Well, my day started really good.  I was shooting a Paddlefest in Bend Oregon.  It was 8 AM and the weather was great.  No wind, no clouds.  I was on my 2nd battery.  My motors would not start.  Finally, my controller said my battery was updating.  I was using a TB48.  After a few minutes...... my motors started.  My controller showed about 65%.  I started filming the river and was about 9 feet in elevation.  All of a sudden my controller went black, (I have never experienced this before). And then Bird 1 went down into the fast raging river.  I was about 100 yards from the incident.  I ran down the river edge to see if i could see Bird 1.  It was gone.  After spending about an hour scouring the river downstream, I came to the conclusing my Bird 1 was gone.  Sadly, I packed up my kit and headed home.  Now what?  I reviewed my flight recorder.  5 minutes of total flight on the mission.  406 feet flight mileage.  Is this a Inspire 1 fault?  Was it a battery problem. (1st time use)?  I will replace and I am not sure DJI will help.  I have been flying DJI products for about 2 years.  I have about 10 hours on the Inspire 1.

Not sure if I am looking for a reaction from the forum users or from DJI. Thanks for reading this.  

Wow That's really too bad sorry for the loss.
Coupe of questions for you, Was the TB48 fully charged? when the controller went black are you referencing the App went black.
Again this sucks........

Visual Air Posted at 2015-5-3 22:58
Wow That's really too bad sorry for the loss.
Coupe of questions for you, Was the TB48 fully charged ...

TB48 was fully charged.  I use an ipad air for my app and yes that is what went black.  Never had anything like this happen before.

So I had an issue yesterday where my battery was at 47%, then all of a sudden, it dropped down to 5%. I get the critical battery warning and my bird starts to auto-land. Fortunately, my bird was only about 20 yards away and about 30 feet high. I was able to land it safely. Firmware is current on RC, AC and battery.   Battery (TB47) has about 10 charges and never had an error.

This makes me wonder how stable these batteries are.

I had the exact issue with the screen going black.  Yesterday, the inspire was about 600M away, 67% battery level.  I was flying over a thawing lake and a small island.  The last run I was going beside the island and the screen went black, first time for that ever happening to me with the 54 flights I've done.  It says "No signal" and I looked to see the drone starting to move behind the island but I had no controls over anything.  My last resort was hit the home button (the app did not confirm it was heading home) and the remote started to beep but I never heard/saw the drone again.  I ran down the rocky shore line, after many cuts and bruises falling on the slippery rocks I couldn't see anything around the other side of the island.

Because the lake is thawing the ice is unsafe to walk on so if the drone did crash on the island I have to wait at least another week to recover it.  After viewing the flight record it appears it switch from GPS to Atti 7 seconds before the screen went black.

I've contacted DJI, waiting for a response.

What a day...

I was going to fly today but I think I'll pass.

This is the stuff that gets me. I invest over $4,500 and have to worry... Mainly because of DJI's Support. If your controller shuts down in mid flight when full battery you should get a replacement unit.

lappe767 Posted at 2015-5-3 23:33
I had the exact issue with the screen going black.  Yesterday, the inspire was about 600M away, 67%  ...

I, too, contacted DJI.  Their initial response was.   
...........
..............
.............
.....-----CONFIDENTIAL：

they wanted to know where I lived so they could direct me to a help center?

Not sure what that meant.

That's bloody bad news mate. Don't give up trying to find it we need the information on it and help in any way we can to get it replaced. Hang in there.

durrr Posted at 2015-5-3 23:52
I was going to fly today but I think I'll pass.

This is the stuff that gets me. I invest over $4,50 ...

100%.  Support is key.  DJI is well on its way of making a billion dollars in sales, you'd think their support would be much better than what it is now.

I've dealt with many smaller film/video companies with stellar support, one that comes to mind is Edelkrone.  We had an issue with a camera slider, emailed them and the same day they replied back with a paid UPS shipping label.  After they got it they fixed the problem at no charge and shipped it back to us, you guess it, no charge.

Rockeyes Posted at 2015-5-4 00:39
That's bloody bad news mate. Don't give up trying to find it we need the information on it and help  ...

I'm hoping everything can be recovered too so we can prevent this from happening for all the future flyers.

I too had an Ipad Air 2 go dark (and reboot) 3min into the flight.
Craft @90% battery, Controller started at 100%, GPS mode, Compass Cal completed before launch.

Normal take-off, landing gear raised.
- 3min in, Ipad goes dark and is frozen on the Apple Boot screen
- the controller still indicated green (connected to the Inspire), so I left the controls alone while troubleshooting the ipad reboot.
- disconnected the lightning cable from controller to Ipad to regain control of ipad
- Forced the ipad power off, reboot, restart app
- Found the Inspire still hovering at the point of app crash (never moved)

It's only happened once, while in GPS mode.

Guess I'm lucky...

averbouwens Posted at 2015-5-4 00:18
I, too, contacted DJI.  Their initial response was.   
...........
..............

I find it to be of great concern that DJI apparently doesn't want other people to know how they handle these incidents.  Of course I'm assuming you quoted the exchange and DJI redacted what you and they said.......   If true, all this will do is increase user hostility and drive these communications to an outside forum that DJ I cannot control.

PeteGould Posted at 2015-5-4 03:24
I find it to be of great concern that DJI apparently doesn't want other people to know how they ha ...

Just started UNCENSORED DJI Phantom and Inspire one group here :

https://ca.groups.yahoo.com/neo/ ... /info?firstRunExp=1

arunmehta Posted at 2015-5-4 04:14
Just started UNCENSORED DJI Phantom and Inspire one group here :

https://ca.groups.yahoo.com/neo/ ...

Why? There are already several well established forums not censored by DJI. RCGroups, InspirePilots, and several Facebook groups to start...

There is a thread where this has happened to someone recently. I have read many more on boards. This absolutely has to do something with flying over water. I wish they would address this and in the meantime, people would be smart to not fly over water.
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... mp;page=1#pid106269
Also HFI provided the link below, it is a must read.
http://wiki.dji.com/en/index.php ... ning_System?lang=en

Rockeyes Posted at 2015-5-4 00:39
That's bloody bad news mate. Don't give up trying to find it we need the information on it and help  ...

Thanks for the encouragement.  I sure need it... My first 24 hours have past and life is not getting easier.

Rockeyes Posted at 2015-5-4 00:39
That's bloody bad news mate. Don't give up trying to find it we need the information on it and help  ...

Thanks for the encouragement.  I sure need it... My first 24 hours have past and life is not getting easier.

sbarryjackson@s Posted at 2015-5-4 05:13
There is a thread where this has happened to someone recently. I have read many more on boards. This ...

The vision positioning system is only for low-altitude flight in the absence of GPS.  If you're flying at more than a few feet it's not being used.  If you have GPS it's not being used.  And either way - the vision positioning system only affects positioning, not whether the motors run.

This is something else.  It's something BAD - but I don't think it's related either to the vision positioning system or flight over water.  There's been at least one other case in which someone's Inspire shut off and fell onto concrete from a 100' altitude.  The most likely culprit still seems to be a battery-related issue.

For whatever it's worth.

My guess is it had something to do with updating your battery and not being recharged afterwards (even though it was full.)

There have been multiple reports of updating the battery when it's full and it immediately dropping to 65%.   Happened to me as well but luckily I was at home and recharged at the time.

Not sure if recharging locks something in or what, and it's certainly strange that updating for 3 minutes eats 35% battery power, so my guess is there is some voodoo with that process.

Another bird (P3) lost, over water.
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... age%3D1&lang=en

bostonlines@gma Posted at 2015-5-3 23:05
So I had an issue yesterday where my battery was at 47%, then all of a sudden, it dropped down to 5% ...

"auto land" ???????

My bird, (and many others) does NOT auto land, at critical low batt, (wish it did).

My bird, (and many others) initiate the deadly RTH function at critical low battery, (even if it's right at your feet it will first attempt to climb to the pre-set altitude) of course never reaching it and then dropping out of the sky.

This has happened to me twice, and I was able to shut down the RTH and land.
(a guy started a thread where he was not smart enough to cancel RTH, and watched his bird climb, then drop like a stone).

Are you sure it was "autolanding" or did "RTH" get triggered, (this really concerns me).

Bob

Bob Marley Posted at 2015-5-4 23:59
"auto land" ???????

My bird, (and many others) does NOT auto land, at critical low batt, (wish it ...

If your bird (and everyone else's) is at critical low battery it will descend and land automatically...or auto-land.  Your bird (and everyone else's) will use RTH only if there is enough juice (user manual p. 14-15).  

Low battery - if no action is taken w/in 10 seconds, RTH and auto land
Critical battery - auto land from current altitude

BL

Bob

They way I've seen it work is that if your battery drops to the minimum level required to get it back to the home point (as determined by the software and marked by the little yellow "H" on the battery usage line, it will initiate a RTH that is cancel-able by the user. If you do cancel the RTH and continue to fly, when the battery hits the 10% critical low level,  it will autoland wherever it is without ascending to RTH level. I have tested this by hovering at low altitude until the battery hit 10% & the bird autolanded without incident.

Why was Bob's post deleted?  I saw nothing malicious or offensive.

bostonlines@gma Posted at 2015-5-5 01:31
Why was Bob's post deleted?  I saw nothing malicious or offensive.

I think Bob got banned. Just saw a couple of his other posts and they are gone.

Many birds are lost each day.

I think DJI would be wise to not allow anyone to join and post - 3DR and trolls and everyone under the sun can sign in with fake names and cause havoc....but that's another story. Many forums only allow those types of people to post in certain "pre-sales" forums or sometimes not at all. It would be easy for DJI to tie forum participation to their product registration....and for those who have no purchased yet, they could sign in with a known profile like facebook, linkedin, google, twitter, yahoo, etc - at least that way they'd be more responsible.

Anyway, that's another story. I can't help myself since I've been a community manager for the last 20 years!

Getting back to the OP - I hope DJI can help in some way or another...maybe a really steep discount on a new bird, etc.
Although no one has asked or mentioned it, I'd be glad to help in a small way with the expense if you decide on another. This will not come out of my pocket, as it is "corporate" money gained from the selling of my books....so it's not charity, it's more like R&D and supporting those who help the hobby along.  Shoot me a contact form over at droneflyers dot com when you actually have a new bird on the way.

Good luck Aver, the road you are now on is not an easy one.

I am now in to week 8 at since bird destroyed via uncontrolled flyaway AND DJI admitting hardware faults was the cause of fly away from the flight logs.

This process is like trying to pick your nose with a fork!

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-5 05:36
Many birds are lost each day.

I think DJI would be wise to not allow anyone to join and post - 3DR  ...

Thank you for your support.  I received the DJI form to fill out and return.  I will post what DJI response is.  I am still in shock.  Life goes on.  Life is Good!  I cannot wait 2 or 4 or 8 weeks for a replacement.  I have several shoots scheduled and need to replace as soon as possible.

Well, i filled out the form and sent in my police report only to get an apology from DJI stating I would have to start over again.... with us.support@dji.com.... and the story continues.....I will keep you posted.

bostonlines@gma Posted at 2015-5-3 23:05
So I had an issue yesterday where my battery was at 47%, then all of a sudden, it dropped down to 5% ...

please see post on Understanding Battery "sudden drop phenomenon"

PeteGould Posted at 2015-5-4 06:59
The vision positioning system is only for low-altitude flight in the absence of GPS.  If you're fl ...

i have noticed in the simulator that if you bring the sticks to the inside bottom (the same way you start and stop the motors) mid-flight, the drone will power the rotors off regardless of the altitude. I have not tested this in an actual flight for obvious reasons, and it would be a pretty extreme mid-flight maneuver to try anyway, but these reports make me wonder...

sam1am Posted at 2015-5-8 02:20
i have noticed in the simulator that if you bring the sticks to the inside bottom (the same way yo ...

Don't test it!  If you do you will have succesfully converted your bird into a rock.

sam1am Posted at 2015-5-8 02:20
i have noticed in the simulator that if you bring the sticks to the inside bottom (the same way yo ...

Someone did this and it fell from the sky,  posted about it a month ago or so. It's a kill switch basically, and I honestly don't know of a  reason to push the sticks inward to that extreme.

MainlineAerial Posted at 2015-5-8 04:43
Someone did this and it fell from the sky,  posted about it a month ago or so. It's a kill switch  ...

That's nuts. A kill switch is one thing, but one that ties into a particular position of the flight controls seems like a major oversight.

Here's my reality check. Now that the Phantom 3 Professional is available, it's what I'll be using for any risky flights rather than the Inspire. It shoots the same quality video (well, at least on paper since I haven't tried it yet) and costs about a third of what I've spent on the Inspire. No question the Inspire has some great advantages, like better wind handling, raised landing gear, etc. But after losing one Inspire and buying a second, I find myself being very conservative with it, carefully choosing where and under what circumstances I will fly it.

I'm not taking a shot at DJI here. They and their competitors are inventing and innovating at a very rapid pace, and we represent the eager early adopters. It is completely natural that in these early days unfortunate things will happen, and happen often. But we can also take advantage of the rapid pace of innovation and use the right tool for the job. The Phantom 3 Pro may have become the smarter, more cost effective tool for a large part of what the Inspire was built to do.

Why dont the DJI forum moderators ever seem to show up and try to help in a lot of these threads?  This is the official DJI forum, they should have at least one full time employee offering assistance?

Abe Posted at 2015-5-8 05:59
Here's my reality check. Now that the Phantom 3 Professional is available, it's what I'll be using f ...

I agree with you on that Abe, I've just done exactly the same thing.

But rather than replace my P2V+ camera that I damaged in a mishap (my fault) I've decided to upgrade to the P3 Professional as my back up.

Just found out the P2V+ has been discontinued so prices will plummet on parts I would hope and I can get that back up and running for a more reasonable cost.

When people are mentioning the VPS are they referring to the point that the landing gear now comes down automatically if the bird is a few feet off the ground?

I'm on the update prior to this latest one, but not flying at present.
My Inspire never used to do this until I took that update.

Abe Posted at 2015-5-8 05:59
Here's my reality check. Now that the Phantom 3 Professional is available, it's what I'll be using f ...

I also ordered a P3 - from B&H Photo and will use for the same reasons you mentioned.  Hopefully, DJI will replace my Bird 1.  I have 2 P2s that I can still fly with, but the Inspire really spoils a person.

Abe Posted at 2015-5-8 05:59
Here's my reality check. Now that the Phantom 3 Professional is available, it's what I'll be using f ...

How did you lose your Inspire?