To whom it may concern but today I had a very bad experience with the DJI Spark.

I was flying in an open area and all was fine, all green with GPS lock, during the flight the DJI App told me that the compass needed calibration. After landing the option to calibrate on the DJI App on the Samsung S8+ was not possible since it turned green and indicated that a GPS lock was done.

I restarted the DJI APP and the Spark, all was green and during the flight the same thing happend that it told me all of a sudden that compass calibration was required. I was flying the DJI Spark towards me and all of a sudden there was a total loss of control, the DJI Spark was flying at an angle pointing downwards and was not responding to any stick input. (it was flying on its own!)This resulted in a crash to the ground and the DJI Spark tumbled a few times.

To the eye the DJI is not really damaged, once I replaced the battery the option to calibrate the compass was available and calibrated the compass without a problem, this flight was normal again.

Luckily it crashed into grass, but image this happening on a concrete road or in the water.

Did any of you experience this behaviour?

Through phantom help I have retrieved the log file and it indicates multiple Speed Errors and Yaw Errors!

fanse855bdb3 Posted at 2017-7-6 08:55
Through phantom help I have retrieved the log file and it indicates multiple Speed Errors and Yaw Errors!

I had this once when I first tried with the "separatedly-bought" remote. I bought the basic combo, but phone signal was really suck so I had to buy the remote control. (That's a long story and I am still not  happy with DJI about that).
Anyway, when first linking and flied with the remote, everything showed fine, no compass warning. But then it started drifting and show compass error. After landing, no more error warning. Then, I still did the compass calibrate. Everything is fine after that.
As I recall, that actually happened once before when I first use the spare battery as well.
So I would suggest doing both IMU and compass, or at least compass calibration whenever using new battery or new remote control.

fanse855bdb3 Posted at 2017-7-6 08:55
Through phantom help I have retrieved the log file and it indicates multiple Speed Errors and Yaw Errors!

where did you get the log?

eylneb Posted at 2017-7-6 19:17
where did you get the log?

I got the log directly from the DJI App and went to the site: http://www.phantomhelp.com/logviewer/upload/

Phuong Do Posted at 2017-7-6 19:06
I had this once when I first tried with the "separatedly-bought" remote. I bought the basic combo, but phone signal was really suck so I had to buy the remote control. (That's a long story and I am still not  happy with DJI about that).
Anyway, when first linking and flied with the remote, everything showed fine, no compass warning. But then it started drifting and show compass error. After landing, no more error warning. Then, I still did the compass calibrate. Everything is fine after that.
As I recall, that actually happened once before when I first use the spare battery as well.

Thanks for the tip, this actually happend with the combo version so with the remote. But you are right I used a new spare battery. So I will follow your tip definitely next time. But still these things should not happen, ok error can occur but it should be always controllable. This time I was lucky that it was not over water or people!

Sorry to hear about the accident, fortunately, it crashed into grass without apparent damage.
To figure out what happened during the flight, please help up export the data from black box and flight log.
Here is the instruction:
1. Please download the Assistant 2 from DJI official Spark website page, install it.
2. Connect the drone to your PC, run Assistant 2, then click "black box", you can get the file.
3.Then click "Upload Data--Confirm", choose the log which showing the accident, and export it.
4.Please upload both files to Dropbox and post the link here, thanks.

Same on me my spark lost control crash to building and dive to pool.. one leg broken.
now my spark it's dead.

The same exact thing happened to me tonight and now the battery will not stay latch to the drone.

Compass calibration pop up during flight is not always hardware failure, it can also related to the magnet field of your surroundings area.  You can try another place to verify that, and luckily your Spark still in one piece.  

fanscf0ffacc Posted at 2017-7-9 19:51
Same on me my spark lost control crash to building and dive to pool.. one leg broken.
now my spark it's dead.

Sorry to hear about that, would you please do what I mentioned above to provide us the data for analysis?
Besides, please send an e-mail to support@dji.com to get a case number and send it in for evaluation.

fans1e08432f Posted at 2017-7-9 20:48
The same exact thing happened to me tonight and now the battery will not stay latch to the drone.

We are sorry to hear that, would you please export the data needed for analysis as I mentioned at 7#? We'd love to help you on it.
Then please contact tech support to get a case number and send it in for service.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-10 04:00
We are sorry to hear that, would you please export the data needed for analysis as I mentioned at 7#? We'd love to help you on it.
Then please contact tech support to get a case number and send it in for service.

I have experienced a similar issue https://forum.dji.com/thread-103989-1-1.html
I have contacted tech support and am awaiting a response.

Can you post a link to your PhantomHelp log?

Griffith Posted at 2017-7-10 06:01
Can you post a link to your PhantomHelp log?

Here is the phantom log file where you can see all the errors before it crashed into the ground
http://www.phantomhelp.com/logviewer/HAZ1E37MCLTQDSSDYIG5/

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-7 18:20
Sorry to hear about the accident, fortunately, it crashed into grass without apparent damage.
To figure out what happened during the flight, please help up export the data from black box and flight log.
Here is the instruction:

Dear Natalia, here are the requested files: https://www.dropbox.com/s/afgmj7 ... ox%20Files.zip?dl=0

I've also included the log from the DJI App itself, this log file displays all the SPEED ERRORS, YAW ERRORS.

Do I need to send in the drone for repairs? What will happen next?

jimspark Posted at 2017-7-10 05:58
I have experienced a similar issue https://forum.dji.com/thread-103989-1-1.html
I have contacted tech support and am awaiting a response.

Did you get the reply from them?
Sorry for the crash, we'll take care of it.

fanse855bdb3 Posted at 2017-7-10 11:58
Dear Natalia, here are the requested files: https://www.dropbox.com/s/afgmj7ihhpt4dve/DJI%20Assist%202%20Blackbox%20Files.zip?dl=0

I've also included the log from the DJI App itself, this log file displays all the SPEED ERRORS, YAW ERRORS.

Thank you very much for the info.
I've forwarded your log to the engineers, I do suggest you to send it in, please contact our support via the link below to get a case number, then let me know your case number, thanks.

Quite interesting..

From this vid, something dropped off as the drone fall to the ground..


turns out is the battery fault, apparently 1 of the clip is faulty...

watch the whole vid

fast forward to 3.55

& 5.41

ops sorry post in wrong topic

eylneb Posted at 2017-7-11 00:23
Quite interesting..

From this vid, something dropped off as the drone fall to the ground..

Thanks, we replied him on youtube, will follow up the case if hearing from him.

I see you got a Class D Airspace GEO warning, but I don't see an airport nearby. There is a very large geo zone around Zaltbommel which includes Oss, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Since you were some distance away when Compass error occurred,   Any possibility of lodestone in the ground?  That may explain the sporadic compass errors. If you have a hand compass, take it out to the field and see if there are obvious deviations.
I haven't been able to take a look at the DAT file yet.  It should show the states of the compasses and man shed some additional information.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-10 04:02
Sorry to hear about that, would you please do what I mentioned above to provide us the data for analysis?
Besides, please send an e-mail to  to get a case number and send it in for evaluation.

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... MjYvCyLfhEREqLK2neg

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... OAV8m0ZiKErDqnt0V2Q

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... tJdPnsufdu4HPLfPyDg

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-10 04:02
Sorry to hear about that, would you please do what I mentioned above to provide us the data for analysis?
Besides, please send an e-mail to  to get a case number and send it in for evaluation.

Photo after crash:
https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... MjYvCyLfhEREqLK2neg

i opened and drying :
https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... OAV8m0ZiKErDqnt0V2Q

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... tJdPnsufdu4HPLfPyDg

i contac dji sales , for spare parts, but i eager to wait for answer then i rebuild and some glue for broken parts:

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... i1Fivz8As529fKMxzqQ

and it's run can fly ...... my dji spark live  again.

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/ ... 9SL8fHiOUcMT2_avSKQ

then  i can download black box :
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public/WM100Export

thanks for every one support.
sory double post..

Sory wrong link..
?dl=0
?dl=0
?dl=0
?dl=0
?dl=0
Blackbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x1k3b ... Fkejw8t3zLG6Qa?dl=0

still my spark have some time when fly  lost signal..

fanscf0ffacc Posted at 2017-7-11 23:33
Sory wrong link..
[view_image]?dl=0
[view_image]?dl=0

Sorry, I can only open the last link you posted at 26# (Blackbox).
If you have exported the flight logs showing the accident, please upload it to Dropbox again.
Please make sure you provide me the correct logs for the accident so we can analyze why it acted like that. Thank you very much!

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-12 18:31
Sorry, I can only open the last link you posted at 26# (Blackbox).
If you have exported the flight logs showing the accident, please upload it to Dropbox again.
Please make sure you provide me the correct logs for the accident so we can analyze why it acted like that. Thank you very much!

That all blackbox log file exported from my spark after  drying and rebuild.
thank you..

fanscf0ffacc Posted at 2017-7-12 21:28
That all blackbox log file exported from my spark after  drying and rebuild.
thank you..

Besides the data from black box, we need the flight log for analysis.
Connect your drone to PC, run Assistant 2, click on "Upload Data--Confirm", then choose the right logs and save it to local.
Sorry,  I need double confirm, you mean the link you provided to me includes both files  we need for analysis?

Griffith Posted at 2017-7-11 06:06
I see you got a Class D Airspace GEO warning, but I don't see an airport nearby. There is a very large geo zone around Zaltbommel which includes Oss, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Since you were some distance away when Compass error occurred,   Any possibility of lodestone in the ground?  That may explain the sporadic compass errors. If you have a hand compass, take it out to the field and see if there are obvious deviations.

Hi Griffith yes that is correct I got the warning, but near Oss there is no airport, near Zaltbommel there is a military airport with choppers, but again that's far away. I was flying in a big open area where they want to build in the future. I'll try with a compass to see if I can find anything strange. However I don't expect much since this open area is used by a lot of drone flyers (which were not present when I was flying on that date and time). DJI Support almost forced me to send in the Drone for further investigation, so I did this, i'm curious how this story will develop

fanse855bdb3 Posted at 2017-7-13 08:45
Hi Griffith yes that is correct I got the warning, but near Oss there is no airport, near Zaltbommel there is a military airport with choppers, but again that's far away. I was flying in a big open area where they want to build in the future. I'll try with a compass to see if I can find anything strange. However I don't expect much since this open area is used by a lot of drone flyers (which were not present when I was flying on that date and time). DJI Support almost forced me to send in the Drone for further investigation, so I did this, i'm curious how this story will develop

We've seen several similar problems almost identical to yours in the last few weeks - intermittent compass errors while flying, yaw errors, etc.   I'm beginning to wonder if a recent F/W update may not be responsible - although I didn't see anything specific to compass calibration in the release notes.  At one time we saw and documented several cases where the unshielded wiring of the rear motors was causing noise in compass 2 -  especially at high motor speeds.  I wonder if some of the compass functions were filtered/tweaked  in the firmware to try to mediate that problem -  rather than a hardware fix.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-13 04:29
Besides the data from black box, we need the flight log for analysis.
Connect your drone to PC, run Assistant 2, click on "Upload Data--Confirm", then choose the right logs and save it to local.
Sorry,  I need double confirm, you mean the link you provided to me includes both files  we need for analysis?

the data for first accident on 9/7/17 no more in my spark, this morning i test my spark with rc the alltitude not correct, from take of It's ok after that alltitude going negatif when i go down the spark down like falling from sky very fast, i think the barometer not work..thank you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u08wvo ... 4_09-04-40.DAT?dl=0

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-13 04:29
Besides the data from black box, we need the flight log for analysis.
Connect your drone to PC, run Assistant 2, click on "Upload Data--Confirm", then choose the right logs and save it to local.
Sorry,  I need double confirm, you mean the link you provided to me includes both files  we need for analysis?

After second drop and broke again because alltitude error and lost signal, i rebuld and test  you can see i am not far from my spark.. i have another new spark the same problem with signal and alltitude..
thank you..

After test and  try , my first spark who was crash broke one leg and diveto the pool , barometer sensor defective, another function still good, only use for selfie and gesture sensor,  my second spark only some time signal lost, i pry not crash again..
I hope  dji sell  spare parts for spark body and barometer sensor..

fanscf0ffacc Posted at 2017-7-13 18:14
the data for first accident on 9/7/17 no more in my spark, this morning i test my spark with rc the alltitude not correct, from take of It's ok after that alltitude going negatif when i go down the spark down like falling from sky very fast, i think the barometer not work..thank you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u08wvo6mfxvccfg/DJI_ASSISTANT_EXPORT_FILE_2017-07-14_09-04-40.DAT?dl=0

Sorry, we're not able to figure out what happened for lack of data needed.
Since it's water damaged, to ensure the safety, we do not suggest you to fly it.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2017-7-14 02:48
Sorry, we're not able to figure out what happened for lack of data needed.
Since it's water damaged, to ensure the safety, we do not suggest you to fly it.

Dear natalia,
I just fly this spark no more than 2Mtr, only for gesture control and low alttitude tracking.
thank you.

Griffith Posted at 2017-7-13 10:41
We've seen several similar problems almost identical to yours in the last few weeks - intermittent compass errors while flying, yaw errors, etc.   I'm beginning to wonder if a recent F/W update may not be responsible - although I didn't see anything specific to compass calibration in the release notes.  At one time we saw and documented several cases where the unshielded wiring of the rear motors was causing noise in compass 2 -  especially at high motor speeds.  I wonder if some of the compass functions were filtered/tweaked  in the firmware to try to mediate that problem -  rather than a hardware fix.

Hi Griffith, interesting to read. My DJI was fitted with the latest firmware... And I see (sadly) that i'm not the only one. I also found an article where it happend on a crowed area, total loss of control so he was running for the Spark and grabbed it from the air to make sure no people would get hurt. He only had some cuts to his own hands.. As we speak my DJI Spark is sent back to DJI, I'm very curious what will happen. I've ordered it directly when the DJI Spark was announced, so maybe I was an early adaptor and hopefully the have fixed it now. I'll post the outcome of the repair.

But no matter what, you should always have control over your Drone!

fanse855bdb3 Posted at 2017-7-17 08:33
Hi Griffith, interesting to read. My DJI was fitted with the latest firmware... And I see (sadly) that i'm not the only one. I also found an article where it happend on a crowed area, total loss of control so he was running for the Spark and grabbed it from the air to make sure no people would get hurt. He only had some cuts to his own hands.. As we speak my DJI Spark is sent back to DJI, I'm very curious what will happen. I've ordered it directly when the DJI Spark was announced, so maybe I was an early adaptor and hopefully the have fixed it now. I'll post the outcome of the repair.

But no matter what, you should always have control over your Drone!

Interestingly, the recent flurry of similar symptoms is occurring in both Mavic and Spark.  I have both.  Admittedly, I haven't flown the Spark much.  It was one of the first shipped, but I have loaned it to a friend who is still awaiting delivery.

Exact same thing just happened to me about 15 mins ago, I was flying in Gesture Mode but it didn't quite work due to low light, so I took over control manually and flew it forward to increase altitude to about 40m. All of the sudden my Spark started flying backward on its own and despite my enter to correct its course nothing seems to able to stop it from going backward. It finally flew into 2/F parking of my apartment, bump into the wall and crashed upside down, thank god it crashed in the 2/F floor car park, if it were to fall down from that height, I'll be out in the market looking for a new drone by now.

When I picked up my crashed drone, the first thing I notice was the Compass Calibration indicator is in FULL BAR (900+) and it saids it needed calibration (which I did the same morning in the same spot). Given that I was in a car park, I just took my drone and went home. Once I got home I took my Spark out for calibration, and the indicator dropped to 9 (Excellent) without me doing anything, I took the drone downstairs back to that same spot in the car park, Compass Calibration is perfectly normal.

timothy_tw Posted at 2017-7-25 07:30
Exact same thing just happened to me about 15 mins ago, I was flying in Gesture Mode but it didn't quite work due to low light, so I took over control manually and flew it forward to increase altitude to about 40m. All of the sudden my Spark started flying backward on its own and despite my enter to correct its course nothing seems to able to stop it from going backward. It finally flew into 2/F parking of my apartment, bump into the wall and crashed upside down, thank god it crashed in the 2/F floor car park, if it were to fall down from that height, I'll be out in the market looking for a new drone by now.

When I picked up my crashed drone, the first thing I notice was the Compass Calibration indicator is in FULL BAR (900+) and it saids it needed calibration (which I did the same morning in the same spot). Given that I was in a car park, I just took my drone and went home. Once I got home I took my Spark out for calibration, and the indicator dropped to 9 (Excellent) without me doing anything, I took the drone downstairs back to that same spot in the car park, Compass Calibration is perfectly normal.

Horrible! Contact DJI support they need to fix these issues. Most likely the log file will have the same issues which I had, Yaw errors, Speed Errors and Compass calibration errors. Good luck. My is Spark is still at their "repair"