On my second ever flight, my drone crashed itself today. Its a phantom Heres my flight log.

HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

Was  flying my phantom 4 for the 2nd ever time and it suddenly decided to  veer off course and smash into a concrete tower! The drone was only a  few hundred yards away and there were no sources of interference.

I  have no idea what happened, but looking at a replay, there was no  control stick input at this point, I wasnt touching the sticks, it just  veered away on its own!!!

The wind was minimal, had a good signal, good gps, latest firmware, IMU, compass, gimbal all calibrated...

What on earth happened?

I  have a replay that shows there was no control input when the drone  decided to do a big loop and smash into the tower, but Im not sure how  to upload that.....

Very confused.

Any input appreciated.

sorry, don't know what happened there!
try this...

Oh well, second ever flight and boom!
Was flying my phantom 4 this afternoon. All was fine until about 8 minutes in.......it just suddenly decided to fly in a big circle and smash into a concrete tower, with no control input from me at all!

It had excellent GPS, excellent connectivity, full battery, no errors, warnings, anything, yet it still decided to fly in a big loop and hit a tower.

Has the latest firmware and latest DJI go........

Looking at the handset playback, the drone can be seen to fly in a big loop with no control stick movement.

I have no clue what happened to it, but now its a bit broken.....

I think there is something seriously wrong with these drones......

flight log here.....


drone crash

Sounds like the compass wasn't calibrated correctly. That toilet bowl affect, is caused by that...


RedHotPoker

Yup... compass issue.  Maybe that concrete tower was full of rebar?  Maybe the tower had radio signals?  Definitely sounds like a typical compass problem, either from the need to be calibrated or from something you flew close to.  

Yes, looks like a serious compass issue!

Was online at phantompilots.com and a user on there looked at the flight logs and saw this......

>............Based on what I see in the logs, you either had a major hardware failure, or there was large interference where you flew. What is that huge concrete tower exactly? I wonder if that caused interference of some kind? The first time I see error in the log was actually the first time you flew very close to the concrete tower. From there on out you get a lot of compass/gps errors and even a barometer error.

I would definitely send this to DJI though.

66.520 : 821368950 : 8836 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:compass yaw err large
66.740 : 822358966 : 8847 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
67.320 : 824968606 : 8876 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:compass yaw err large
67.540 : 825959122 : 8887 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
67.920 : 827668605 : 8906 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:compass yaw err large
69.120 : 833069095 : 8966 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
369.560 : 2185048869 : 23988 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:compass yaw err large
373.740 : 2203858977 : 24197 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
389.140 : 2273159255 : 24967 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps yaw err large
399.120 : 2318068973 : 25466 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable  
399.740 : 2320858973 : 25497 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:compass yaw err large
400.139 : 2322658567 : 25517 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
402.132 : 2331622636 : 25616 [L-NS][AHRS] yaw aligned 0
405.340 : 2346059208 : 25777 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps velocity err large
406.401 : 2350833454 : 25830 [L-FDI][FDI][CTRL]: fault on , horiz_ctrl_fail
407.940 : 2357759100 : 25907 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps disable
408.081 : 2358393981 : 25914 [L-FDI][FDI][CTRL]: fault off, horiz_ctrl_fail
413.740 : 2383859101 : 26197 [L-GPS](0)Lost. Reason:gps yaw err large
415.781 : 2393044075 : 26299 [L-FDI][FDI][CTRL]: fault on , horiz_ctrl_fail
421.780 : 2420039212 : 26599 [L-FDI][FDI][NS(0)][BARO(0)]: fault on , abrupt
421.819 : 2420218008 : 26601 [SWITCH][NS]req:fdi,0to0,reason:baro.abrupt,result:fail for same index
421.820 : 2420218909 : 26601 [L-FDI][FDI][NS(0)][BARO(0)]: fault off, abrupt
421.860 : 2420402787 : 26603 [L-FDI][FDI][CTRL]: fault on , tilt_ctrl_fail


Not good, hopefully DJI will be helpful. The drone was an xmas present, brand new but I dont have a receipt so they may give me problems fir warranty? Surely they will see that the drone had a total of around 20 minutes flying over 2 sessions?

Fingers crossed they will sort me out because this seems to have been a big failure?The  tower is just a granite religious monument, there should be no electrical intereference from it.

I thought perhaps max flight distance setting but A, it would have said so, B, it would be a wide circle.

kugaman1 Posted at 2017-2-5 14:23
Yes, looks like a serious compass issue!

Was online at phantompilots.com and a user on there looked at the flight logs and saw this......

If that tower was granite rock, there could also be traces of magnetite within it so it could be magnetic itself.  Some granite counter tops will hold a magnet on the darker areas (iron) due to the makeup of the granite composition.  Rocks can be bad for compass readings, sometimes on seashores too where a compass will spin in another direction.

Not a lot to update today....apart from the fact that its very annoying to have to queue for online chat only for them to disappear and not respond half way through the conversation!
Anyway, they've given me an email address to send the details to. Ive done that so hopefully they will contact me soon with regards to returning it for investigation.
will let you know how it goes!!!

Did you perform a compass calibration before this flight?

first needs see if maybe you hit RTH and she tried to somehow turn back. then needs see if you tried to tap-fly and she tried to execute. then see if the flew a stored mission, with waypoints predefined. for any of that the flight log check is enough. if the conclusion is "nothing of the kind", then needs see if the drone can connect to a second RC and get input from it. it sounds crazy i know, but i dont see other option.
i see compass error and gps disabled. this is a kind of situation when the drone has no means to say where it goes. yet, it should have tried to hover instead of moving on her own (accelerometers are enough to keep her horizontal). however the VPS should ot have allowed frontal crash

Update:
There are three clowns posting next in reply to my allegedly poor language. I used someone's iPad on autocorrect and without glasses, I guess Steve jobs had fun on my spelling. I apologize for poor phrasing.

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-6 12:33
Can you translate that to English?

No, he cannot. Unfortunately it is typical of the gibberish he posts on here all the time. The most likely cause of this incident is a bad compass calibration. The aircraft shows compass errors and is flying in a circular pattern, that is typical of a bad compass calibration.

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-6 12:33
Can you translate that to English?

It's in Canadian.   ;-)

WindSoul Posted at 2017-2-6 11:42
first needs see if maybe you hit RTH and she tried to somehow turn back. then needs see if you tried to tap-fly and she tried to execute. then see if the flew a stored mission, with waypoints predefined. for any of that the flight log check is enough. if the conclusion is "nothing of the kind", then needs see if the drone can connect to a second RC and get input from it. it sounds crazy i know, but i dont see other option.
i see compass error and gps disabled. this is a kind of situation when the drone has no means to say where it goes. yet, it should have tried to hover instead of moving on her own (accelerometers are enough to keep her horizontal). however the VPS should ot have allowed frontal crash

Dude, there is absolutely no possibility a second controller was some how connected to the Phantom and then secretly used to crash his drone.

I am also curious if the Beginner setting was on?

I have seen many similar issues here, and in most cases, the Beginner setting was set to ON.

I never turned it on and I would not recommend anyone turning it on; many things can go wrong and this limitation can cause un-predictable results if GPS malfunctions and it will self adjust to move to the wrong location, which can be many miles away or crash.

method007 Posted at 2017-2-6 13:19
Dude, there is absolutely no possibility a second controller was some how connected to the Phantom and then secretly used to crash his drone.

Guy said drone moved on its own. Must've been in a mission, the only way drone moves autonomously. If compass faults then drone should beep a fault on the app and disable the compass, but I see some gibbering about compass errr moving the drone. And you say no way second rc. Whatever, dude!

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-2-6 13:17
It's in Canadian.   ;-)

Respectfully, Please, tread lightly. Take into consideration, Canada is a multi cultural society.
The poster may also speak French or other languages predominately and is only trying to be helpful.
No need to be gruff or speak down to him.

Go to Quebec and see how they look at you, for your language barrier. ;-)

I'm only trying to imagine the reality of the difficulty... Not pointing fingers or thumbs either.


RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-2-6 21:25
Respectfully, Please, tread lightly. Take into consideration, Canada is a multi cultural society.
The poster may also speak French or other languages predominately and is only trying to be helpful.
No need to be gruff or speak down to him.

I usually check back but that post went in a rush. Well, my bad

WindSoul Posted at 2017-2-6 21:30
I usually check back but that post went in a rush. Well, my bad

That's alright, go ahead, & edit it at your convenience, if you wish.

For those who make comment, perhaps they should reply in Chinese... Haha

Fuddle Duddle!!


RedHotPoker

WindSoul Posted at 2017-2-6 21:14
Guy said drone moved on its own. Must've been in a mission, the only way drone moves autonomously. If compass faults then drone should beep a fault on the app and disable the compass, but I see some gibbering about compass errr moving the drone. And you say no way second rc. Whatever, dude!

"If compass faults then drone should beep a fault on the app and disable the compass,"

That's not how your Phantom works.
If you screw up your compass with a bad calibration, you are stuck with a Phantom that can't fly straight until you can land and fix it.
Your Phantom can't and won't disconnect the compass.
Here's an example:

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-6 22:15
It's not really a language thing, lots of people post here and it's clear English is not their native language.

This guy however, is posting some crazy stuff, "a second controller took it over on a litchi mission" based on his interpretation of the log and what the op said!  What provinces are French speaking and have legal weed in Canada?

Define legal? ;-)
Decriminalized, or other?

Medical is Canada wide, recreational use is going to be coming, this spring. Thanks to Justin Trudeau.
Are you suggesting he has been imbibing? An innocuous herb...

Canada has two official languages, French is spoken predominantly in Quebec province. But it is quite different than how it's spoken in France. Much like our Americanized English, compared to jolly ol' England.

Lots of schools teach dual languages. Even Cree, a native language. They were here first.
But Spanish, German, as well, the romantic languages are common.
Being multi linguistic is nearly mandatory in our international world today.
Many banks and other institutions offer numerous languages, including Mandarin Chinese.

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-2-6 21:25
Respectfully, Please, tread lightly. Take into consideration, Canada is a multi cultural society.
The poster may also speak French or other languages predominately and is only trying to be helpful.
No need to be gruff or speak down to him.

No disrespect meant. I was just joking in response. Relax. I mean Canadian is not even a language.

I'm sorry to hear. Have you gotten in contact with the Europe Support team in order to have the unit evaluated and repaired?

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-6 22:48
You know what I'm saying.  

Windsoul is suggesting this failed compass issue the op had could have been due to an automated mission and/or someone else taking control of the bird and possibly flying it into the tower.

Hahaha, have another hit. Of fresh air...  ;-)

I don't know what anyone here is on. Nor do I ponder the possibilities.
But languages can be tough to master, and difficult to learn, when you are in the beginning  of them.

Yeah thee Phantom drone conspiracy theory. It's the blame for all RC problems.


RedHotPoker

Bird attack?

A second remote could not possibly have taken control. We are talking about a digital stream that the controller and P4 initialize when powered up. You have to actually "link" the second controller to the aircraft and even then, if you have two remotes that are linked, the first one to establish a connection to the P4 will work, the other will not, linked or not.

I looked at your flight log. I see in your wind readings your average wind speed was 25.8 mph and gusts of 49.2 mph. was it that windy that day?

kugaman1 Posted at 2017-2-5 10:33
sorry, don't know what happened there!
try this...

I am willing to bet you just calibrated compass prior to flight.

as mentioned that is a classic flight of bad compass calibration.

when the calibration is bad the quad will circle trying to orient itself with gps and compass data
if the data is bad you get what you experienced

in the future once you have a good compass setting don't mess with it unless app requests it.

good luck and have fun flying>

New Hi all,

Just a quick update to finalise this thread.

First of all, many thanks for all of your inputs and ideas as to what caused this issue.

Massive thanks especially to f3hondaforme who decoded my flight logs and found the sudden errors which caused the crash. I sent a copy of these errors along with the drone to DJI support.

GOOD NEWS, Ive just got an email from them. It looks like they are replacing the whole drone.
Its not very clear as to the cause of the issue, it just says "Warranty, compass interference. the aircraft, gimbal, battery and props are damaged"........

Looking at the invoice, Im glad I do t have to pay it! Invoice cost is more than the cost of a new drone!

So anyway, Im not much wiser as to what went wrong, but for sure, I wont be flying anywhere near that tower again!

Massive thanks to DJI support for helping me eventually get this sorted out, look forwards to receiving the drone back now!

New Hi all,

Just a quick update to finalise this thread.

First of all, many thanks for all of your inputs and ideas as to what caused this issue.

GOOD NEWS, Ive just got an email from DJI support. It looks like they are replacing the whole drone.
Its not very clear as to the cause of the issue, it just says "Warranty, compass interference. the aircraft, gimbal, battery and props are damaged"........

Looking at the invoice, Im glad I dont have to pay it! Invoice cost is more than the cost of a new drone!

So anyway, Im not much wiser as to what went wrong.
Still not sure about the whole compass issue, why did the drone fly perfectly fine for the first 7 minutes then suddenly fail?


Massive thanks to DJI support for helping me eventually get this sorted out, look forwards to receiving the drone back now!

MD_Icarus Posted at 2017-2-6 13:35
I am also curious if the Beginner setting was on?

I have seen many similar issues here, and in most cases, the Beginner setting was set to ON.

No, beginner setting was not on. Had it on for a previous (1st) flight and all was well.