Hello all,
I just wanted to inquire about a problem with my inspire causing a crash.  Before takeoff on my most recent flight I did the general safety checks.  I had 14 satelites connected, home point set, in gps mode, up to date and overall status normal, battery percent and voltage normal etc.  I checked all four props to make sure there integrity was good and that they were on tight.  I inspected the drone overall and hovered making sure everything was fine.  After this I took off and flew over the hiking trail I was at, then crossing over a highway until I was about 200 yards away within LOS.  I flew around a bit capturing video from about 200 feet in the air.  Suddenly the video feed on the ipad starting spinning like crazy and then it said Aircraft Dissconected.  I waited at least five minutes hoping for it to fly back but nothing.  I cant begin to describe the feeling of terror I had.  I watched the video on the ipad to see where it most likely went down and set out looking with my friend.  Of course it went down in a field of two foot high grass.  My friend was the first to see it and I retrieved the drone.  Gimbal smashed beyond repair, landing gear bent at the connector inside the drone.  One prop missing along with the actual plastic from the prop lock.  Possible damage to other parts of the drone.  I did not crash it, I check the craft to make sure it was safe, I followed all of the laws.  This was not pilot error.  I am so thankful that this happened over a field and not over a house or worst case over a road or highway.


My question is whether or not DJI will do the right thing and pay for repairs.  I dont think it was a malfunction in the conputer, mayebe a defect or physical problem.  Is this covered or am I simply (fill in the blank)?


Thank you all for any advice/comments, please let me know what you think and if you have any sugestion on how to procede.  

Get in touch with DJI support and send them your flight logs... We have had 2 inspires replaced in the last week free of charge by DJI one of the incidents we had sounds exactly the same thing that happened to you. The DJI engineer report stated that the Motor seemed to fail in mid air and just stopped.

Top marks to DJI support on this though as they have been quick and efficient to analyse data and offer free replacements on 2 separate occasions!

So your drone kept spinning until it hit the ground and got line out of signal...

Are you using the spin/screw on first generation of inspire 1 propellers?

You also mention that a propeller went missing on the crash site.

So I'm interested on what propeller you were using.

And also please upload the video, it will help us understand more.

Thanks

You mentioned using prop lock so I assume you were using the first generation spin/screw on propellers.

But because one propeller went missing, I highly suspect of a propeller off accident and hence had made your quadcopter spin violently in the air as you described.

Even if you crash with a propeller some of it should remain on the motor even when damaged and if it did go off then it should be visible in the crash site.


This case is a 1st generation propeller off.. I'm not sure how dji will decide your crash

My question is do you still have warranty?

Sorry to hear about your crash!

DJI Support will want your logs, if you sync your flights to the cloud, then DJI can access your RC log and begin to analyze the flight.

If the aircraft will still power up, then you can also access the "black box" flight data recorder log which will show the flight from the aircraft's point of view.  If not, they can extract this log once the aircraft is returned for repair.

The likely suspects for you spinning crash include compass, prop, motor, bird strike, etc... But each can be isolated using the logs to reconstruct the flight.

Regardless, something I requested that should be part of all DJI 's quads is a fail safe algorithm.  Just google it, it's out there and is a necessity.  Not just from a property POV but also, from a safety POV.  

adam1 Posted at 2016-5-31 22:44
Regardless, something I requested that should be part of all DJI 's quads is a fail safe algorithm.  ...

Yeah that is the best solution but if it's a battery issue then a parachute could do

Jrueth your guess is correct. The problem is physical and is caused by your first generation spin on propellers with lock. If you saw my thread before I explained why this type of propeller is not very safe on a medium sized quad.

You already mentioned the evidence, the disappearance of 1 of your propellers is the indication of a prop off.

The prop locks are basically useless if the propellers were not tightened enough. You need to go through 90 degrees of tightness to make the propeller locks of any use.
And 90 degrees means you'll overtighten a bit which can wear over time. Some people don't tighten much because they think the prop locks will do the job but it doesn't.

It is a propeller design that only works reliably for light quadcopters like the phantom. The inspire is much heavier and much more powerful and the torque spin just wants it to unscrew.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-31 09:07
You mentioned using prop lock so I assume you were using the first generation spin/screw on propelle ...

The first generation propellers with prop locks are the most secure used on the Inspire bar none!
They are the ONLY type of securing mechanism that provides a level of redundancy. (Threaded props as well as prop locks)
They are the only securing system that affords threaded metal against metal rather than plastic.
The first generation system does not fail - it is the safest?

adam1 Posted at 2016-5-31 15:44
Regardless, something I requested that should be part of all DJI 's quads is a fail safe algorithm.  ...

The Inspire platform is no where near powerful enough to provide this algorithm to be effective.
It requires a higher power to weight ratio for this to be effective/possible - so forget it on the Inspire.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-31 16:21
Jrueth your guess is correct. The problem is physical and is caused by your first generation spin on ...

If you are going to make comments like this at least know what you are talking about instead of sprouting utter rubbish.
The Inspire system self tightens during flight, not the other way round. The back EMF braking decelerates the props quickly, however, under normal tightening this is perfectly sufficient and secure.
SHOULD a user inadvertently not tighten the props sufficiently and a braking maneuver loosened a prop, the lock is there to prevent it spinning further. The normal inertia and rotation will self tighten that prop again within a second or less.
I have been using two Inspires commercially since they were introduced with the self tightening props and locks and it is the ONLY system I trust to use in a commercial environment on the Inspire platform.
The others are total rubbish.
Personally I do not want anything with the word 'quick' in a system that keeps my props affixed.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-31 00:56
So your drone kept spinning until it hit the ground and got line out of signal...

Are you using the ...

2nd gen self locking, the black plastic that locks them just came off the motor, not due to any collision.

Tharg (from the Posted at 2016-5-31 23:50
If you are going to make comments like this at least know what you are talking about instead of sp ...

Although most spin on propeller off are pilot error some of them actually went off on the braking as you say and the prop lock is useful only when you tighten it.
I do think that the spin on is still considered a quick release because they only take 3 seconds.

The only non quick release system is the one where you tighten the prop with 2 screws seen with the after market xoar propellers.

Still in general the latest 1345T has not had an issue.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-31 08:21
Jrueth your guess is correct. The problem is physical and is caused by your first generation spin on ...

its 2nd gen with self locking, the black plastic lock came off the motor,

jrueth Posted at 2016-6-1 00:10
2nd gen self locking, the black plastic that locks them just came off the motor, not due to any co ...

So you were using the quick lock 2nd generation, that system had ways to fail, the hub could wear or crack and the prop could wear.. I just hope dji does your repair

Tharg (from the Posted at 2016-5-31 11:42
The Inspire platform is no where near powerful enough to provide this algorithm to be effective.
I ...

Yeah, I'll wait for the engineers to tell me that, no offense.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-31 23:21
Jrueth your guess is correct. The problem is physical and is caused by your first generation spin on ...

Just not correct leanliao - not correct at all.
Self tightening props with the locks are secure and work very, very well.

Issues with 1st gen props were due to pilot error in pre-flight setup. DJI responded with the locks as a fix.
As people just either forgot or didn't care about using the locks the issues continued. DJI then sought to 'people proof' the props with a bayonet mount.

When used correctly, the self tightening / prop lock system is the most secure OEM solution.

Farnk666 Posted at 2016-6-1 07:47
Just not correct leanliao - not correct at all.
Self tightening props with the locks are secure an ...

The 1st gen spin ons are still considered quick release because they only take 3 seconds each but I agree with enough tightness and the lock it works.
Still prone to pilot error which gave it a lot of accidents.
1345T today still has not had issues

jrueth Posted at 2016-5-31 09:10
2nd gen self locking, the black plastic that locks them just came off the motor, not due to any co ...

Sounds like you mean the 1345S props and the black plastic hub broke off the motor that holds the prop in place...... correct?

http://store.dji.com/product/1345s-quick-release-rotor-adapter
http://store.dji.com/product/ins ... -release-propellers

Rich

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-6-1 10:30
Sounds like you mean the 1345S props and the black plastic hub broke off the motor that holds the  ...

Great news!  Looks like I have accidental damage insurance, all is not lost ;).  One other question if anybody knows, now that the drone is damaged I totally did not think about discharging my remaining 3 batteries.  Its ben two days, I will discharge tomorrow but how long is it safe to leave lipos like that?