I was flying my brand new Phantom 3 Standard yesterday and lost wifi connection (after updating my firmware, this seems to be a very common problem), due to losing the feed to the camera the drone disappeared from sight and crashed in to some powerlines then in to the concrete.

This did a decent amount of damage; broken gimbral mount, broken props, severed several wires inside and broke the button that pairs the remote with the drone.
As this crash was directly due to the wifi issue (which is due to the firmware upgrade) would this possibly be covered under the aircrafts warrenty?

Does anyone have any experience with this? DJI support is pretty hard to deal with.

Sorry for your troubles.

I mean no disrespect, but how is it you are so sure that the WIFI loss issue is due to updated firmware?

Does the PS standard not do a RTH or hover in place when it loses signal from the remote?

Chris

Not A Speck Of  Posted at 2016-5-27 07:13
Sorry for your troubles.

I mean no disrespect, but how is it you are so sure that the WIFI loss iss ...

Its pretty well documented on these forums generally people who have updated the firmware suddenly have these same wifi issues.. that cant be a coincidence!

matt95 Posted at 2016-5-27 07:19
Its pretty well documented on these forums generally people who have updated the firmware suddenly ...

There are quite a few posts claiming that the recent firmware upgrade reduced distance range. I don't recall one that claimed that the firmware caused a total WIFI loss *and* caused the craft to fly away and crash.

Most people that are claiming to have issues are still flying, just unhappy with their range. But feel free to correct me with a link to such a thread.

So, does the P3S have a RTH or hover on signal loss to the remote?

Not A Speck Of  Posted at 2016-5-27 07:24
There are quite a few posts claiming that the recent firmware upgrade reduced distance range. I do ...

A few links from the first page of the forum.. most issues are losing video from the aircraft at some stage and all have the firmware upgraded issues.

The issue with losing the connection to the app is it defaults to return to home but times out because there is no connection with the aircraft. If you lose RC it will return to home by default by the looks of things.

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D369%26typeid%3D369

More likely "disappeared from sight and crashed in to some powerlines " the power lines  cause compass / gps issues that cause loss of automated control ... You need to switch to atti then fly manually ...

Okay, I'm confused. I checked all 7 your links and not one of them was a crash due to firmware. 6 are post with complaining about the range, but none crashed. 1 post was about firmware downgrading.

Not A Speck Of  Posted at 2016-5-27 07:58
Okay, I'm confused. I checked all 7 your links and not one of them was a crash due to firmware. 6 ar ...

Yeah they are downgrading firmware due to range, range of the video link which disappeared which is why I lost control of my craft because I couldn't see the link.

Do you work for DJI?.. unsure why you are being a dick about this and not being constructive.

I don't work for DJI. I suggest that you stop talking on a forum and contact DJI, present your case with them, not us. They will decide if it is there fault that your phantom crashed. In general, signal loss does not cause crashes.

Chris

I've noticed the SpeckMan to be very passionate about defending the firmware - perhaps it's not defending but simply being upset about no real facts and a lot of speculation..  I think he has No Speck Of Bad Intention ;)

But anyhow, I do agree with him, that blaming wifi for a crash, is a bit far fetched... I'd suggest, that if you not gonna fix it yourself (or even if you were going to) you'd open a DJI ticket, let them look at your flight log, and see if they can help you - who knows...  but jumping to conclusions on the firmware being the cause.. at best it's a lead.. and really losing wifi, maybe you could have let all the controls go, get into a stable hover, then press RTH and let the drone come home...  Just something to keep in mind for you int he future, and other users, just in case they get into this predicament...  And yes, things like this happen, and quite often, we, as pilots, make a stupid decision in the moment of stress, and it's not the best outcome....  sort of sucks to crash a $600+ as opposed to say a $200 RC vehicle... I know.. I had my share of crashes on various aircraft!

Hope you get this worked out!

Not A Speck Of  Posted at 2016-5-27 08:16
I don't work for DJI. I suggest that you stop talking on a forum and contact DJI, present your case  ...

The purpose of a forum is to get advice and experiences off other people. I have already contacted DJI, I was posting to see if anyone else had a similar issue to see if there was any precedence for a warranty claim.

powerlines....   how far away and how low where you flying???

You can't blame a crash based on loss of fpv.  Clearly dji always states fly in los.   Second wifi is not what controls the drone.  If you had a signal issue the drone would Rth.  If Rth caused the crash your at fault for improper Rth height setting.  

It's a known problem with the p3s and firmware causing signal range issue.  But wifi is only used for video feed which "shouldn't" be relied on for only means of flying.    If your video dropped out on you for any reason Rth would bring your bird home if properly configured.     

Sorry for your loss.  Hard lesson learned

matt95 Posted at 2016-5-26 18:28
The purpose of a forum is to get advice and experiences off other people. I have already contacted ...

Well, let us know how it works out.. many people crash, and many are not sure how much of their own fault was in it. I've heard of DJI being very through and helpful, as well as not so much, and the customer really having to push..  Hope you get as much help as possible!

matt95 Posted at 2016-5-27 08:28
The purpose of a forum is to get advice and experiences off other people. I have already contacted ...

Naw, you quite clearly called out the WIFI loss as being the sole reason for your crash.

If you lost the signal, the drone will automatically fly home.  If it hit powerlines, you must have adjusted your maximum RTH altitude lower than 100ft.  If you lost vision on the app, you shouldn't fly around 'blindly' as this could be the result.  Remember, a rule is to never fly out of sight.  If the drone was out of your sight, that's another mistake.

Remember when you buy another one, keep drone in sight, don't fly 'blindly,' and adjust RTH to a minimum height to not run into things.  The user manual should be read before flying.

quickpoint Posted at 2016-5-26 19:01
You can't blame a crash based on loss of fpv.  Clearly dji always states fly in los.   Second wifi i ...

Dropping the video will not cause the RTH to kick in, as long as you got control link?
Is that not the case even for p3s? I assume if such a thing happens u should just press RTH, right?

Sorry for your crash. Matt. I don't think the firmware can lead to a crash. If you have gotten an tracking/RMA number from our tech support，please send it back for the repairing.Thanks for your understanding.

Phantomski Posted at 2016-5-26 23:59
Dropping the video will not cause the RTH to kick in, as long as you got control link?
Is that not ...

i only flew a p3s for all of 10 minutes.   my understanding is drone and rc comunitate directly.   then the rc has wifi for tablet/phone connects.   dropping of wifi just kills your view and access to the automated features and such   rth and controls still function

pilot error due to panic.  and not prepared for a problem.

matt95 Posted at 2016-5-27 08:28
The purpose of a forum is to get advice and experiences off other people. I have already contacted ...

Matt,
Firmware will not cause a crash, if you lost video or RC signal then RTH would bring the aircraft right back to you (as long as you have it set up correctly for your flight environment).
DJI will analyze the flight records and if there is anything abnormal it will be covered under warranty.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-5-27 11:25
Matt,
Firmware will not cause a crash, if you lost video or RC signal then RTH would bring the air ...

what he said!     uploading the logs to healthy drones would be fun for everyone to check out.   

I know how that feels ;) I took my time and did not fly my p3a till well over a week after getting it.....
I do not know all about standard, hence was my question..

quickpoint Posted at 2016-5-26 21:01
You can't blame a crash based on loss of fpv.  Clearly dji always states fly in los.   Second wifi i ...

+1.
You still control the quad, you just have no video.  
I flew for 15 minutes after video loss yesterday.
And the reason I could do that was I didn't fly the quad..

https://healthydrones.com/main?f ... ENERALNotifications

Capt. Wild Bill Posted at 2016-5-27 11:29
+1.
You still control the quad, you just have no video.  
I flew for 15 minutes after video loss ye ...

thats alot of signal losses!    and you were flying about 30-45 minutes from me

quickpoint Posted at 2016-5-27 11:40
thats alot of signal losses!    and you were flying about 30-45 minutes from me

Yes it is...
I was on the beach flying with the GO app just before that flight.
This was the first time I had experienced the video loss. I was following dolphins, well, trying to follow them.
But between the video problem & the effing Coast Guard helos I decided to move.
I was hoping it was an DJI GO app issue, but this flight was using Litchi.....
   

Well here are a few things you might have not done that could have resulted in this crash.
Set Signal loss to RTH (Return to Home)
Smart RTH
Set the RTH altitude height.

These are the two most common things new bird owners do not set correctly.
So when you lose the signal feed you have the option to hover or RTH and when it is returning to home the deafult is only just 20m(65 feet).
Power lines can be much higher as also buildings, etc.
http://microcyb.com/videos/25/How%20to%20use%20return%20to%20Home
I have the standard model, and after every firmware, I always go through and check to confirm the settings are set to what I want them to be at.
Also note, you can toggle the left S switch up and down twice to fire off the RTH if the app does not enagge the RTH feature (makes a nice beep beep beep sound).
I have flown way many times past the point where the FPV goes dead and RC is still present, and yes the bird will still fly.  I have been testing the latest firmware like crazy and it does have some bug fixes, but I can say for a fact that the lastest firmware does not result in a crash.  If the Wifi FPV goes out, you will still be able to fly and even enact the RTH.  If the RC sign drops, it will also kick in the RTH.

The biggest thing is to ensure you understand all the settings and check them as a part of your preflight.

Capt. Wild Bill Posted at 2016-5-27 09:29
+1.
You still control the quad, you just have no video.  
I flew for 15 minutes after video loss ye ...

and your GPS was not happy for a while either!
So you were pretty much flying non fpv, just watching it? Good job, and over water ;')

i cant seem to get my flight records for this flight.. there are a couple from the same day but none of the flight it actually crashed on.
Lesson learned regarding setting and trusting the drone out of sight!

I have ordered some new parts so hopefully il be back in the air (a bit more safely) in no time!

matt95 Posted at 2016-5-28 09:55
i cant seem to get my flight records for this flight.. there are a couple from the same day but none ...

that's looking on the positive side.  on another bright note, you will be a much safer pilot now.   hard learned lessons that cost $$ normally teach us the most

Capt. Wild Bill Posted at 2016-5-27 23:29
+1.
You still control the quad, you just have no video.  
I flew for 15 minutes after video loss ye ...

Different story today after the weak signal fix.
This was the last flight of the day for me,
I was out 3000ft with no issues...

https://healthydrones.com/main?f ... amp;page_id=GENERAL