WATER CRASH - There is hope!

[Avalorian]

WATER CRASH.
So I’m flying low this morning over a small river (2’ deep at most) with a slow current. I’m about 3’ off the surface moving slow and cautiously.
I tuck in behind a bend and before I know it a rogue branch from a tree on the bank snags my front left prop and its in the water. Just like that.
I’m in the water as fast as I can and it’s gone!
Suddenly from the bottom of the river bed i see it resting COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
I grab it.
REMOVE THE BATTERY RIGHT THERE
give it a light shake off.
grab the dogs and head home.
It was in the water for about 90 seconds.
I get home in 8 minutes.
I grab a hair dryer and with medium heat and medium fan I position the drone with the battery bay door open and the dryer blasting in.
I leave it for 1 hour.
I fire it up and voila. ALL COMPONENTS WORKING.
Using a new battery
I do a flight check in the living room
ALL FUNCTIONS and CAMERA working normally.
so - THERE IS HOPE.
If you crash in water -
SPEED IS THE KEY.
1. Retrieve drone if safely possible.
2. remove battery on site immediately
3. Remove SD card if carrying.
4. Lightly shake out excess water
5. Position with battery bay door open and blast with hair dryer for 1 hour.

My heart rate is back to normal - it’s 8 am and I think I need a beer

Best of luck all! Don’t lose hope.

Ava

 

[MA2 317]

Good thing it was fresh water and glad you're up and running again.

Keep an eye on it for a while.

Saltwater incidents aren't so lucky as the salt residue left behind may slowly corrode the circuits over time.

 

[360 Guy]

Well done on drying out the bird?
I’ll drink to your success. ?

 

[Sailon]

WATER CRASH.
So I’m flying low this morning over a small river (2’ deep at most) with a slow current. I’m about 3’ off the surface moving slow and cautiously.
I tuck in behind a bend and before I know it a rogue branch from a tree on the bank snags my front left prop and its in the water. Just like that.
I’m in the water as fast as I can and it’s gone!
Suddenly from the bottom of the river bed i see it resting COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
I grab it.
REMOVE THE BATTERY RIGHT THERE
give it a light shake off.
grab the dogs and head home.
It was in the water for about 90 seconds.
I get home in 8 minutes.
I grab a hair dryer and with medium heat and medium fan I position the drone with the battery bay door open and the dryer blasting in.
I leave it for 1 hour.
I fire it up and voila. ALL COMPONENTS WORKING.
Using a new battery
I do a flight check in the living room
ALL FUNCTIONS and CAMERA working normally.
so - THERE IS HOPE.
If you crash in water -
SPEED IS THE KEY.
1. Retrieve drone if safely possible.
2. remove battery on site immediately
3. Remove SD card if carrying.
4. Lightly shake out excess water
5. Position with battery bay door open and blast with hair dryer for 1 hour.

My heart rate is back to normal - it’s 8 am and I think I need a beer

Best of luck all! Don’t lose hope.

Ava

There is some very light foam insulation you may be able to glue to the bottom of the drone so it does not sink completely.

The trick here is to kill the power ASAP and not power up again until completely dry (the hair dryer is a great idea and possibly leaving the drone off for 24 hours).

Just check that the foam can float an equivalent amount of drone weight. May want to use a kitchen scale and substitute pennies for an equal drone weight.

Encouraging article, thanks!

 

[Rex Peters]

WATER CRASH.
So I’m flying low this morning over a small river (2’ deep at most) with a slow current. I’m about 3’ off the surface moving slow and cautiously.
I tuck in behind a bend and before I know it a rogue branch from a tree on the bank snags my front left prop and its in the water. Just like that.
I’m in the water as fast as I can and it’s gone!
Suddenly from the bottom of the river bed i see it resting COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
I grab it.
REMOVE THE BATTERY RIGHT THERE
give it a light shake off.
grab the dogs and head home.
It was in the water for about 90 seconds.
I get home in 8 minutes.
I grab a hair dryer and with medium heat and medium fan I position the drone with the battery bay door open and the dryer blasting in.
I leave it for 1 hour.
I fire it up and voila. ALL COMPONENTS WORKING.
Using a new battery
I do a flight check in the living room
ALL FUNCTIONS and CAMERA working normally.
so - THERE IS HOPE.
If you crash in water -
SPEED IS THE KEY.
1. Retrieve drone if safely possible.
2. remove battery on site immediately
3. Remove SD card if carrying.
4. Lightly shake out excess water
5. Position with battery bay door open and blast with hair dryer for 1 hour.

My heart rate is back to normal - it’s 8 am and I think I need a beer

Best of luck all! Don’t lose hope.

Ava

How is the battery? Is functional? I bet you didn’t think you could move that quickly… lol. I hate went those branches jump out like that.
Good story and recovery.
Rex from Calgary Canada ??

 

[cgmaxed]

Video of Phantom drone landing into river due to low battery. Why he didn't just go lateral over to the river bank, I have no idea. The river bank was much closer to the drone than his home point.

 

[Desert Sands]

WATER CRASH.
So I’m flying low this morning over a small river (2’ deep at most) with a slow current. I’m about 3’ off the surface moving slow and cautiously.
I tuck in behind a bend and before I know it a rogue branch from a tree on the bank snags my front left prop and its in the water. Just like that.
I’m in the water as fast as I can and it’s gone!
Suddenly from the bottom of the river bed i see it resting COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
I grab it.
REMOVE THE BATTERY RIGHT THERE
give it a light shake off.
grab the dogs and head home.
It was in the water for about 90 seconds.
I get home in 8 minutes.
I grab a hair dryer and with medium heat and medium fan I position the drone with the battery bay door open and the dryer blasting in.
I leave it for 1 hour.
I fire it up and voila. ALL COMPONENTS WORKING.
Using a new battery
I do a flight check in the living room
ALL FUNCTIONS and CAMERA working normally.
so - THERE IS HOPE.
If you crash in water -
SPEED IS THE KEY.
1. Retrieve drone if safely possible.
2. remove battery on site immediately
3. Remove SD card if carrying.
4. Lightly shake out excess water
5. Position with battery bay door open and blast with hair dryer for 1 hour.

My heart rate is back to normal - it’s 8 am and I think I need a beer

Best of luck all! Don’t lose hope.

Ava

As rough as life is these days, it's great to hear about a positive outcome after a splashdown.

 

[Desert Sands]

WATER CRASH.
So I’m flying low this morning over a small river (2’ deep at most) with a slow current. I’m about 3’ off the surface moving slow and cautiously.
I tuck in behind a bend and before I know it a rogue branch from a tree on the bank snags my front left prop and its in the water. Just like that.
I’m in the water as fast as I can and it’s gone!
Suddenly from the bottom of the river bed i see it resting COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
I grab it.
REMOVE THE BATTERY RIGHT THERE
give it a light shake off.
grab the dogs and head home.
It was in the water for about 90 seconds.
I get home in 8 minutes.
I grab a hair dryer and with medium heat and medium fan I position the drone with the battery bay door open and the dryer blasting in.
I leave it for 1 hour.
I fire it up and voila. ALL COMPONENTS WORKING.
Using a new battery
I do a flight check in the living room
ALL FUNCTIONS and CAMERA working normally.
so - THERE IS HOPE.
If you crash in water -
SPEED IS THE KEY.
1. Retrieve drone if safely possible.
2. remove battery on site immediately
3. Remove SD card if carrying.
4. Lightly shake out excess water
5. Position with battery bay door open and blast with hair dryer for 1 hour.

My heart rate is back to normal - it’s 8 am and I think I need a beer

Best of luck all! Don’t lose hope.

Ava

As rough as life is these days, it's great to hear about a positive outcome after a splashdown.