My drone exploded in mid air

[FLDave]

Well I said what happened in the original post really. It was hovering for a minute or so and then just exploded. I think it was the battery because I got temperature warnings. If I can’t get the data to work I’ll have to guess it’s that. I’m going to contact DJI for a replacement as I wasn’t using after market components

Based on your inspection of the evidence you collected, the appearance of both top, bottom, and sides of the components, what do you think happened? Does the evidence indicate impact damager or damage before impact?

 

[LewisJones]

Can you post the .txt file?
Upload to Google Drive or similar and post a link.
It will have lots of data right up to the fatal moment, including full data on battery temperature right through the flight.

Ok I’ll check it out later I have to take my kids to football practice right now.

 

[Starz]

Based on your inspection of the evidence you collected, the appearance of both top, bottom, and sides of the components, what do you think happened? Does the evidence indicate impact damager or damage before impact?

All speculation until the logs are available.

 

[Snow-man]

First, sorry for your loss. Being a mechanical design technician for more than 30 years, looking at the picture we can clearly see that the plastic is deformed by heat and no traces of fire are visible (black smoke residue). I can’t see any evidence of the drone being shot, the body being way too intact to match a bullet impact. By the way the plastic is deformed outward, it seems the theory of an overheated battery explosion is possible.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

View attachment 166734
Well here’s the body

That is NOT a mini 3 of any sort.
It is was some form of the earlier two series of "mini" and it is not a mini 2, no front LED.
I suspect, from the shape of the battery holder corners, it was an SE of some sort but that is guess work.

 

[LewisJones]

First, sorry for your loss. Being a mechanical design technician for more than 30 years, looking at the picture we can clearly see that the plastic is deformed by heat and no traces of fire are visible (black smoke residue). I can’t see any evidence of the drone being shot, the body being way too intact to match a bullet impact. By the way the plastic is deformed outward, it seems the theory of an overheated battery explosion is possible.

Thanks for the expert opinion

 

[LewisJones]

That is NOT a mini 3 of any sort.
It is was some form of the earlier two series of "mini" and it is not a mini 2, no front LED.
I suspect, from the shape of the battery holder corners, it was an SE of some sort but that is guess work.

Well….it is? I don’t know what to tell you but even I couldn’t tell the make from how mangled the body is.

 

[LewisJones]

Thank you for the pic.
observation 1. that drone has had 0 zero heat Damage -so Battery out of the question.
If the battery goes it goes with Fire!- not clean like shown.
When the Drone fell from the sky, Was it run over by a vehicle? I am not saying this didn't happen to you, BUT some things are not adding up. You say your drone did this all of a sudden in Mid-air, Yet if you apply simple material mechanics you will see that an explosion inside a plastic drone could not be that violent. you would need a device inside of it, made of metal or thick plastic and that device would have to explode not the drone . The drone in the picture looks to have been either run over or smashed with an object. Your battery is not coming apart midair without fire, and the drone pictured was never on fire. There is only one possible explanation. That drone is a victim of sabotage. Drones don't explode.- They just don't.
AND if yours actually did, Let me be the first to say sorry for questioning the story.
And: I would Plead -- ALL Mavic Mini 3 Pro users should- RIGHT NOW! STOP READING! - NOW!! Take their drones out of their homes and place them well away from themselves and their property. - Or you may consider next time screening the cargo you carry on your Drone for explosives.

I don’t carry explosive cargo because I don’t partake in criminal activities or terrorist attacks. I’d rather listen to the experts above than you to be honest. You can leave now if your not interested in helping.

 

[LewisJones]

All speculation until the logs are available.

Looking to get the .txt now

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

The draft of this was written before I could see the photo and assumes that the drone was a mini 3 of some sort. Blue text is new.

If you did not delete the log from the screen device or move the log from the screen device to computer etc., is the App still able to replay the flight in the "profile" section of the App?
If so, then a good copy of the light log exists on the screen device.

What screen device were you using and if a phone what model of phone? Given that the drone is neither a mini 3 of any sort nor a mini 2 I suspect you will have been using a phone.
What version of the app in on that device?

If applicable, if the screen device has a file browser and you can navigate to the FlightRecord folder? If so, does the .txt show there? If so, what is the size of the file?

If you DO NOT sync your logs with DJI then have a look in the MCDatFlightRecords folder, there should be .DAT flight logs in there.

Does the last one have a date and time stamp that corresponds to the flight? If so COPY the DAT file to computer etc. and upload the copy to a file hosting site, make the upload public and post the URL here. That is relevant to the Mavic Mini and mini 3 pro, I suspect that the screen device DATs of the Mini SE and Mini 2 SE will be encrypted but that is a guess so it might be worth uploading the DAT log as described. Mini 2 DATs ARE encrypted so do not bother uploading the DAT if it is a mini 2.

If you did sync the logs then the above folder will probably be empty but I would suggest you MOVE all the existing .txt flight logs to computer i.e. make sure they are copied to another device and the original logs deleted form you ‘phone’. THEN do a sync, that sync should restore/copy all the previously synced .txt flight logs, coping them from DJI’s servers etc..

 

[Cafguy]

I don’t carry explosive cargo because I don’t partake in criminal activities or terrorist attacks. I’d rather listen to the experts above than you to be honest. You can leave now if your not interested in helping.

No problem - Before I leave let me just say - Drones Don't EXPLODE- cannot happen, there is nothing that was included with your drone that could do that. Period.
Thank you Im sorry I couldn't contribute and I'm out.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Well….it is? I don’t know what to tell you but even I couldn’t tell the make from how mangled the body is.

If your drone was a Mini 3 of any sort then the drone in the photo IS NOT your drone.
Look at the nose, the Mini 3 's have NOTHING forward of the camera mount, that drone does have a nose forward of the gimbal.
I will attach photos showing the shells of a Mavic Mini and Mini 2 in a few miniutes.

 

[LewisJones]

No problem - Before I leave let me just say - Drones Don't EXPLODE- cannot happen, there is nothing that was included with your drone that could do that. Period.
Thank you Im sorry I couldn't contribute and I'm out.

See the engineers reply above for how it might’ve exploded. And exploded is only my perspective from what I saw anyway. Im
Sure the data will confirm the battery overheated and did something though. I’m just a little shocked about how many people seem to be assuming im a liar. Trust me I’d rather be flying the drone then posting on an online internet forum

 

[LewisJones]

If your drone was a Mini 3 of any sort then the drone in the photo IS NOT your drone.
Look at the nose, the Mini 3 's have NOTHING forward of the camera mount, that drone does have a nose forward of the gimbal.
I will attach photos showing the shells of a Mavic Mini and Mini 2 in a few miniutes.

I took this photo today

 

[LewisJones]

I took this photo today

Ps: the explosion may have something to do with the different aesthetic.

 

[Ridgeback65]

added an edit to the relevant post.

Slugs

A shotgun slug round at 200 yards on a (most likely) moving target the size of a small dinner plate?! That would be one hell of a shot!

 

[3rdof5]

See the engineers reply above for how it might’ve exploded. And exploded is only my perspective from what I saw anyway. Im
Sure the data will confirm the battery overheated and did something though. I’m just a little shocked about how many people seem to be assuming im a liar. Trust me I’d rather be flying the drone then posting on an online internet forum

No one has said you are lying, but you did say in your OP that you were flying your mini 3 pro. The picture you provided is not a mini 3 pro. Can you explain that?

 

[Cafguy]

I must apologize myself but I build drones I work with these batteries That kind of explosion is unheard of and you would be the FIRST ever to have a mid-air explosion of an R.C. vehicle. The batteries are engineered to have a weak point so that they can't explode this way. Hope you solve the problem

 

[LewisJones]

No one has said you are lying, but you did say in your OP that you were flying your mini 3 pro. The picture you provided is not a mini 3 pro. Can you explain that?

Please see my other responses. It is a mini 3 pro, but looks completely different after the incident. It landed in a field with cows so maybe one of them stepped on it haha

 

[LewisJones]

I must apologize myself but I build drones and I work with these batteries and That kind of explosion is unheard of and you would be the FIRST ever to have a mid-air explosion of an R.C. vehicle. The batteries are engineered to have a weak point so that they can't explode this way. Hope you solve the problem

I’m sorry I just feel attacked a bit to be honest from the questions. Maybe I should just contact DJI and move on. I’m aware that this is very rare and have scoured the internet to find others with my problem but to no avail. Hope DJI actually believe me