My worst nightmare came true. I just bought this and flew it into some trees...

Tats bad man....but a good lesson to share out so we will take extra note on this issue...
mine wasnt tat good when it fails me at 40 feet above and dive down with full signal and no sign of failing which my ac only 2nd time outdoor flight with battery full charge and uses it less den 10 hours of storage...
battery 2nd time recycle! Open field while other pilots also enjoying their flights there.......shocked to see my diving down like a fail machine from no where and everyone came to my aid....heart broken shares among each another .. console words given ... it just went head (top down after swinging left right and dive with top down)

That's unfortunate.  But the crash may have been influenced by the railroad tracks.  The metal could easily have thrown off the compass.  You can check if this is so in the flight logs.  Never a good idea to launch in close proximity to ferrous metals.

Kneepuck Posted at 2017-7-21 21:59
That's unfortunate.  But the crash may have been influenced by the railroad tracks.  The metal could easily have thrown off the compass.  You can check if this is so in the flight logs.  Never a good idea to launch in close proximity to ferrous metals.

Oh wow. I was wondering why it was so difficult to fly over the tracks. I couldn't get the thing to fly straight. And even when I would let off of the sticks, the drone would continue to fly for a second or two. I was wondering why it was so screwy. That's a great point.

ChristienPhoto Posted at 2017-7-21 22:13
Oh wow. I was wondering why it was so difficult to fly over the tracks. I couldn't get the thing to fly straight. And even when I would let off of the sticks, the drone would continue to fly for a second or two. I was wondering why it was so screwy. That's a great point.

I'm not surprised.  Especially if the Phantom was on the ground between the tracks when you powered it up.  That will mess with the compass for sure.  You aren't the first one to have a crash for similar reasons, and you won't be the last.  At least hopefully the damage was minor.
Have a good one.

Lesson learned the hard way there. Setup and take off and land in an interference free area. Seriously, what makes people do what they do and then post it on a forum.......No sympathy dude. 1K + $ or £'s and you do stuff like this. Safety first my friend.

We've all been there, brand new drone and just can't wait to get it in the air to get some cool footage. I'm guilty myself. The old expression "Haste makes waste" couldn't be more true when it comes to flying your UAV - especially when it is such an expensive one!  The best advice is to slow down, take your time. Even as a hobbyist, make up a pre-flight check list and take just a minute to follow it every time you go out to fly.
The only crash I had was when I didn't follow my own advice and was too quick to get the bird in the air. I was in an area of the city that I shouldn't have been in and just wanted to get the shot and get out of there!

Like you, I'm sure, lesson learned (the hard way).  Just make sure you have a good GPS and several satellites before take off (if flying outdoors at least). If the compass is really confused, it will ask for calibration. Instead of just doing a calibration, try moving to a new location and see if it's still requiring a cal., often you were just near metal (even if you couldn't see it). A word about the compass, there is a lot of misinformation about it. You'll hear to calibrate it every time before you fly, you'll hear to calibrate it if you move so many miles away from your last flight. Read the manual (for the P4P, it's online as a PDF). It clearly states to ONLY calibrate the compass when the aircraft requires it. Again, try moving first. The last thing you want is to calibrate it near metal. That won't end well at all.  
I know with my crash, I was kicking myself and wishing I could go back in time just one minute.  

I hope the damage wasn't too bad. My crash costs me a couple of weeks with no drone and about $300 bucks. I did the work myself so that's no labor - just parts.  However, it taught me to just chill and to be more careful and safe. Best of luck to you bro. Let us know how you make out.

Look on the bright side..... at least it didn't get smashed by a train!    :-)

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 00:02
Lesson learned the hard way there. Setup and take off and land in an interference free area. Seriously, what makes people do what they do and then post it on a forum.......No sympathy dude. 1K + $ or £'s and you do stuff like this. Safety first my friend.

Love how you just assumed how I set up and take off. Take your negativity somewhere else and go be miserable in another thread, thanks.

Flying Wolf_NOL Posted at 2017-7-22 04:06
We've all been there, brand new drone and just can't wait to get it in the air to get some cool footage. I'm guilty myself. The old expression "Haste makes waste" couldn't be more true when it comes to flying your UAV - especially when it is such an expensive one!  The best advice is to slow down, take your time. Even as a hobbyist, make up a pre-flight check list and take just a minute to follow it every time you go out to fly.
The only crash I had was when I didn't follow my own advice and was too quick to get the bird in the air. I was in an area of the city that I shouldn't have been in and just wanted to get the shot and get out of there!

That's the thing. I took off on pavement and moved it over to the tracks while in flight, and while I was trying to fly over them, I realized it wouldn't stay straight. That, coupled with the trees that were fairly close by was a disaster waiting to happen. I've had it ask me to re-calibrate the compass before flying in other scenarios, but I guess it's different if the compass gets messed up mid flight.

Flying Wolf_NOL Posted at 2017-7-22 04:06
We've all been there, brand new drone and just can't wait to get it in the air to get some cool footage. I'm guilty myself. The old expression "Haste makes waste" couldn't be more true when it comes to flying your UAV - especially when it is such an expensive one!  The best advice is to slow down, take your time. Even as a hobbyist, make up a pre-flight check list and take just a minute to follow it every time you go out to fly.
The only crash I had was when I didn't follow my own advice and was too quick to get the bird in the air. I was in an area of the city that I shouldn't have been in and just wanted to get the shot and get out of there!

And thankfully, there wasn't much damage, at least nothing visible yet. I actually consider myself lucky that I got to learn the hard way, and didn't do too much damage.

And thanks, you too!

Cheers

Not being miserable, just watched the vid. Acceptable to fly down train tracks.?. People get killed on train tracks and imagine what a train would do to your Phantom instead of flying it into tree's. You could even put it into the same boat as airports and planes as trains also carry passengers. You obviously - As can be seen - were not in full control of the drone anyway, which also makes it a hazard.

ChristienPhoto Posted at 2017-7-22 07:09
And thankfully, there wasn't much damage, at least nothing visible yet. I actually consider myself lucky that I got to learn the hard way, and didn't do too much damage.

And thanks, you too!

Well little to no damage is a good thing!  Sometimes the compass can get messed up while in the air. It should give you a compass failure on your device. Of course, everything happened so fast, it would have been hard to notice and even harder to deal with.  Keep at it man. Ya gotta walk before you run.  :-)

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 07:12
Not being miserable, just watched the vid. Acceptable to fly down train tracks.?. People get killed on train tracks and imagine what a train would do to your Phantom instead of flying it into tree's. You could even put it into the same boat as airports and planes as trains also carry passengers. You obviously - As can be seen - were not in full control of the drone anyway, which also makes it a hazard.

Wow dude.  Give the guy a break. He'll learn just like we all had to.

A phantom 4 wouldn't even scratch a train. The train can't 'dodge' or make any course corrections. Worse case is a smashed drone. I'm not saying that it's a good idea to fly down the tracks, but it's nothing like flying over an airport. BIG difference.  Rather than trash the guy why not try to help and offer some suggestions on the proper things to do.

We need to stick together as a community of drone pilots. We have enough people against us as it is.   I understand that this kind of thing is one of the reasons why. However, if you run the guy off when he's looking for help, he won't get any solid advice from the more experienced pilots on these forums.

I see by your profile that you have several drones and a lot of experience I'm sure. You're just the kind of person who can help this guy.  I assume it's a guy, I'm not sure.  Anyway, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. I'm just saying maybe lighten up a bit.

We're all in this together.

OK, so......Sorry for the ribbing dude and hope your investment is not trashed. Flying Wolf - Noticed you have a Spark. I know its the P4 page but any issues at all ?? Mines a fine example of DJI trickery. Timed it right getting a stormy sky pano this afternoon and the winds just picked up so no doubt a down pour is on the way. Christien - No grief meant dude.

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 08:09
OK, so......Sorry for the ribbing dude and hope your investment is not trashed. Flying Wolf - Noticed you have a Spark. I know its the P4 page but any issues at all ?? Mines a fine example of DJI trickery. Timed it right getting a stormy sky pano this afternoon and the winds just picked up so no doubt a down pour is on the way. Christien - No grief meant dude.

Well, like most, I'm very concerned about some of the reports from other users. I just got mine 2 days ago and just got it activated and flying yesterday. I've been keeping it very close and very close to the ground (so no cool cloud photos like yours!  :-)   )  I've had zero issues. No problems with the RC / AC sync or any problems with the spark and the power issues. Mine has been rock solid through 3 batteries charged twice. The batteries don't last long, but I knew that going in.  All in all (so far) I love it!  Once I get a bit more confidence I'll expand its horizons some more.  Thanks for asking!  I'm glad to hear yours is doing fine as well.

I really think that the vast majority of them are just fine. However, to be the guy that gets a bad one or has it just drop into a lake.... well, I wouldn't be too happy if Were them either.

Happy flying brother!   :-)

Flying Wolf_NOL Posted at 2017-7-22 08:53
Well, like most, I'm very concerned about some of the reports from other users. I just got mine 2 days ago and just got it activated and flying yesterday. I've been keeping it very close and very close to the ground (so no cool cloud photos like yours!  :-)   )  I've had zero issues. No problems with the RC / AC sync or any problems with the spark and the power issues. Mine has been rock solid through 3 batteries charged twice. The batteries don't last long, but I knew that going in.  All in all (so far) I love it!  Once I get a bit more confidence I'll expand its horizons some more.  Thanks for asking!  I'm glad to hear yours is doing fine as well.

I really think that the vast majority of them are just fine. However, to be the guy that gets a bad one or has it just drop into a lake.... well, I wouldn't be too happy if Were them either.

Low level sport mode is a total blast. I didn't realise I was quietly laughing to myself until my spotter pointed it out......Idiot - It's that good.

When you say you just bought this does that mean this is your first drone? If so an open field might be a better choice. If not I agree with others regarding the compass..

This might help

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... &fromuid=260008

It happens or will happen  to everybody who flies. Crashes are inevitable.

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 07:12
Not being miserable, just watched the vid. Acceptable to fly down train tracks.?. People get killed on train tracks and imagine what a train would do to your Phantom instead of flying it into tree's. You could even put it into the same boat as airports and planes as trains also carry passengers. You obviously - As can be seen - were not in full control of the drone anyway, which also makes it a hazard.

The train just passed by. I've lived near those tracks for over 20 years. I know when the train comes by.

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 08:09
OK, so......Sorry for the ribbing dude and hope your investment is not trashed. Flying Wolf - Noticed you have a Spark. I know its the P4 page but any issues at all ?? Mines a fine example of DJI trickery. Timed it right getting a stormy sky pano this afternoon and the winds just picked up so no doubt a down pour is on the way. Christien - No grief meant dude.

All good. No worries. I like the fact that DJI seems like a tight-knit community. I think we should stick together.

BrianKushner Posted at 2017-7-22 09:24
When you say you just bought this does that mean this is your first drone? If so an open field might be a better choice. If not I agree with others regarding the compass..

Well, I started at the top of a hill and practiced for a little while around no trees. I think that it's good and bad. Sure, if I mess up in a field or open space, there's nothing to tell me that I messed up, so I just got cocky and thought I could handle it. I should have been more wise and realized that I should have stopped flying when course lock mode wasn't working properly.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-22 09:27
This might help

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=104222&fromuid=260008

Great reference. After the crash, I tested the aircraft and noticed it did not stay in a hover. It made circular motions and would yaw in the direction of flight, even though I let off the sticks. Needless to say, I'm not going near those tracks.

ChristienPhoto Posted at 2017-7-22 11:30
Great reference. After the crash, I tested the aircraft and noticed it did not stay in a hover. It made circular motions and would yaw in the direction of flight, even though I let off the sticks. Needless to say, I'm not going near those tracks.

Circular motions usually indicate compass issues. Train track has the potential to mess with the compass if close enough. You mentioned taking off from pavement, if that pavement was concrete, the rebar will definitely mess with the compass. Make sure you have a good calibration away from any metal and then leave it alone.

ChristienPhoto Posted at 2017-7-22 07:07
That's the thing. I took off on pavement and moved it over to the tracks while in flight, and while I was trying to fly over them, I realized it wouldn't stay straight. That, coupled with the trees that were fairly close by was a disaster waiting to happen. I've had it ask me to re-calibrate the compass before flying in other scenarios, but I guess it's different if the compass gets messed up mid flight.

That's the thing. I took off on pavement and moved it over to the tracks while in flight

That rings alarm bells and if it was reinforced concrete that would ex[lain the behaviour you experienced.
Never launch from steel or reinforced concrete surfaces as it messes with the compass and can cause erratic flight.

You can check the recorded flight data to see more details of what happened by going to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Follow the instructions to upload your flight record.
Come back and post a link to the report it provides and someone here might be able to analyse it and give you an understanding of the cause of the incident.

Bit of an obvious one here. Check the motors and the props to see if there is any damage etc. Circular and yaw after the crash may also indicate some damage somewhere on the craft. Somethings a little messed up somewhere, either internal or external. You could try and recalibrate everything in the GO app or connect to computer - sensors etc.

CoreyB10 Posted at 2017-7-22 22:39
Bit of an obvious one here. Check the motors and the props to see if there is any damage etc. Circular and yaw after the crash may also indicate some damage somewhere on the craft. Somethings a little messed up somewhere, either internal or external. You could try and recalibrate everything in the GO app or connect to computer - sensors etc.

I believe it was a compass issue. I flew it today and had no problems whatsoever. I do believe the compass had everything to do with it. I'm going to check the flight log to make sure, but I'm fairly certain that it's the compass and fairly certain that I'm super lucky for not being worse off.

Good to hear. Lets not see any more crashes in the near future dude.

ChristienPhoto Posted at 2017-7-22 07:07
That's the thing. I took off on pavement and moved it over to the tracks while in flight, and while I was trying to fly over them, I realized it wouldn't stay straight. That, coupled with the trees that were fairly close by was a disaster waiting to happen. I've had it ask me to re-calibrate the compass before flying in other scenarios, but I guess it's different if the compass gets messed up mid flight.

I have flown many times off the driveway at my house (no rebar in mine) and gone up and down the block and *never* run into a tree there. However, in avoiding the trees I have run into my house, a guy wire on my ham radio tower, the carport, a small storage building, etc., etc., etc.

My drones hate those trees! Finally quit flying out the back door when testing. Save it for the park!

Hope your drone wasn't too badly damaged.

Art - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL

Kneepuck Posted at 2017-7-21 22:21
I'm not surprised.  Especially if the Phantom was on the ground between the tracks when you powered it up.  That will mess with the compass for sure.  You aren't the first one to have a crash for similar reasons, and you won't be the last.  At least hopefully the damage was minor.
Have a good one.

They say to avoid taking off and landing on concret  surfaces because of steel rods inside that might disturb the compass, imagine between two train tracks !!!

Thanks to everyone who offered their explanations. I love that DJI has such an active community. Looking forward to showing off some videos in the future. Let's hope no more crashes are in my future.