Today I was flying my mavic pro in active tracking and all of a sudden my app/remote lost connection and control of the drone in midflight. The drone suddenly started to behave abnormal and start flying side to side and going backwards. I tried closing the app and reopening the app but nothing happend. The remote control side it was connected. The drone finally crashed. I did a firmware update yesterday and everything seems to be up to date. Has this happened to anyone? If so what can i do in the future to get the drone under control again?

Sorry to hear this.

Yes I too just experienced "aircraft disconnected" on the app today as well. New firmware, older version of the Go4 app. Shooting some video where a new development would be going in.

I quickly noticed the telemetry data on the remote control was showing status changes, GPS, Sats etc. RC was connected. I had been out about 3/4 mile. Could not see the MP as I was taking video when the app crashed. Restarted the app and the same "aircraft disconnected" recurred. Knowing I have RC connected, I nudged the sticks to determine if I was closing the distance or not. Slight yaw, push the stick, watch the distance update.

When it started to go down I knew I had the crafts orientation. Pushing the stick forward now I watched the distance close fast. Battery was getting low so I hit Sport Mode. Hit the stick forward more and distance closed much faster. Then it got to a point about 1500' away I could see it again. At 3/4 mile out and 375' up it's a tough bird to see. As it closed distance I could then start to lower it since I could see the obstacle heights. Lowered it to 200', brought it closer and then I could hear it. Might have been easier had I hit the record switch on the remote in order to look for the lights on the front. Didn't even consider it. lol

Several ways to determine orientation.

1- easiest is look for the lights if the craft is within VLOS. Red is the front, Green flashing is the rear. During daylight, a little harder to see, but if you yaw slowly, one of the lights will be noticed.

2- After the app disconnect, look at the craft direction indicator. DO NOT yaw the aircraft when you get a disconnect or this will not work. Provided you did not yaw the craft, the direction heading arrow should be indicated. That would be the last known craft direction forward facing. Look at the LED status indicators on the Remote. If they show normal operation "GPS", flight mode, and distance and height data, then the RC is connected to Mavic Pro. Knowing the last direction, push the right stick in the forward or reverse direction a little bit and watch the numbers in the display. If it goes up, you are pushing away. If it goes back, you are pushing towards your position again. You want the distance to close. At this point you got the distance to close some but still have no real idea of the orientation L/R.

Release the sticks. Take a breath. Watch the telem data again. If it is closing the distance slightly, then your approach angle is not exactly towards your position. Give another slight yaw. Just a hair. Now push the right stick in the same direction you had when distance was closing. Once the distance closes faster, now the craft is pointing at your position enough that you can close the distance more easily, and eventually regain VLOS on the craft. Typically within 1000' feet of the craft and your position, the led lights should be in view enough.

3- using the LED's to determine craft orientation. Red on the front, Green flashing on the rear. If you get to a point you cannot determine orientation, disable recording. Now the red leds should appear. Again, once disconnected from app, determine the RC status on the LED readout. Be sure it has all telemetry and hopefully is still in GPS mode. Use the same method as #2, but it will be easier now having the LED's on the craft to determine the orientation. Same thing. Do not YAW yet on the L stick. Slowly go forward some on the R stick. Does distance close? If it does not, then go the opposite direction. Once you have the closing distance, slowly rotate the craft by yaw on the L stick. Look for the LED's. If you see green flashing, push backward and that will bring it toward you. If you see Red Leds, the Mavic is facing you. Push backward (because forward is now reversed with craft facing you) on the sticks and you can get it back. If you only see one red LED, craft is closing, but direction is away from your position. Stop, move L stick slowly until both Red leds face you. Now push forward and it should have a straighter path when closing it's distance.

4- Use RTH. This is great and very life saving when you lose video feed. Problem sometimes is the device getting the signal from the RC will not auto initiate RTH. That happens when the Remote itself gets disconnected. Craft should auto RTH.  Many times the video transmission is lost, and the craft and RC are connected. That's when most panic, especially if the craft is no longer in view or out too far.

5- Flying VLOS is your safest bet, but VLOS means a lot of things to different flyers. Many in my RC club have claimed they can see the craft during the daylight hrs over .5 mile out. I doubt it, and I've tested them by having them unlink the craft (our own her for training). Either that, or I dare them to disconnect their own data cable from their RC. Most of them refuse that challenge.

6- When flying VLOS and the orientation is harder to determine and you lose video signal. Here is when you simply push the craft forward. If it moves left, turn left slowly until the craft leds are facing you, and or better yet that the distance closes rapidly. If you push forward and the craft moves to right, continue the right turn until the craft distance closes.

most of the above also applies when in ATTI Mode. Flying non GPS drones is a great way to learn too. Craft orientation and controller operations vary depending on the craft position. It's good to learn and even with the DJI GPS drones, you can simulate these orientation exercises easily.  You do not have to fly any large distances either. 100' away can get these basic lessons learned enough. Then you just fly out to 300', repeat the lessons, then at 500' out. You will notice these all apply evenly.

Best thing is, you get better acquainted with the controls and your judgment of craft orientation will be a developed skill so that time when the aircraft's app is not working, you are more confident in your ability to get control of the craft and return it to your position. This is really needed if for some reason RTH does not work, or someone changes the mode to Hover etc. That has happened before as well.

I had this problem when I had spark. I might be lame, but do you guys charge your remote control over usb or different adapter other than DJI supplied ones? I faced lots of disconnects when I used  a different charging adapter. the remote would get switched off in between and many problems. then I found the root cause and when I started using the charger which DJI gave, I never got mid air disconnects.

I use the standard Micro charge cable. No problems from there. "Aircraft Disconnected" means the data to the app is lost or the app crashed.

RC should still be connected. If the RC loses total connection, the MP should go to RTH, but if within close distance it may not. OA is disabled during active track by default. Any input from the RC should have stopped the active track operation even if the app disconnects.

Android mobile device or iOS?

Rafi_m Posted at 2018-7-11 22:42
I had this problem when I had spark. I might be lame, but do you guys charge your remote control over usb or different adapter other than DJI supplied ones? I faced lots of disconnects when I used  a different charging adapter. the remote would get switched off in between and many problems. then I found the root cause and when I started using the charger which DJI gave, I never got mid air disconnects.

I only use the original cable DJI gives you when you get the drone. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. Everything was working just fine just before i activated active tracking. I couldnt control the drone at all.

It happen to me yesterday and I crash my Mavic pro to trees behind. as you explain I lost connection for no reason and My drone start flying backward and to the left and crashed.I asumed the drone should hover as soon as lost connection or go back home???
am I correct?
is there any setting to achive this?
why goiing backward?