San Francisco pilots...I lost muh Mavic!

[Mighty J Fury]

The wind took it pretty much as soon as I launched. It lost connection to rc but before the battery was drained so i have a swath of the Castro/Cole Valley it could've gone down in.
MY DRONE WAS BLOWN AWAY IN SF. HELP! REWARD!

This was my Father's Day gift from my wife.........

 

[Lake_Flyer]

Sorry for your loss.

Did it have a GPS lock when you took off, or did it switch to Atti straight after launch?
I'm just trying to understand how your mavic can get caught by such a strong wind that it simply blows away even while in GPS. Must have been quite a breeze. When it was out of range without GPS it could have gone anywhere, not having any recorded homepoint.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

I waited for GPS lock prior to lift off, as always. I didn't realize the wind was so fierce until I turned it around to bring it back as it was moving on the map when it was supposed to be hovering. I was on top of a high hill so I attempted to drop altitude to get beneath the wind...well that caused loss in signal, likely due to the homes blocking the signal. Last info i viewed was that the battery was at 20%. The last coordinates I had were over a dense neighborhood so it could be in a tree, on top of a house or apt building...*sigh*

I already filed a police report. I was willing to happily eat a ticket if it caused an in issue like landing in traffic.

Does anybody have any stories of a replacement through DJI or renter insurance if I have police report number?

 

[msinger]

Did you check out the flight log to see if it gives you any hints as to where it might be located? You can upload and view the flight log online here. If you'd like other people to review and comment on your flight log, then please post a link back here after you upload it.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

I don't know what can be discerned from this log, but I'm desperate.

The path down is essentially where the wind carried the Mavic. I lost signal at the end but the drone wasn't drained yet so it works have hovered /been carried by the wind some more.

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Did you check out the flight log to see if it gives you any hints as to where it might be located? You can upload and view the flight log online here. If you'd like other people to review and comment on your flight log, then please post a link back here after you upload it.

 

[Cyberpower678]

I don't know what can be discerned from this log, but I'm desperate.

The path down is essentially where the wind carried the Mavic. I lost signal at the end but the drone wasn't drained yet so it works have hovered /been carried by the wind some more.

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

I only briefly looked at the log, but it appeared that the RTH was initiated, but then it proceeded to fly away from the home point. Then it dived down into some place where the altitude readout became negative. I should note the drone apparently quite happily entered Class B airspace in the process.

 

[dewster]

I waited for GPS lock prior to lift off, as always. I didn't realize the wind was so fierce until I turned it around to bring it back as it was moving on the map when it was supposed to be hovering. I was on top of a high hill so I attempted to drop altitude to get beneath the wind...well that caused loss in signal, likely due to the homes blocking the signal. Last info i viewed was that the battery was at 20%. The last coordinates I had were over a dense neighborhood so it could be in a tree, on top of a house or apt building...*sigh*

I already filed a police report. I was willing to happily eat a ticket if it caused an in issue like landing in traffic.

Does anybody have any stories of a replacement through DJI or renter insurance if I have police report number?

The police don't take reports on lost items. DJI Care Refresh wants the craft before sending a replacement.

You should use Sport Mode to fight the wind. I had a strong headwind on my return trip once. It took forever to bring the craft back. V

 

[Lake_Flyer]

I only briefly looked at the log, but it appeared that the RTH was initiated, but then it proceeded to fly away from the home point. Then it dived down into some place where the altitude readout became negative. I should note the drone apparently quite happily entered Class B airspace in the process.

I noticed the class B warning as well. Might be a lead to its position.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

The police don't take reports on lost items. DJI Care Refresh wants the craft before sending a replacement.

You should use Sport Mode to fight the wind. I had a strong headwind on my return trip once. It took forever to bring the craft back. V

It was in sports mode several times as you can see in the log.

 

[go fast]

Wow sorry for your loss , just a little tip I always use UAVForecast.com
UAV Forecast before I fly it's very accurate with wind speed which is obviously critical as you found out...

 

[msinger]

Here are some key points in your flight:

6m 19.4s: Pilot RTH initiated

(slowly started returning home at about 1.5 MPH)

6m 44.5s: Pilot RTH cancelled

(hovered in place with strong winds while pilot descended)

8m 6.3s: Pilot RTH initiated and Mavic started returning home at current altitude of 224 feet (RTH altitude was 101 feet)

(Mavic started moving further away from the home point since wind was too strong)

8m 13.7s: Pilot started descending at full throttle down

(continued periods of descending while Mavic continued to move further away from home point)

8m 46.2s: Started to get a weak signal since Mavic was too low to the ground
10m 22.5s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 35.1s: RTH automatically initiated due to low battery

(continued to descend for periods at full throttle down)

10m 47.3s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 58.1s: Downlink lost


In order for your Mavic to fly back home at this point, it would have had to continually ascend as it met new obstacles (since it was flying up a hill) while fighting the strong winds. The battery was only at 25%, so it either crashed into an obstacle, met an obstacle and deciding to land because it could not overcome it, or landed at the current location when the battery reached the critically low level.

It would have flown close to the red line below as it tried to return to the home point:






If it crashed or landed due to an obstacle it could not overcome, I think it would be in one of the yellow circled locations below:



If it managed to see all of the obstacles in the flight path and continued to overcome each obstacle as they were encountered, it could have landing anywhere along that red line. The battery was pretty low though, so I don't think it would have made it too far up the hill.

 

[Rbruz]

The wind took it pretty much as soon as I launched. It lost connection to rc but before the battery was drained so i have a swath of the Castro/Cole Valley it could've gone down in.
MY DRONE WAS BLOWN AWAY IN SF. HELP! REWARD!

This was my Father's Day gift from my wife.........

Did ya at least have a " If found, reward call etc etc" sticker on it ???

 

[danman999]

I waited for GPS lock prior to lift off, as always. I didn't realize the wind was so fierce until I turned it around to bring it back as it was moving on the map when it was supposed to be hovering. I was on top of a high hill so I attempted to drop altitude to get beneath the wind...well that caused loss in signal, likely due to the homes blocking the signal. Last info i viewed was that the battery was at 20%. The last coordinates I had were over a dense neighborhood so it could be in a tree, on top of a house or apt building...*sigh*

I already filed a police report. I was willing to happily eat a ticket if it caused an in issue like landing in traffic.

Does anybody have any stories of a replacement through DJI or renter insurance if I have police report number?

Downdrafts can occur on the leeward side of hills and mountains, just over the ridge or summit. Your Mavic was probably being forced down by this wind, and when you manually descended the descent accelerated, and your Mavic crashed into the ground.

 

[msinger]

Your Mavic was probably being forced down by this wind, and when you manually descended the descent accelerated, and your Mavic crashed into the ground.

Where in the flight log do you see it crashing into the ground?

 

[Mighty J Fury]

Here are some key points in your flight:

6m 19.4s: Pilot RTH initiated

(slowly started returning home at about 1.5 MPH)

6m 44.5s: Pilot RTH cancelled

(hovered in place with strong winds while pilot descended)

8m 6.3s: Pilot RTH initiated and Mavic started returning home at current altitude of 224 feet (RTH altitude was 101 feet)

(Mavic started moving further away from the home point since wind was too strong)

8m 13.7s: Pilot started descending at full throttle down

(continued periods of descending while Mavic continued to move further away from home point)

8m 46.2s: Started to get a weak signal since Mavic was too low to the ground
10m 22.5s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 35.1s: RTH automatically initiated due to low battery

(continued to descend for periods at full throttle down)

10m 47.3s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 58.1s: Downlink lost


In order for your Mavic to fly back home at this point, it would have had to continually ascend as it met new obstacles (since it was flying up a hill) while fighting the strong winds. The battery was only at 25%, so it either crashed into an obstacle, met an obstacle and deciding to land because it could not overcome it, or landed at the current location when the battery reached the critically low level.

It would have flown close to the red line below as it tried to return to the home point:

View attachment 18741

View attachment 18742


If it crashed or landed due to an obstacle it could not overcome, I think it would be in one of the yellow circled locations below:

View attachment 18743

If it managed to see all of the obstacles in the flight path and continued to overcome each obstacle as they were encountered, it could have landing anywhere along that red line. The battery was pretty low though, so I don't think it would have made it too far up the hill.

Wow! Thank you so much for your detective work! I'm going back to the area today with missing drone flyers and to continue the search.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

Did ya at least have a " If found, reward call etc etc" sticker on it ???

Yes. In the battery compartment.

I do remember reading about somebody who lost their drone in San Francisco which landed on somebody's balcony but the person who found it didn't remove the battery for a month because they didn't know.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

The police don't take reports on lost items. DJI Care Refresh wants the craft before sending a replacement.

You should use Sport Mode to fight the wind. I had a strong headwind on my return trip once. It took forever to bring the craft back. V

The police did take a report of a lost item.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

Here are some key points in your flight:

6m 19.4s: Pilot RTH initiated

(slowly started returning home at about 1.5 MPH)

6m 44.5s: Pilot RTH cancelled

(hovered in place with strong winds while pilot descended)

8m 6.3s: Pilot RTH initiated and Mavic started returning home at current altitude of 224 feet (RTH altitude was 101 feet)

(Mavic started moving further away from the home point since wind was too strong)

8m 13.7s: Pilot started descending at full throttle down

(continued periods of descending while Mavic continued to move further away from home point)

8m 46.2s: Started to get a weak signal since Mavic was too low to the ground
10m 22.5s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 35.1s: RTH automatically initiated due to low battery

(continued to descend for periods at full throttle down)

10m 47.3s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 58.1s: Downlink lost


In order for your Mavic to fly back home at this point, it would have had to continually ascend as it met new obstacles (since it was flying up a hill) while fighting the strong winds. The battery was only at 25%, so it either crashed into an obstacle, met an obstacle and deciding to land because it could not overcome it, or landed at the current location when the battery reached the critically low level.

It would have flown close to the red line below as it tried to return to the home point:

View attachment 18741

View attachment 18742


If it crashed or landed due to an obstacle it could not overcome, I think it would be in one of the yellow circled locations below:

View attachment 18743

If it managed to see all of the obstacles in the flight path and continued to overcome each obstacle as they were encountered, it could have landing anywhere along that red line. The battery was pretty low though, so I don't think it would have made it too far up the hill.

As further support for your detective work, I can see on of the last viewed buildings (a white multistory apt building with a long garage) from the cached video in one of the images you shared. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=MndNVzZKQzFDOUUxdjRoeVdfRGlUUDRkMlk5MU93

 

[Rbruz]

Yes. In the battery compartment.

I do remember reading about somebody who lost their drone in San Francisco which landed on somebody's balcony but the person who found it didn't remove the battery for a month because they didn't know.

Kool !!! Yeah why mine is on the outside, better chance.

 

[Mighty J Fury]

MAVIC RECOVERED!

It landed on the deck of a house that was under construction at the time. the new owner moved in two days ago and found my Mavic perched on his deck. he called me the next day and returned it to me today. You were pretty close with your estimated. The red pin is where it landed:

Here are some key points in your flight:

6m 19.4s: Pilot RTH initiated

(slowly started returning home at about 1.5 MPH)

6m 44.5s: Pilot RTH cancelled

(hovered in place with strong winds while pilot descended)

8m 6.3s: Pilot RTH initiated and Mavic started returning home at current altitude of 224 feet (RTH altitude was 101 feet)

(Mavic started moving further away from the home point since wind was too strong)

8m 13.7s: Pilot started descending at full throttle down

(continued periods of descending while Mavic continued to move further away from home point)

8m 46.2s: Started to get a weak signal since Mavic was too low to the ground
10m 22.5s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 35.1s: RTH automatically initiated due to low battery

(continued to descend for periods at full throttle down)

10m 47.3s: Pilot cancelled RTH
10m 58.1s: Downlink lost


In order for your Mavic to fly back home at this point, it would have had to continually ascend as it met new obstacles (since it was flying up a hill) while fighting the strong winds. The battery was only at 25%, so it either crashed into an obstacle, met an obstacle and deciding to land because it could not overcome it, or landed at the current location when the battery reached the critically low level.

It would have flown close to the red line below as it tried to return to the home point:

View attachment 18741

View attachment 18742


If it crashed or landed due to an obstacle it could not overcome, I think it would be in one of the yellow circled locations below:

View attachment 18743

If it managed to see all of the obstacles in the flight path and continued to overcome each obstacle as they were encountered, it could have landing anywhere along that red line. The battery was pretty low though, so I don't think it would have made it too far up the hill.