UAV In-Flight Emergencies

[KI5RLL]

Mavic Pilots!

I assembled a starter list of top In-Flight Emergencies.
For us all to keep in mind and avoid if possible.
Can we distill this, add to it, or clarify it better?
Input appreciated for all of our benefit. Maybe a simple flash reference or mantra or whatever. Quick to remember. Maybe an acronym?
Save and print for your reference and teaching.
Thank you.


UAV In-Flight Emergencies

-On convergence with a manned craft.

-Bird chasing or bird strike.

-Flash critical weather event flying.

-Pilot failure to confirm RTH setting after firmware update, before takeoff. (Loses signal far away, craft goes to hover or land, not RTH).

-Critical low battery possibly too far out to RTH.

-Pair loss and unable to regain pair link.

-Phone low battery about to power off in flight.

-Threw off a propeller blade.

-Mechanical damage or issue with craft.

-Software failure or issue with craft.

-Pilot critical or emergency situation at home point, with craft still far away.

-Dropped/damaged controller/phone in flight.

-Accidental controller screen bump of settings, caused critical unintended outcome.

-Pilot turning off RTH then going critical low battery too far out to return.

*Drone In-Flight Emergency:
Pilot has the rest of the flight to figure it out.

*Manned craft In-Flight Emergency:
Pilot has the rest of his life to figure it out.

 

[Elthree]

"In-flight" is I think what you mean.
Quite different word/phrase to "in flight".

But how would having this printed on a card with you in the field help you?
Certainly I can see some value as part of a training syllabus.

 

[adcimagery]

I think more of a distinction needs to be drawn between in flight emergencies and things that are just user error issues (RTH settings may or may not be an issue depending on location). Additionally, some of these are just unrecoverable, and only useful to understand as factors post-crash, like a prop failure in flight.

I'm currently working on an article examining common factors behind crashes and what things can be done to address them, if anything.

 

[Meta4]

-Pilot failure to confirm RTH setting after firmware update, before takeoff. (Loses signal far away, craft goes to hover or land, not RTH).

After a firmware update, the Loss of Signal action won't be Land or Hover.
The factory default setting for Loss of Signal action, is RTH.
A firmware update would only make settings go back to factory defaults.

btw this is not an RTH setting

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I am afraid that I do not understand with certainty what you are seeking. It seems to me that the only thing that would make sense is a list of suggested solutions for the problems you cite but, as I said I am uncertain that that is what you seek. If it is what you seek then I doubt every one will agree on ALL the solutions.

But to address a few of points my suggestions would be

Pilot failure to confirm RTH setting after firmware update, before takeoff. (Loses signal far away, craft goes to hover or land, not RTH).

If a firmware update resets the failsafe and I would question whether it does it would reset it to the default and that is RTH, But then again I don't normally do updates and normally have the failsafe set to RTH.

Pair loss and unable to regain pair link.

What? If you literally mean that the pairing of the drone and contoller is lost, then
a) I have never heard of that happening and
b) it could never be regained ..... until the drone is literally in hand, since pairing needs something pressed on the drone.
If you mean a loss of connection then that is governed by the failsafe behaviour, I have seen a loss of connection take quite a while to be restored and perhaps some posts saying that it was not regained during the remainder of the flight but, if the failsafe is RTH, the drone should be coming home and, if worst comes to worst, then the drone should RTH and land automatically. Besides, even if the failsafe is set to hover and the connection is not regained then hovering will end in a low battery RTH.
Similarily if failsafe is set to land and the drone rejects the landing site it will then hover and eventually low battery RTH.

Phone low battery about to power off in flight. ditto dropped/broken phone

Either press RTH once and only once on the controller or if your failsafe option is RTH switch the controller off or keep teh drone within line of sight and in sight at all times, I don't see that you can do owt else.

Critical low battery possibly too far out to RTH -Pilot turning off RTH then going critical low battery too far out to return

That's the result of bad piloting, don't be a bad pilot, however my suggestion would beone of the following.
1) Land the drone somewhere safe or
2) keep trying to get it home until the motors stop but I would do the latter only where a free fall can not hurt anything or damage anything, or
3) if you can't find/see somewhere safe to land and would have to pass over something you could damage or endanger, crash the drone somewhere where it is safe for 3rd parties. In most of my flights that would be into the sea.

Threw off a propeller blade. -Mechanical damage or issue with craft.

Get the drone on the ground somewhere safe asap, irrespective of where that is, a sustained flight with an entlre blade missing would put a heck of a load on the motor bearings and probably the airframe. I have experimented with half a blade missing on a M2P/Z and the drone could be flown and 'controlled' if the missing half balde was from a rear motor but it was impossible to control the take off if the missing half was from front motor. I have seen reports of two separate incidents where an Air lost a blade in flight and they were from memory controllable and made it home but they weren't far away when the incident happened and I wouldn't risk flying over anything that could be hurt or damaged.

Software failure or issue with craft

Similary to the one above but with greater latitude for condsidering flying it back to the home point.

Pilot critical or emergency situation at home point, with craft still far away.

If the pilot is incapacitated then the pilot can do nothing, what sort of "emergency" are you thinking of?

Dropped/damaged controller

If the failsafe is set to RTH, switch the contoller off.

Accidental controller screen bump of settings, caused critical unintended outcome.

If possible cancel the unintended action and then reset the correct parameters. I have had this happen, a ridiculous and highly illegal RTH height, it's a CURSE of those chuffing slider buttons in the FLY app.

 

[KI5RLL]

"In-flight" is I think what you mean.
Quite different word/phrase to "in flight".

But how would having this printed on a card with you in the field help you?
Certainly I can see some value as part of a training syllabus.

Yes that was the thought to use for trainining mainly. As a card or note as a quick reminder of what may go wrong.
If possible to mitigate any of those situations (supposed to confirm RTH settings anyway pre-flight) but another single different reminder may be the difference to save one pilot a crash or loss. One saved is one saved. Safety for all of us.
Also to remind pilots of a few possible other things that can happen, so they are mindful of it and can maybe have an “E-Plan” of action if that happened to them. So many pitfalls, pilot error or not. Would be nice to not read so many crashes from ALL causes.
Yes I considered the “I was in flight when I noticed a bird was chasing me….” versus “I was in-flight when I noticed…”
Whatever verbage and syntax works.
Yes can change it to In-Flight of course.
Is ****-retentive hyphenated?
Thank you for the input.
Will change that and wait for other pilot input as well.

 

[Elthree]

It was more about the way the title of the post initially parsed.
When all I could see was the title, I wondered if UAVs should go near or otherwise get involved in "flight emergencies". Obviously when I opened the post I could see that wasn't what you meant.

I guess my thought processes might be affected by the fact that we have some natural emergencies going on around here at the moment, and UAVs generally need to stay clear.
Using precise language tends to avoid any ambiguity.

I get the impression that information about all of these things is out there, and most would be included in any decent commercial training course. Developing/consolidating training information about these things wouldn't hurt for newcomers I suppose (and provide reminders for old-comers?).

 

[KI5RLL]

Very true. A salute and handshake to you good sir.
Will be editing it soon.
Yes any training in this infant industry benefits us all. Saving one less crash, especially involving media, benefits us all.
Saving one pilot a big expensive loss is appreciated by all of us, especially when it may have been us.
If I can learn a tip to my own benefit, I will take it.
Good to add to any training program yes. So at least they know it can happen. And what to do about it if possible.

 

[KI5RLL]

After a firmware update, the Loss of Signal action won't be Land or Hover.
The factory default setting for Loss of Signal action, is RTH.
A firmware update would only make settings go back to factory defaults.

btw this is not an RTH setting

Thank you. Have seen more than a few threads and videos on people who lost a craft claiming this. “Windswept Robert” on Youtube did a pretty good analysis. Yes we hope RTH is the default always. But hoping doesn’t matter when SHTF.
Some people may not even realize they touched that setting when in that screen.
Is good to check it pre-flight for rookies.
Thanks again.

Safe Flying,
Mike

 

[Meta4]

Thank you. Have seen more than a few threads and videos on people who lost a craft claiming this. “Windswept Robert” on Youtube did a pretty good analysis. Yes we hope RTH is the default always. But hoping doesn’t matter when SHTF.

I don't know what some youtube guy said, but if the LoS action is set to anything different from RTH, it's because a human has changed the setting.
It won't ever happen as a result of a firmware update.

On youtube you'll find misinformation spread by many drone owners who have no idea how their drones work or how to fly them.

 

[KI5RLL]

I don't know what some youtube guy said, but if the LoS action is set to anything different from RTH, it's because a human has changed the setting.
It won't ever happen as a result of a firmware update.

On youtube you'll find misinformation spread by many drone owners who have no idea how their drones work or how to fly them.

True yes. Will a lot of losses like those, they want to blame software. Rookies may not know or understand they slid that control over until they are trying to figure why they lost it.

 

[KI5RLL]

I am afraid that I do not understand with certainty what you are seeking. It seems to me that the only thing that would make sense is a list of suggested solutions for the problems you cite but, as I said I am uncertain that that is what you seek. If it is what you seek then I doubt every one will agree on ALL the solutions.

But to address a few of points my suggestions would be


If a firmware update resets the failsafe and I would question whether it does it would reset it to the default and that is RTH, But then again I don't normally do updates and normally have the failsafe set to RTH.


What? If you literally mean that the pairing of the drone and contoller is lost, then
a) I have never heard of that happening and
b) it could never be regained ..... until the drone is literally in hand, since pairing needs something pressed on the drone.
If you mean a loss of connection then that is governed by the failsafe behaviour, I have seen a loss of connection take quite a while to be restored and perhaps some posts saying that it was not regained during the remainder of the flight but, if the failsafe is RTH, the drone should be coming home and, if worst comes to worst, then the drone should RTH and land automatically. Besides, even if the failsafe is set to hover and the connection is not regained then hovering will end in a low battery RTH.
Similarily if failsafe is set to land and the drone rejects the landing site it will then hover and eventually low battery RTH.

Either press RTH once and only once on the controller or if your failsafe option is RTH switch the controller off or keep teh drone within line of sight and in sight at all times, I don't see that you can do owt else.

That's the result of bad piloting, don't be a bad pilot, however my suggestion would beone of the following.
1) Land the drone somewhere safe or
2) keep trying to get it home until the motors stop but I would do the latter only where a free fall can not hurt anything or damage anything, or
3) if you can't find/see somewhere safe to land and would have to pass over something you could damage or endanger, crash the drone somewhere where it is safe for 3rd parties. In most of my flights that would be into the sea.


Get the drone on the ground somewhere safe asap, irrespective of where that is, a sustained flight with an entlre blade missing would put a heck of a load on the motor bearings and probably the airframe. I have experimented with half a blade missing on a M2P/Z and the drone could be flown and 'controlled' if the missing half balde was from a rear motor but it was impossible to control the take off if the missing half was from front motor. I have seen reports of two separate incidents where an Air lost a blade in flight and they were from memory controllable and made it home but they weren't far away when the incident happened and I wouldn't risk flying over anything that could be hurt or damaged.


Similary to the one above but with greater latitude for condsidering flying it back to the home point.


If the pilot is incapacitated then the pilot can do nothing, what sort of "emergency" are you thinking of?


If the failsafe is set to RTH, switch the contoller off.


If possible cancel the unintended action and then reset the correct parameters. I have had this happen, a ridiculous and highly illegal RTH height, it's a CURSE of those chuffing slider buttons in the FLY app.

All awesome notes and suggestions yes! Thank you. This is for the mostly rookie errors that seem to do much of this.
Good for a teaching curriculum because new pilots will have no idea of most of these points. Because they are new. So they don’t know these things as you and I do. You and I didn’t know a lot of this either before we started flying. But we learned. So this is teaching them before they learn in a crash. So they don’t have these situations.
And hopefully don’t lose a $thousands drone. Or hit and hurt someone or damage property.
Or wind up on the media with another bad drone story none of us want.

 

[KI5RLL]

All awesome notes and suggestions yes! Thank you. This is for the mostly rookie errors that seem to do much of this.
Good for a teaching curriculum because new pilots will have no idea of most of these points. Because they are new. So they don’t know these things as you and I do. You and I didn’t know a lot of this either before we started flying. But we learned. So this is teaching them before they learn in a crash. So they don’t have these situations.
And hopefully don’t lose a $thousands drone. Or hit and hurt someone or damage property.
Or wind up on the media with another bad drone story none of us want.

I think the greater increasing dependence on RTH is so many cases is just asking for greater risk. Yes it is great. DJI has devoted heavy resources to its functions.
And we see these “autonomous” cars and other equipment not doing so well at all for years now.
Maybe RTH needs to be a very last resort after the pilot is quite competent to not get into trouble and “need” it to begin with. And can stick his craft home no matter what happens already.
But yes SHTF and stuff happens and we have it. Great.
Commercial planes have autopilot too and they use it too. And not much stick and throttle anymore. See “Mayday” Youtube videos on crashes when a pilot couldn’t really fly without it.
Me? I have RTH actually landed once in over 1700 miles. And that was maybe my 2nd or 3rd rookie flight. Yes I may lose a signal and it initiates. But on signal again I cancel RTH.
This is all valuable discussion. To prevent crashes, injuries, property damage, and bad drone media stories.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I don't know what some youtube guy said, but if the LoS action is set to anything different from RTH, it's because a human has changed the setting.
It won't ever happen as a result of a firmware update.

On youtube you'll find misinformation spread by many drone owners who have no idea how their drones work or how to fly them.

Agreed, but FW updates have been known to reset the default RTH height. That affects the default LoS action of RTH, so, in that sense, a FW update can cause RTH problems, when the RTH defaults are too low, and the pilot doesn't recheck them after a FW update.

 

[mobilehomer]

With the exception of a hardware/equipment failure, ALL the things mentioned are the pilot's responsibility to check and verify before flight. I use RTH quite often, it's the most direct way home.

 

[GadgetGuy]

With the exception of a hardware/equipment failure, ALL the things mentioned are the pilot's responsibility to check and verify before flight. I use RTH quite often, it's the most direct way home.

Some of us like to explore along the way home, under pilot control. RTH definitely isn't the fastest way home (speed is fixed at 22mph), and aiming the camera view at your launch location is just as direct, where I can also control the elevation and speed along the way, and the camera. Until the new Advanced RTH, the most direct way home was a pilot controlled glide path, as RTH was not the most direct way home.

 

[mobilehomer]

Some of us like to explore along the way home, under pilot control. RTH definitely isn't the fastest way home (speed is fixed at 22mph), and aiming the camera view at your launch location is just as direct, where I can also control the elevation and speed along the way, and the camera. Until the new Advanced RTH, the most direct way home was a pilot controlled glide path, as RTH was not the most direct way home.

For me it is. Never said it was the fastest, and it is the most direct if altitude is high enough, I set mine at 160".

 

[Bob in Savannah]

Some of us like to explore along the way home, under pilot control. RTH definitely isn't the fastest way home (speed is fixed at 22mph), and aiming the camera view at your launch location is just as direct, where I can also control the elevation and speed along the way, and the camera. Until the new Advanced RTH, the most direct way home was a pilot controlled glide path, as RTH was not the most direct way home.

Agreed. I hardly ever use RTH. I think of it as an emergency feature for when/if I lose reception. Which has never happened in my 3 different drones since 2018. I enjoy my flight time as much as I do the photography.

 

[GadgetGuy]

For me it is. Never said it was the fastest, and it is the most direct if altitude is high enough, I set mine at 160".

Which RTH are you using? Classic or Advanced?

 

[mobilehomer]

Which RTH are you using? Classic or Advanced?

Classic. I do wish other drones could yaw during RTH like the Mini 2.