I have had my drone for just over a year now, and I was doing a routine weekly survey mapping for a mine site. Mappilot app was not recording dots on the map, yet the picture count was increasing. All other indicators are running normal, alititude running at predesignated 200 ft. Since it was the beginning of the mission, I initiated RTH and brought it back to restart the mission from beginning again. I was decending while RTH. Within 10 feet of the take-off location, flying at an altitude of about 20 feet, the drone flipped forward and landed on it's top. Significant damage causing to retire the drone.

While reviewing the flight log data, the drone did not record any altitude until it was already accending at 92 feet during take-off. The mission procedes until I initiated the RTH process and decended while returning. The log records -74 feet, from where it seems to start recording altitude, before flipping and crashing.

Everything checked good before take-off on my checklist. Airworthiness check on the drone body, props securely locked on, battery check, control signal and camera signal, and motor operation. The altitude, heading and speed in the app read correctly, with exception of image recording dots.

The only other issue I've had with my Phantom 4, was the video recording with the current firmware when recording at 4K 30fps.

My question, aside from telling my story, has this happened to anyone else? I was told to contact DJI support as that sounds like ground for a replacement. I didn't get the DJI Care option as I have insurance on my drone. My agent contacted me back saying that it wouldn't be covered since it sounded like mechanical malfunction. So I'm wondering if there is any help out there in getting this drone repaired or replaced at low cost?

Post your flight log on here.

Whoa, so they won't cover mechanical malfunctions even though your aircraft is out of warranty?  But they'll happily cover the damages if you fly around like an idiot and hit something?? That sounds rather unreasonable.   What insurance company is this?

I guess you know what NOT to say to your insurance agent next time.  There's no need to lie, but there was no reason for you to say that you believed it was a malfunction.  You lost control of the aircraft and it crashed.  No need to dive into the reasons.  Except maybe to save face as a pilot, and you see how well that worked out for you.

'My agent contacted me back saying that it wouldn't be covered since it sounded like mechanical malfunction.'

Sounds like time to get a decent insurer.

Some more info required ....
Do you know if you had GPS before launching?
It could be possible to launch in atti mode before getting GPS and when you get GPS a little later up in the air it would then record a home point up there.
Did you launch vertically or did you fly out and up?

If you didn't get a home point till up in the air, that still doesn't explain the crash.
That's probably something for the inyernal data recorder in the Phantom.
Just to eliminate the obvious ... the battery was fully charged a the start?

Just to verify, when did you buy the drone? The data analysis is only available when the drone is in warranty period. Chargeable service might be applied when the drone has been out of warranty, please kindly note and confirm.

If it only fell from 20ft then it may be quite cheap to repair, especially if it didn't hit hard concrete, P4 parts are not very expensive, especially new shells and props, even the camera/gimbal is not too bad, much cheaper than a P4P.  You can send it to DJI for a repair quote.   It may not be a quick repair though.

ALABAMA Posted at 2017-9-25 11:03
Post your flight log on here.

Had to zip the cvs log

DJI Susan Posted at 2017-9-25 23:33
Just to verify, when did you buy the drone? The data analysis is only available when the drone is in warranty period. Chargeable service might be applied when the drone has been out of warranty, please kindly note and confirm.

Purchased Sept 14 2016. It's definitely out of warranty.

Nigel_ Posted at 2017-9-26 00:39
If it only fell from 20ft then it may be quite cheap to repair, especially if it didn't hit hard concrete, P4 parts are not very expensive, especially new shells and props, even the camera/gimbal is not too bad, much cheaper than a P4P.  You can send it to DJI for a repair quote.   It may not be a quick repair though.

Here's the damage pictures.

Labroides Posted at 2017-9-25 15:29
Some more info required ....
Do you know if you had GPS before launching?
It could be possible to launch in atti mode before getting GPS and when you get GPS a little later up in the air it would then record a home point up there.

Fully charged battery, automated flight won't take off unless gps connected, P mode is selected. Flight began normally, vertical takeoff, then out to flight path starting point. The app indicated everything correctly, with exception of image markers on the map. The issue happened while returning (RTH). I had decended while returning.

Geebax Posted at 2017-9-25 15:21
'My agent contacted me back saying that it wouldn't be covered since it sounded like mechanical malfunction.'

Sounds like time to get a decent insurer.

I've considered that. I did ask for full hull protection also. Just heard about an insurance company on DroneU podcast. Gonna check them out.

Kybal_dem@yahoo Posted at 2017-9-29 14:44
Had to zip the cvs log

The flight data allows us to eliminate the battery charge level which is always the first suspect when drones fall from the sky.
Your battery was good at the start of the flight and showed no issues during the flight.
All cells were above 3.9V at the time of the crash (3.3V is the critical level)
I can see the time where the Phantom starts tumbling at 13:49.3.
All indications appear normal up till then.
The only thing that changes is the throttle which had been in full descent until then, eases off to the neutral or hover position.
That's not something that should cause a crash.

Labroides Posted at 2017-9-29 15:30
The flight data allows us to eliminate the battery charge level which is always the first suspect when drones fall from the sky.
Your battery was good at the start of the flight and showed no issues during the flight.
All cells were above 3.9V at the time of the crash (3.3V is the critical level)

When looking over the log on dronelogbook.com, I doesn't start to increase altitude until it's already accended to 94 ft. recording that as 0 ft., so I can only guess that was the root cause. But I have flown with negative altitude without issue before.

Kybal_dem@yahoo Posted at 2017-9-29 16:59
When looking over the log on dronelogbook.com, I doesn't start to increase altitude until it's already accended to 94 ft. recording that as 0 ft., so I can only guess that was the root cause. But I have flown with negative altitude without issue before.

Negative altitude means nothing to the Phantom or its landing procedure.
It doesn't matter whether there is a + or - sign in front of the number.
The data shows that the motors were in the hovering setting - not switched off and the Phantom was tumbling.

Kybal_dem@yahoo Posted at 2017-9-29 15:00
Here's the damage pictures.

Damage doesn't look bad, new shell is cheap, new gimbal is not too bad on a P4.  

Since you don't know why it crashed I suggest you send it to DJI for a repair quote, they may find it needs a new sensor or CPU and include that in the quote, or maybe they will only find it needs a new CPU after they have fixed it and then give you the new CPU at no cost.   The advantage of a DJI  repair is that you will know how much it will cost before you commit.

Looking at the log, I've not seen a crash like that before on a P4, very strange.  Normally they either hit something or loose power to a motor or occasionally loose a propeller.   There has been the odd P4P that has flipped, I hope the P4 hasn't picked up that issue with the new firmware!

Since it is out of warranty, I'm fairly sure you will have to pay for the repair and you wont get a free diagnostic, but do try and find out what happened when you ask for the quote.

this is a "feature" LMAO, .. turn OFF the "dynamic RTH" thingy,

If your quad was within sight and under control, I don't understand why you were using RTH.  IMHO RTH should be used as a last resort of you are unable to fly youy quad back and land it yourself. Practicing your skills and always flying your bird will just avoid a host if issues that can go wrong with the autonomous functions.  So many crashes on this forum are people using RTM in close proximity or unnecessarily.  

stacebaal Posted at 2017-10-3 17:34
If your quad was within sight and under control, I don't understand why you were using RTH.  IMHO RTH should be used as a last resort of you are unable to fly youy quad back and land it yourself. Practicing your skills and always flying your bird will just avoid a host if issues that can go wrong with the autonomous functions.  So many crashes on this forum are people using RTM in close proximity or unnecessarily.

Whatever happened, it was not related to using RTH.

Kybal_dem@yahoo Posted at 2017-9-29 14:46
Purchased Sept 14 2016. It's definitely out of warranty.

I'm sorry about this. Please contact the support if you need to send it in: http://www.dji.com/support.

Well, In any case. Thank you everyone for your input and advice. Learning experience every day, right.