy - I use maps that show that it's a no go and I'm also aware of the base and always try to keep a distance but when it makes this kind of stunts it makes me question the features that DJI programmed.

Did you fly around a back side of the NFZ so it was between you and the drone? Another issue, in the US at least, is if a temporary NFZ activates while flying and the App has internet access on a phone- Instant autolanding wherever it is...

 

[vail]

Hi guys,

New pilot here with a few questions regarding my crash! I flew around 2-3 km away and got to low so it lost signal.

So it started RTH automatically and obviously chose the fastest way which is over the forest where the military is located...

It had so bad connection I couldn't control it so it kept going and the second it was over the milizone it said "no fly zone - auto landing" which I couldn't cancel no matter what I did.
So I'm pretty curious why it goes suicide mode like that. It should go around the zone if it can see there's a zone and especially when I had no signal.


And to all you rulelovers - yes I could see it untill the second it flew to low since I have bright strobe light on it.

Other pilots can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure RTH will always take the direct route. It sounds like you flew around the forest where the military is located, and it returned in a direct line into the NFZ. This is the same software that will fly your drone into a building if you lose signal on the wrong side of one... so it's a stretch to assume that it will carefully navigate around the NFZ you flew around.

 

[brett8883]

Hi guys,

New pilot here with a few questions regarding my crash! I flew around 2-3 km away and got to low so it lost signal.

So it started RTH automatically and obviously chose the fastest way which is over the forest where the military is located...

It had so bad connection I couldn't control it so it kept going and the second it was over the milizone it said "no fly zone - auto landing" which I couldn't cancel no matter what I did.
So I'm pretty curious why it goes suicide mode like that. It should go around the zone if it can see there's a zone and especially when I had no signal.


And to all you rulelovers - yes I could see it untill the second it flew to low since I have bright strobe light on it.

Suicide by GeoZone.

 

[Paul2660]

You can still fly the drone if it’s in Auto Landing mode. Just keep slight upward stick pressure with left stick. Drone will fly under your control. If you let off the left stick it will start to land again. You can fly it till battery dies.

Not something you want to do a lot but can save a landing where drone will be compromised.

Paul C

 

[brett8883]

Other pilots can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure RTH will always take the direct route. It sounds like you flew around the forest where the military is located, and it returned in a direct line into the NFZ. This is the same software that will fly your drone into a building if you lose signal on the wrong side of one... so it's a stretch to assume that it will carefully navigate around the NFZ you flew around.

The M2 should retrace it’s flight path for 60 seconds after a remote control disconnect, however, if the aircraft is further than 2 km or less than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft will not retrace the original flight route and instead flies in a straight line to the Home Point.

Note that GEO zones will affect the ability of the aircraft to retrace the original flight route
Mavic 2 Manual

 

[Terry63]

Hi guys,

New pilot here with a few questions regarding my crash! I flew around 2-3 km away and got to low so it lost signal.

So it started RTH automatically and obviously chose the fastest way which is over the forest where the military is located...

It had so bad connection I couldn't control it so it kept going and the second it was over the milizone it said "no fly zone - auto landing" which I couldn't cancel no matter what I did.
So I'm pretty curious why it goes suicide mode like that. It should go around the zone if it can see there's a zone and especially when I had no signal.

Hi Chris,

How high was the RTH altitude setting set to. Also the Max Altitude setting?
Not that this is directly related to the Geo fencing and NFZ issues.

You said you lost signal because it went too low. Did the drone actually descend or did you fly out past your horizon?
Of course the farther out you fly the more altitude you need. For example, I have to fly out of a clearing with trees 70' to 100 feet high. at 300 ft. altitude I can fly out about 600 ft. before I go below the horizon. This is at the edge of my VLOS anyway.

Let's say though that I accidently flew out 700 ft. at an altitude of 300 ft. and lost sight of my drone. If I stopped and ascended to 400 ft. I would regain direct LOS.
Let's repeat the scenario only this time say I lost radio signal and my drone went into auto RTH. My RTH altitude is set at 125 ft. so my drone would not ascend. It would start back below my VLOS and regain radio connection along the way, unless something stopped it.
Once again let's say that I accidently flew out to 700 ft. and lost radio signal and my drone went into auto RTH. But this time My RTH altitude is set at 400 ft. so my drone would ascend to 400 ft. I would regain radio connection so I could cancel the auto RTH and take full control of my aircraft.

Sometimes the places we have available to fly have their challenges and it's there or nowhere.

It would be nice if DJI would make NFZ borders work like the Geo Fence we can set in the Mavic it'self (when you near the border it turns away from it). I have a Mavic Pro which seems to have gone out of production, so I don't expect any refinements to be coming down the line for it.

 

[Terry63]

Did you fly around a back side of the NFZ so it was between you and the drone? Another issue, in the US at least, is if a temporary NFZ activates while flying and the App has internet access on a phone- Instant autolanding wherever it is...

A good reason Not to fly with your mobile device on line. Just before I take off I shut down the GO 4 App shut off the WIFI connection on my tablet ( if you use a cell phone use airplane mode) then restart GO 4 and fly.

 

[DanMan32]

The TFR may already be in the database in the AC at the time of flight, depending on when the TFR was published.
If that's the case, cutting off internet at time of flight won't help.

 

[AMann]

The TRF may already be in the database in the AC at the time of flight, depending on when the TRF was published.
If that's the case, cutting off internet at time of flight won't help.

Yup, There was a member here that was flying near a Stadium and had the same issue, a TFR activated at a certain time but it was not a home game and nobody was there, but his flight aborted while he was in it. You really have to follow those TFRs, and not assume they will not be turned on if the stadium is closed.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

I would also caution about flying AROUND a NFZ especially when you are BVLOS. From your description and distance, you obviously were not able to see a MP or M2P at that distance, knowingly flying on the other side of the NFZ, so the expectations of this type of incident are high.
Glad you were able to get it back and the experience will hopefully keep you from any future incidents. It could have been much worse.

 

[Terry63]

Of course its better to check for TFRs before you take off.

 

[mcbutler]

Personally I think ‘flying round a military zone’ is slightly sketchy behaviour. Did you get the drone back? If not you better hope it has nothing incriminating on it when they find it!