Now it’s my turn to crash my drone

[RayOZ]

Just a few days into my trip to NZ, and crashed my drone at the black sand dunes in Bethels Beach. The dunes were undulating and too bright to see on the screen I was too close to the ground. Now I have to wait 2 weeks before I return to Australia to send it for repairs with Care Refresh.
The sand are metallic, so they are stuck deep into the motors and the gimbal. I tried to open it up, and SAND EVERYWHERE. Tried to brush off the sand, then put it back. Turned on, and I get motor overload, and no connection to GPS. Close everything back up. Nothing I could do.
Yesterday, as a close call. I was at the beach, and lost connection. Usually not worried cos RTH would usually kick in an I’d get reception within a few seconds. This time, it was 2 minutes. I was really worried. When I got connection back, the drone had gone up 30m. Reviewing the video, the drone swung around a peninsular, around a cliff. It want really close to the trees, and RTH OA kicked in (I turned of OA when I flew), so it rose above the trees and after that it had connection to RC again.
I am usually careful. Somehow I got careless this couple of days.

 

[gtolover]

flying with your screen instead of LOS isnt being careful,the screen can be very vague on whats happening

 

[ac0j]

if you needed to be that close to the ground to get the shot you wanted, why not just take them with a regular camera?

 

[MichiganMavic]

Will they honor the refresh if you open it up?

 

[synaesthesia]

Will they honor the refresh if you open it up?

I'd be interested in knowing this. Conventional wisdom says they wouldn't but there's a lot about the DJI Care Refresh thing that seems to go against conventional wisdom.

 

[RayOZ]

Update: I did raise a DJI care refresh. Sent it back, and they just gave me a quote for a replacement, AUD$139. DJI care refresh covers user error. I do hope it'll be a new one, not a refurbished one.
My problem was the dune was really undulating. I was review the video, and yes I kept telling myself why I didn't go higher. A few seconds before the crash, I could see a couple a people walking below the drone (my Mavic was not directly above them). Things happened too fast. Painful lesson learnt. Hopefully, this is the last time I make such a stupid mistake.
Although I'll get a replacement, I am still upset I won't see my original Mavic again. I get a bit too attached to my stuff and try to take good care of them. I've got laptops >5 year that still looks like new, although obsolete.