Does the Mini 3 Pro still have obstacle avoidance when it has lost connection from the RC Controller? I was flying my Mini 3 down a mountain with Return to Home. I heard a small plane in the area so I began to reduce the alititude of the drone. It dropped from 5 to 4 bars, so I began to raise the altitude until I had 5 bars again. Immediately after that, the drone lost connection and lost altitude very rapidly, crashing into the ground. I don't know why it lost signal, dropped so quickly and I don't understand why obstacle avoidance didn't prevent it from crashing.

Immediately after that, the drone lost connection and lost altitude very rapidly, crashing into the ground. I don't know why it lost signal, dropped so quickly and I don't understand why obstacle avoidance didn't prevent it from crashing.
You've assumed that the drone crashed into an obstacle.
Is there any evidence to suggest that's what happened?
It might have been something completely different.

Your recorded flight data might have some clues.
Go to: https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
... where you'll find instructions.
That will give a report you can post a link for the report here.
Or just post the .txt file.

Sounds like you might have lowered altitude below tree line then raised altitude into tree canopy.  There is no OA when going up. Need more info from flight data or video...

The video shows that it crashed into the ground in an area with a few small weeds. There were no trees or other obstacles. I was descending to avoid the plane when it began to lose signal. The video show that it ascended for a couple of seconds after I increased the altitude and then descended very quickly into the ground.

RGBellCSI Posted at 8-31 14:56
The video shows that it crashed into the ground in an area with a few small weeds. There were no trees or other obstacles. I was descending to avoid the plane when it began to lose signal. The video show that it ascended for a couple of seconds after I increased the altitude and then descended very quickly into the ground.

If you want the best assistance - POST YOUR LOG!!!

Here is a link to the log file  Flight Log TXT file
Here is a link to the video:   

Mobilehomer Posted at 8-31 15:38
If you want the best assistance - POST YOUR LOG!!!

Settle down, Beavis!

Labroides Posted at 8-31 13:41
Immediately after that, the drone lost connection and lost altitude very rapidly, crashing into the ground. I don't know why it lost signal, dropped so quickly and I don't understand why obstacle avoidance didn't prevent it from crashing.
You've assumed that the drone crashed into an obstacle.
Is there any evidence to suggest that's what happened?

Here ya go

https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/7ONGOSM3MA77NH6T87UL

When you descended for the manned ac, you dipped too low too quickly, by the time your signal meter caught up it was too late, it had dipped too far to recover, its not updated 100% instant, there is a very short delay, so when you noticed that it had dropped a bar, in fact it had dropped more but the signal meter hadn't caught up. Does that make sense? By then it was too late as you'd dipped too low past the signals reach, as to the crash...

...last recorded VPS altitude was 5.7ft and it was declining even with the right stick in the up position although you did let go at the last recorded data. It looks like it was still moving at about 10m/s, my guess, it hit the side of the mountain. Thats about the extent of what i can figure out, RTH had initiated (FYI RTH height was set to 0m) and ALT was falling so I'm not sure . Labroides or JJB* will give a better explanation and maybe in the correct one if I'm wrong

To answer your actual question, yes, it should have OA turned on.

Heres the view from the crash site, as you can see, it was a wee incline and you cannot see the homepoint as its below the next rise

Hello there RGBellCSI. I am sorry to know what happened to your DJI Mini 3 Pro and thank you for reaching out. Since this unfortunate event happened, I would recommend for you to contact our DJI Support Team at https://www.dji.com/support?site=brandsite&from=nav for further assistance with regards to this matter. We will do our best to help you and give out the best resolution for the said issue. Again, I am sorry and thank you.

Watching it unfold in the video is alarming, something amiss there as you was initially climbing using the stick, you let go and it dropped quite quickly, whilst RTH was set to 0m, this wouldnt be the cause as it doesn't decent to the RTH height, it will ascend if its lower than the RTH height though.

There were no stick input from you, not up/dn anyway
It was in RTH mode
Certainly not prop damage nor a power issue
Not in a NFZ or restricted zone

I am a little baffled, also my initial thoughts that it was in ft is wrong, my bad,

Labroides or JJB* will pick it up from here for you.

RGBellCSI Posted at 8-31 16:01
Here is a link to the log file  Flight Log TXT file
Here is a link to the video:   Video

The ridge where the drone hit was approx 186 ft higher than the launch point.
As the drone was approaching the ridge, you pulled the left stick down which reduced the height by about 20 ft to approx 180 ft, and flew the drone into the ground.

It's hard to say why Obstacle Avoidance didn't work.
Usually it does, but there are a number of conditions (see the manual) that are difficult for OA to deal with.

Bashy Posted at 8-31 20:59
Watching it unfold in the video is alarming, something amiss there as you was initially climbing using the stick, you let go and it dropped quite quickly, whilst RTH was set to 0m, this wouldnt be the cause as it doesn't decent to the RTH height, it will ascend if its lower than the RTH height though.

There were no stick input from you, not up/dn anyway

I doesn't make sense that the log indicates that the RTH height was set to zero. I typically have it set to 150 ft. I didn't check it before this flight, but I did check it after the flight. It was set to 150 ft. I have NEVER set it to 0.

Last firmware update did a reset on all settings. If you didn't change RTH after the update this might be why it was set at 0.

There should be a default RTH. I haven't checked mine since the last update but when I first got mine, it was like ~300ft or something.
Were you on S mode or something that could have disabled the OA sensors?

Beta5K Posted at 9-1 08:52
There should be a default RTH. I haven't checked mine since the last update but when I first got mine, it was like ~300ft or something.
Were you on S mode or something that could have disabled the OA sensors?

I was in Normal mode. I definitely didn't set the RTH to 0 and I haven't had updates change the RTH setting. I have had updates reset many other parameters, especially video and photo settings. It would be nice if DJI would allow us to save the current settings, so they could be restored after an update.

RGBellCSI Posted at 8-31 16:01
Here is a link to the log file  Flight Log TXT file
Here is a link to the video:   Video

Hi,

Had a look at your flight too, watched the video.
Last records in my chart of your data.

During the RTH the rate of decent was normal, with 100% stick down speed down of 3 m/s.
At 10m49.4s both RC sticks zero`d, so moving down stopped.
3 m/s down to zero and shorty 1.2 m/s speed up, but baro height did  not change much.
Shortly after this baro height indication is changing from 55 to 63 meter!, to correct this the vertical speed down to max 4.8 m/s down and this with NO RC input!
(bit brutal way of stopping the descent i think, with a forward speed of 10.5 m/s guess not really too bad, also taken into account the high altitude warnings.)

Thus the height increase as shown in the video is not bc of RC input, the correction to the fly height the moment sticks were zero`d was rapid and not bc of RC input.Actually the last record show baro height of 55.5 meter, 10 seconds before baro height sticks zero`d 55.8 meter.

RC up steer last few record had effect ; from 5.8 to 1.8 m/s down speed, obvious to say that the UP steer was too late.

cheers
JJB

RGBellCSI Posted at 9-1 07:54
I doesn't make sense that the log indicates that the RTH height was set to zero. I typically have it set to 150 ft. I didn't check it before this flight, but I did check it after the flight. It was set to 150 ft. I have NEVER set it to 0.

It doesn't make sense that the log indicates that the RTH height was set to zero.
Your recorded flight data indicates that your RTH Height was set to 253 ft, not zero.
It's probably not even possible to set it to zero.

Firmware updates might reset the RTH Height to the default value .. and that isn't zero.

Beta5K Posted at 9-1 08:52
There should be a default RTH. I haven't checked mine since the last update but when I first got mine, it was like ~300ft or something.
Were you on S mode or something that could have disabled the OA sensors?

Were you on S mode or something that could have disabled the OA sensors?
He was in RTH Mode.
You cannot RTH in any other flight mode.

I don't know if is pertinent, but there several warnings that the OA is disabled all through the flight.

Mobilehomer Posted at 9-1 17:31
I don't know if is pertinent, but there several warnings that the OA is disabled all through the flight.

I don't understand that either. OA was not turned off.

Labroides Posted at 9-1 14:40
It doesn't make sense that the log indicates that the RTH height was set to zero.
Your recorded flight data indicates that your RTH Height was set to 253 ft, not zero.
It's probably not even possible to set it to zero.

Hi, it was this that i had seen that lead me down the RTH 0m path, does it mean something else then?

EDIT: just found this window, so apologies for misunderstanding the initial data point, still not sure what the RTH 0m represents, unless its zeroing the ac?

Mobilehomer Posted at 9-1 17:31
I don't know if is pertinent, but there several warnings that the OA is disabled all through the flight.

From what i can see, OA was only saying disabled when it wasn't in flight (prior to take off) i.e. it was mentioned just a handful of times

N Mode (Bypass) is throughout the flight log, but, only up till 6:00 then it changes to P-GPS, is this OA off? then at 8:03 it changes to Go Home, is OA still off or? this might explain why OA didn't work, but it doest explain why OA turn off at about 6mins

Bashy Posted at 9-1 19:30
From what i can see, OA was only saying disabled when it wasn't in flight (prior to take off) i.e. it was mentioned just a handful of times

N Mode (Bypass) is throughout the flight log, but, only up till 6:00 then it changes to P-GPS, is this OA off? then at 8:03 it changes to Go Home, is OA still off or? this might explain why OA didn't work, but it doest explain why OA turn off at about 6mins

Bashy, I did a sunset Hyperlapse this evening. My OA was turned off from my last flight. Here is the link to my Airdata for a comparison. There is no OA warning.
https://app.airdata.com/share/AtUrbh

Yeah, evening flight it will be due to the light level, mateys flight was in full brightness and so his shouldn't turn off for that reason

Having looked at yours, you did get the warning ;) a good few times

Low severity, impact on safety is likely not significantAmbient light too low. Vision system and obstacle sensing unavailable. Fly with caution (Code: 180037) (repeated 2 times)

Bashy Posted at 9-1 20:12
Yeah, evening flight it will be due to the light level, mateys flight was in full brightness and so his shouldn't turn off for that reason

Having looked at yours, you did get the warning ;) a good few times

My OA was turned off by me. Is that the same as disabled?

Mobilehomer Posted at 9-1 20:23
My OA was turned off by me. Is that the same as disabled?

I do not know with regards to this situation,  but in the grand scheme of things, turned off and disabled are one and the same in my book.

Bashy Posted at 9-1 19:23
Hi, it was this that i had seen that lead me down the RTH 0m path, does it mean something else then?

EDIT: just found this window, so apologies for misunderstanding the initial data point, still not sure what the RTH 0m represents, unless its zeroing the ac?

Hi Bashy,

The moment that the app start to write data in the log some fields are not written with data that very moment.
RTH height is often filled shortly after logging, this means that the RTH is set to "zero", but filled with the correct RTH data. In this log with 262.6 feet or 77 meter.

Same for the RTH Fail safe field, in this log at start setting is set to HOVER and changed into GoHOME.

FRAP shows the initial zero for RTH height, bc when filling this field is failing no new RTH height value is used.

cheers
JJB

Bashy Posted at 9-1 19:30
From what i can see, OA was only saying disabled when it wasn't in flight (prior to take off) i.e. it was mentioned just a handful of times

N Mode (Bypass) is throughout the flight log, but, only up till 6:00 then it changes to P-GPS, is this OA off? then at 8:03 it changes to Go Home, is OA still off or? this might explain why OA didn't work, but it doest explain why OA turn off at about 6mins

Hi Bashy

The APAS setting to ByPass (thus OA enabled) is "seen" by the decrypters....
BUT the APAS setting to BRAKE (OA still enabled) is not seen by them.

So in the FlyApp converted CSV file the mode P-GPS does not say that OA is disabled, it could well be in APAS Brake mode.
Agree with you that would be nice to know why the flight mode did change 5m29.2 in the log.
(probably not ofcourse: but message reaching max heigt at almost the same time OA bypass was changed. i will check this out in my next fligts)

ADD: checked ; reached max alt has no effect on OA.

[ CSV shows Gentle GPS = APAS enabled in Bypass, but shows P-GPS = APAS enabled with Brake AND show P-GPS with APAS disabled by remote pilot ]

ADD: checked in my flight ; Flying in N mode and switching from ByPass to Brake is shown in the CSV as Gentle GPS to P-GPS.
When flying into strong wind (craft pitched down more than with less wind the forward OA does not function (red icon) ; log continue to shows Gentle GPS.


About the OA ; flying forward it will detect obstacles in front and below the drone, but imo not really so good below, as it uses the downward sensor.
When flying real slow and down to the ground than the landing protection feature ( nothing to do with OA ) will stop the down motion, but this does not work flying fast and going fast down. Try yourself flying with speed down to the ground or not too steep slope....but be quick on the controls! to steer UP  ;-)

In RTH mode OA is automatic enabled, despite user off setting.

cheersJJB

Mobilehomer Posted at 9-1 20:23
My OA was turned off by me. Is that the same as disabled?

yes the same, but in sport mode the OA is automaitcally disabled.

so in my book user sets OA  ON/OFF, in user ON setting the app will disable/enable OA depending on flightmode. Plus OA is not functioning with low light conditions, kind of 'disabled' but while enabled.

cheers
JJB