What a depressing feeling.  I've already started a case with support. It was 395 in altitude and barely over 1000 feet away 2 minutes into flight. Lost video and data, and no return home. You can hear "home point updated" as it took off in the cached video.

Gosh, this is truly a tough one seeing your record mileage with the Spark. My sincere sympathy for the loss! Would you mind sharing the flight record with us?

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-16 14:09
Gosh, this is truly a tough one seeing your record mileage with the Spark. My sincere sympathy for the loss! Would you mind sharing the flight record with us?

Thanks, know you understand!  here is a link to the flight record: https://www.dropbox.com/s/55rcis ... 4-00-08%5D.txt?dl=0

http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/LQFCHJNYG282G97P1YWG/

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-16 14:13
Thanks, know you understand!  here is a link to the flight record: https://www.dropbox.com/s/55rcishjv19xbki/DJIFlightRecord_2017-11-16_%5B14-00-08%5D.txt?dl=0

Did you often lose video and data over those houses?  Probably a lot of them with their tri band routers on the same channels as your Spark.  So shot down due to signal congestion or someone actually shooting at it in their back yard.

Gunship9 Posted at 2017-11-16 14:42
Did you often lose video and data over those houses?  Probably a lot of them with their tri band routers on the same channels as your Spark.  So shot down due to signal congestion or someone actually shooting at it in their back yard.

Never any interference near there,  it will easily circle the lake a few times on one charge.  I walked over to the last reported location within 5 minutes.  I walked back home hoping for a RTH as usual when you go out of range, it never came back.  It was up at 395 feet and 1000 feet, didn't hear any gunfire.  Thank god!

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-16 14:39
http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/LQFCHJNYG282G97P1YWG/

Thank you for sharing. So at least I cannot see anything abnormal in this flightlog that should have alerted you. But there are far more experienced forum members here who might be able to say more. For me you have waited more than 38 seconds after take off just ascending before giving speed ahead. No error messages that should have made you reconsider your flight. The sudden end of the flightlog after little more than a minute almost looks like a collision in flight or some other external influence that has lead to a sudden end of flight. Did you go to that house and ask if you may have a look around in their garden? Might be worth trying to do that.
Edit: Did you see any birds around there?

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-16 15:03
Thank you for sharing. So at least I cannot see anything abnormal in this flightlog that should have alerted you. But there are far more experienced forum members here who might be able to say more. For me you have waited more than 38 seconds after take off just ascending before giving speed ahead. No error messages that should have made you reconsider your flight. The sudden end of the flightlog after little more than a minute almost looks like a collision in flight or some other external influence that has lead to a sudden end of flight. Did you go to that house and ask if you may have a look around in their garden? Might be worth trying to do that.
Edit: Did you see any birds around there?

Birds?, my thought as well.  We do have some large birds, but they seem to ignore it.  If it was a collision with a bird or something I think I'd see something in the last blip of data, right?

I also took a walk beside the lake at that location and peeked into some backyards.  My contact info is on the drone.  One thing I am sure of is the battery didn't fall out. After reading horror stories here I always try to pull it off, after it snaps into place.

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-16 15:49
Birds?, my thought as well.  We do have some large birds, but they seem to ignore it.  If it was a collision with a bird or something I think I'd see something in the last blip of data, right?

I also took a walk beside the lake at that location and peeked into some backyards.  My contact info is on the drone.  One thing I am sure of is the battery didn't fall out. After reading horror stories here I always try to pull it off, after it snaps into place.

Did you stand in the same location when you were able to circle the lake on previous flights?  I would think that the houses on that street would block signals to the drone.  Putting a structure between you and the drone.  Also, I have lost signal when I tilted the antennas back to me to block the sun on my iPhone.  Tilting it back down to look at the drone restored the video link.

I don't trust RTH so I fly it like a model and keep it where I can fly it home.  No long distance where my signal could be jammed.  It was really trucking along (31mph) when it went AWOL.

Oh man....so sorry...that is heartbreaking.

It almost seems sometimes like these are inevitable if you fly long enough.  :-(

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

P.S.  Did you have insurance?  I created a post called Drone Insurance.  I paid $60 and it covers fly aways.

Gunship9 Posted at 2017-11-16 17:51
Did you stand in the same location when you were able to circle the lake on previous flights?  I would think that the houses on that street would block signals to the drone.  Putting a structure between you and the drone.  Also, I have lost signal when I tilted the antennas back to me to block the sun on my iPhone.  Tilting it back down to look at the drone restored the video link.

I don't trust RTH so I fly it like a model and keep it where I can fly it home.  No long distance where my signal could be jammed.  It was really trucking along (31mph) when it went AWOL.

Never a problem with where I was standing.  What was strange was losing signal when I did.  I was near 400 feet in altitude and 1000 feet away, always a strong signal.  RTH has always worked for me.  Some event happened today.

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2017-11-16 18:09
Oh man....so sorry...that is heartbreaking.

It almost seems sometimes like these are inevitable if you fly long enough.  :-(

Thanks, Todd.  I am hoping DJI Care will help or they will find something in the data.  I will be buying insurance for my next drone!

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-16 18:38
Thanks, Todd.  I am hoping DJI Care will help or they will find something in the data.  I will be buying insurance for my next drone!

If you have doubt in your case, please contact us. Please provide your case number or ticket number, I can help you follow the case.  

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-11-16 19:36
If you have doubt in your case, please contact us. Please provide your case number or ticket number, I can help you follow the case.

Thanks, Elektra!
I'll take all the help I can get!

CAS-1224592-F0M5N1 CRM:0156000000038 [CAS-1224592-F0M5N1]

The only strange value is the YAW, changes from -177.4 to 179.2 in 0.1 second. Is it possible to yaw the spark that fast by a yaw stick input?

JJBspark Posted at 2017-11-17 01:06
The only strange value is the YAW, changes from -177.4 to 179.2 in 0.1 second. Is it possible to yaw the spark that fast by a yaw stick input?

This is only 3.4 degree difference (basic math: -180 deg = 180 deg). It is completely possible to yaw that much.

_pk Posted at 2017-11-17 02:08
This is only 3.4 degree difference (basic math: -180 deg = 180 deg). It is completely possible to yaw that much.

yeah, you are right! sometimes the full 360 is used for compass heading, dji uses 180 for both half circle.

To be precise: DJI reports yaw in (-180 deg,180 deg) interval. I very much doubt Spark internally uses this representation. The de factor standard for storing/calculating an orientation of a solid body is by a unit complex number in 2D and by a unit quaternion in 3D. I don't think DJI engineers reinvented the wheel, hence the inetval +/-180 deg is just a way of reporting the yaw for reading by a human being.

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-16 19:55
Thanks, Elektra!
I'll take all the help I can get!

Thanks for your update. Please wait patiently, I believe our support will contact you and inform you the result of analysis. If you have doubt in it, please let us know.

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-11-17 04:30
Thanks for your update. Please wait patiently, I believe our support will contact you and inform you the result of analysis. If you have doubt in it, please let us know.

Thanks, Elektra,

Looks like I need some help. They can't find any fault of the Spark, or pilot error.  This was routine, and I have almost 60 hours of flying it.  I'll PM the response.

Any help you give would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!

Oh man, really sorry to hear about this!  I just started reading this thread and looked at your logs before I scrolled down through the rest of this thread.  I was afraid based on not seeing any errors that DJI was likely to give a response saying they couldn't find any fault (theirs or yours).  Based off other forum members responses, my guess is that they will offer you 50% off a replacement.  

When I just watched your video, in the last fraction of a second before the video ends, you can see a sudden yaw to the left.  If you slow the YouTube video down to 0.25 speed, you can see it more clearly as well.  After seeing this, I went back to look at the logs and I can see that in the last 4 log entries, there is a sudden movement in the RcRudder value from 1024 (stick dead center with no movement) to a value of 686.  I believe this indicates a fairly sharp yaw (probably stick moved half way to full left yaw).  I think full left yaw would be a value of  around 364 from past experience.  From the video, it looks like you were already rolling to the left and is seen in the logs with a RcAileron value of 364.  

I'm just speculating here because there doesn't appear to be much in the logs to go on, but maybe with it in Sport Mode and already rolling to the left, the extra yaw input turning it left sent it into a condition it just couldn't handle and it just cut out.  From my perspective (and experience), it doesn't seem like a scenario it shouldn't be able to handle.  And again, I'm just speculating and throwing out ideas.  Like some others mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if it tumbled out of the sky near the last location.  However, it was nearly 400ft up and traveling at about 30mph.
If you want to find your drone, you might want to knock on doors or leave notes in the rough area shown in the pic below.

Best of luck on a good conclusion!

Thanks Klo for the map.

I've covered most of that area,  spoke to a few neighbors.... My name address and my phone are on it.  I can only hope someone finds it and notifies me.  I got an offer but not 50%.  Still holding out hope because of every time in the past that I lost signals, it RTH. My opinion is a malfunction, but can't prove it....sigh

   Strange that it shows last location as starting point

sad to see this post , the lost of everything so early into the flight could be because the battery fell out and the drone fell to the ground?

any idea on how many flights you done on this battery pack?

m1n1s Posted at 2017-11-17 10:10
sad to see this post , the lost of everything so early into the flight could be because the battery fell out and the drone fell to the ground?

any idea on how many flights you done on this battery pack?

Battery #2, so about 100 flights.  Falling out is one I can rule out. Every single time I attach a battery I pull and tug on it a little to make sure it's clips are in.  And I don't pull on the battery too hard, just enough to be sure it stays in.

Sorry for your loss, I do hope your find it in good condition ASAP

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-17 05:21
Last flight from iphone cache

Thanks, Elektra,

You are welcome. Please keep us updated if your problem unsolved.

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-11-18 02:34
You are welcome. Please keep us updated if your problem unsolved.

Please check your PM's,  I do need help.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-16 15:03
Thank you for sharing. So at least I cannot see anything abnormal in this flightlog that should have alerted you. But there are far more experienced forum members here who might be able to say more. For me you have waited more than 38 seconds after take off just ascending before giving speed ahead. No error messages that should have made you reconsider your flight. The sudden end of the flightlog after little more than a minute almost looks like a collision in flight or some other external influence that has lead to a sudden end of flight. Did you go to that house and ask if you may have a look around in their garden? Might be worth trying to do that.
Edit: Did you see any birds around there?

Can you reply how did you edit the flight log ? The language is not readable !!

sibu Posted at 2017-11-18 07:29
Can you reply how did you edit the flight log ? The language is not readable !!

No idea here either

Thanks to all that helped!  I'm headed out today for a door to door search.  Wish me luck!

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-18 07:43
[view_image]

Thanks to all that helped!  I'm headed out today for a door to door search.  Wish me luck!

good luck buddy, hope u find it.

sibu Posted at 2017-11-18 07:29
Can you reply how did you edit the flight log ? The language is not readable !!

You are asking the wrong person. It is neither my flightlog, nor have I posted it. But if I open the link posted by DarylMax, the flightlog displays absolutely normal and in English language for me.

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-18 07:40
No idea here either

But you have posted it, it is your flightlog.

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-18 07:43
[view_image]

Thanks to all that helped!  I'm headed out today for a door to door search.  Wish me luck!

Yes, I wish you luck and cross my fingers!

OK, kindly discard my post of the flight log.  I have found the right software to debug the DJI  *.dat file for viewing.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-18 08:28
But you have posted it, it is your flightlog.

I don't understand how to view the .dat file....lol  

DarylMax Posted at 2017-11-18 08:40
I don't understand how to view the .dat file....lol

Ah ok, I had understood the discussion was about the phantomhelp logfile. For the *.dat files you need special software. I have never tried so far and thus cannot recommend a particular one.

sibu Posted at 2017-11-18 07:29
Can you reply how did you edit the flight log ? The language is not readable !!

He didn't!
I think It is the programing font choice that we both don't have.


Anyhow, I think there was no fly away, it was power off.  

How often should "Find my Drone" update while in flight?  Mine still shows on the takeoff pad.