Had a fly away today.  Nearly died as this is my new replacement spark as my first one also flew away at a different location.
Managed to get it on video.  Also sorted the issue out seemed to be a compass issue. Watch my video and let me know what you think.

Your AC got magnetic interference @44 sec. so I assume there’s something which causes the interference to the compass. I assume the Compass error causes the GPS failure but I am not sure about that. Because you have 19 Sats.

I also could see that you’re trying to turn the AC around. But my experience if you ever had this problem open up the map box and turn the AC 90 degree as per the arrow shown on the map box (perpendicular to your direction to the AC) and move forward and look at the AC to confirm that it’s moving as intended. If this works then turn the AC until the arrow faces you and try to bring it towards you. If the AC didn’t turn as shown on the map box you have do a little bit of experimentation by checking the AC and distance on Go app to ensure you got the direction correctly.

I did panic at first when a similar issue happened to me and I lost the video link.

Sorry it’s a long winded reply. But hope it helps

If you like post your flightlog link here so we can better understand what happened, Use this for uploading > http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
cheers JJB

Ram-UK Posted at 2018-3-24 23:58
Your AC got magnetic interference @44 sec. so I assume there’s something which causes the interference to the compass. I assume the Compass error causes the GPS failure but I am not sure about that. Because you have 19 Sats.

I also could see that you’re trying to turn the AC around. But my experience if you ever had this problem open up the map box and turn the AC 90 degree as per the arrow shown on the map box (perpendicular to your direction to the AC) and move forward and look at the AC to confirm that it’s moving as intended. If this works then turn the AC until the arrow faces you and try to bring it towards you. If the AC didn’t turn as shown on the map box you have do a little bit of experimentation by checking the AC and distance on Go app to ensure you got the direction correctly.

Thanks will remember if it happens again.  So scared to take my eyes off the drone cause it just disappears and I loose line of sight. Well at least I got it back home safe. Thanks for the advice. The Map is my Friend.

JJBspark Posted at 2018-3-25 01:18
If you like post your flightlog link here so we can better understand what happened, Use this for uploading > http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
cheers JJB

Hi Thanks.  Here is my log
http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/6JAX3CII1U4N1239NRR1/

did you also check the compass values before takeoff? Were they green or yellow?

JeyTea Posted at 2018-3-25 02:13
did you also check the compass values before takeoff? Were they green or yellow?

Did not check.  Its been added to my pre flight check list.
will definitely check this before I fly

This video must see definitely a DJI tech!!!!.19 sats and compass error with down sensor error is definitely software issue.....Or defective model...

Something to remember if you lose signal which occurred several time during your flight is to move from where you are standing to help establish a signal.   

Anuvis Posted at 2018-3-25 02:42
This video must see definitely a DJI tech!!!!.19 sats and compass error with down sensor error is definitely software issue.....Or defective model...

This was my 15th Flight with the new spark. Each Flight lasting about 12minutes.
All Other fights were fine. Did another 2 after this and they were fine. Ill be keeping a close eye next weekend when I'm here again.

MJLSTUDIOS Posted at 2018-3-25 03:08
Something to remember if you lose signal which occurred several time during your flight is to move from where you are standing to help establish a signal.

I did walk around abit. Its just when it went onto ATTI mode I didn't see the AC take off in the wind a bit so I had mis judged its direction and was holding the controller 45 degrees in the wrong direction. But eventually figured out that it had blown off coarse abit.

At least you recovered it and it didn’t fly away into water

good that You were able to get it under control and video link still was working. but that's a bad replacement drone ;) I would really consider keep it or ask for another replace but 1st send logs to DJI to verify

Jetta-The-Hut Posted at 2018-3-25 07:33
At least you recovered it and it didn’t fly away into water

Yip I'm so lucky, my heart skipped a beat

KREMi Posted at 2018-3-25 07:41
good that You were able to get it under control and video link still was working. but that's a bad replacement drone ;) I would really consider keep it or ask for another replace  but 1st send logs to DJI to verify

I shall send it to them and see what they think

Seems like a compass calibration error; It was facing sideways when it was returning home. Please calibrate the compass only in a magnetic interference free area. And RTH will not work in ATTI mode, you need to fly it back manually.
Good thing it came back

Post the flight record from the DJI Go 4 app, in the "Me" section,  that records where it is on the map and select the stick movements record by clicking the little icon that looks like a RC remote.  It would be interesting to see how the drone responded to the sticks.  It spun fast for some reason.  That you on the sticks giving it full yaw commands?  The compass seemed to work well enough that it was always pointing correctly.  Its important the pilot knows which way it is pointing when he can't see the drone.  Obviously, it's location was frozen on the map even though it was drifting.

It looks like the Spark responded to the sticks but was very much like Sport mode.  ATTI mode being sensitive to stick commands.  Needs an easy touch.  You have to be able to fly the drone back to yourself if GPS is lost.  Turn it so it faces you, by eyesight or the compass, then fly it back to a landing.  RTH is not going to work since without GPS the drone doesn't know where it is.  Your drone recovered it's GPS by luck so RTH finally worked.

I doubt your ability to fly it back yourself without the autopilot.  Practice flying the drone near yourself (easy to see) in Sport mode by looking at it and then by its icon on the map.   You need to be able to fly it when the autopilot loses GPS.  I have never used RTH.

DJT_MVSP Posted at 2018-3-25 08:13
Seems like a compass calibration error; It was facing sideways when it was returning home. Please calibrate the compass only in a magnetic interference free area. And RTH will not work in ATTI mode, you need to fly it back manually.
Good thing it came back

Yip I calibrated the compass afterwards and had another to flights 12min each and everything seemed ok.
Its new so I had not calibrated the compass.

DJT_MVSP Posted at 2018-3-25 08:13
Seems like a compass calibration error; It was facing sideways when it was returning home. Please calibrate the compass only in a magnetic interference free area. And RTH will not work in ATTI mode, you need to fly it back manually.
Good thing it came back

No, I think it was facing sideways only in the scene where the display was disconnected from the drone and didn't have an update of the drone's compass.  The compass seemed correct looking at the roads below when the video feed was running.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-3-25 08:23
No, I think it was facing sideways only in the scene where the display was disconnected from the drone and didn't have an update of the drone's compass.  The compass seemed correct looking at the roads below when the video feed was running.

At 3:00 of the video, it was flying sideways towards the home point. Normally the nose of the AC should face the homepoint and it'll fly straight forward. The constant camera drifts also tells what's wrong: Compass Calibration Error.
Calibrate by slowly spinning it around you without tilting at all for the best calibration.

What was all the beeping when the drone first went to ATTI mode?  Stabs at various RC buttons?  Needed to arrest the drift with the sticks.  It went all the way across the highway.

DJT_MVSP Posted at 2018-3-25 08:29
At 3:00 of the video, it was flying sideways towards the home point. Normally the nose of the AC should face the homepoint and it'll fly straight forward. The constant camera drifts also tells what's wrong: Compass Calibration Error.
Calibrate by slowly spinning it around you without tilting at all for the best calibration.

Okay,  nose is slightly to the right of compass direction shown on the map.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-3-25 08:15
Post the flight record from the DJI Go 4 app, in the "Me" section,  that records where it is on the map and select the stick movements record by clicking the little icon that looks like a RC remote.  It would be interesting to see how the drone responded to the sticks.  It spun fast for some reason.  That you on the sticks giving it full yaw commands?  The compass seemed to work well enough that it was always pointing correctly.  Its important the pilot knows which way it is pointing when he can't see the drone.  Obviously, it's location was frozen on the map even though it was drifting.

It looks like the Spark responded to the sticks but was very much like Sport mode.  ATTI mode being sensitive to stick commands.  Needs an easy touch.  You have to be able to fly the drone back to yourself if GPS is lost.  Turn it so it faces you, by eyesight or the compass, then fly it back to a landing.  RTH is not going to work since without GPS the drone doesn't know where it is.  Your drone recovered it's GPS by luck so RTH finally worked.

Here is flight record with sticks

Grant_Vorster Posted at 2018-3-25 09:00
Here is flight record with sticks
Sticks

Thanks.  It worked but it did a weird video sideways flip and crush.  You can see the sticks though.  Lots of yaw inputs but nothing to correct the drift out over the highways.  Interesting that the map is frozen on that one until GPS comes back.  The drone icon never turns even thought the drone is spinning with the yaw stick inputs.  Your first video feed does show the drone turning with the display icon.

Just wondering if the drone can be flown with the compass icon, and no GPS, when the drone is flown beyond eyesight.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-3-25 09:10
Thanks.  It worked but it did a weird video sideways flip and crush.  You can see the sticks though.  Lots of yaw inputs but nothing to correct the drift out over the highways.  Interesting that the map is frozen on that one until GPS comes back.  The drone icon never turns even thought the drone is spinning with the yaw stick inputs.  Your first video feed does show the drone turning with the display icon.

Just wondering if the drone can be flown with the compass icon, and no GPS, when the drone is flown beyond eyesight.

That's the thing I lost site of the drone as it was drifting over the highway.  I was looking in the air where I had flown it to according to the map not realising it had drifted. then all of a sudden it appeared and it was way over from where I expected it to be.  

Yeah, not much time to ATTI mode fly it back when the meters away from you are counting up that quickly.  You can see the drone tilted in the first video so the IMU, in ATTI mode, isn't perfectly level.  That little tilt puts a steady speed on it that builds up distance fast.  If the winds were high that day, you would't have got the drone back as RTH would have eventually engaged but not beat the winds.

Today there was a weak geomagnetic storm ( Kp=5) this might be the reason that caused the problem.

Take care and fly safe.

Ahmed Hussain Posted at 2018-3-25 10:46
Today there was a weak geomagnetic storm ( Kp=5) this might be the reason that caused the problem.

Take care and fly safe.

Thanks will do

You're so lucky

The AC was flying in Sport mode. Overheating may cause random errors. Heat is always a problem in Spark's tight airframe. Cooling is not enough. GPS/Compass/Downward Infrared, are in errors at the same time. That may means the CPU, batteries and related components are overheated.
Spark is unsafe to fly. It may have fundamental design problems, e.g. not enough air vents, tight airframe that prohibited proper cooling, interferences between sensitive electronic components.

You may follow the post that discusses the cooling mod in Spark. Although this may correct the cooling problem, it cannot fix the interferences issue between sensitive electronic components. Spark has no future. Keep your cash and wait for a non-wifi, a next generation drone.

Warning. uncontrollable drone is dangerous to people and properties. If your Spark felll onto the highway below and hit a car, you could imagine what kind of damages your Spark could make? DJI would not foot the bill for us flyers.

As the temperature is getting warmer and warmer, there may be increasing cases of Spark flyaways (in Sport mode, especially).

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-3-25 09:10
Thanks.  It worked but it did a weird video sideways flip and crush.  You can see the sticks though.  Lots of yaw inputs but nothing to correct the drift out over the highways.  Interesting that the map is frozen on that one until GPS comes back.  The drone icon never turns even thought the drone is spinning with the yaw stick inputs.  Your first video feed does show the drone turning with the display icon.

Just wondering if the drone can be flown with the compass icon, and no GPS, when the drone is flown beyond eyesight.

No, I don't think you can count on the compass icon or the GPS when it is in ATTI mode.  The software is completely ignoring that data even though it is still available to it as one can see in the logs.  

I've seen many similar situations posted to this forum where the map freezes until the GPS comes back.  That is because it is literally ignoring all of that data.

This is where we've had some serious discussions in the past that I think you participated in with at least hallmark007, myself and a couple of others where I've argued that DJI is crazy for ignoring all of that GPS data that could potentially be used to help save an aircraft when it is in ATTI mode.  I'm hesitant to even mention it again as I don't want to rehash all that again.... Lol!

Ricky Aerial Photography Posted at 2018-3-25 18:47
The AC was flying in Sport mode. Overheating may cause random errors. Heat is always a problem in Spark's tight airframe. Cooling is not enough. GPS/Compass/Downward Infrared, are in errors at the same time. That may means the CPU, batteries and related components are overheated.
Spark is unsafe to fly. It may have fundamental design problems, e.g. not enough air vents, tight airframe that prohibited proper cooling, interferences between sensitive electronic components.

Wow this a big concern. Thanks for the info

KlooGee Posted at 2018-3-25 20:27
No, I don't think you can count on the compass icon or the GPS when it is in ATTI mode.  The software is completely ignoring that data even though it is still available to it as one can see in the logs.  

I've seen many similar situations posted to this forum where the map freezes until the GPS comes back.  That is because it is literally ignoring all of that data.

Thanks for the info.   

Grant_Vorster Posted at 2018-3-25 23:41
Thanks for the info.

Did your find your drone? Please contact our support and start a case: http://www.dji.com/support I would recommend you provide the flight record to locate the problem. Thanks for your support.

KlooGee Posted at 2018-3-25 20:27
No, I don't think you can count on the compass icon or the GPS when it is in ATTI mode.  The software is completely ignoring that data even though it is still available to it as one can see in the logs.  

I've seen many similar situations posted to this forum where the map freezes until the GPS comes back.  That is because it is literally ignoring all of that data.

It looks like the compass was still working in ATTI mode on the DJI Go 4 app as you can see it matching what the camera was seeing.  His compass is off by a bit as DJT pointed out but you could still navigate back with it close enough to regain video if you needed to.  Working the compass arrow to get the distance constantly droping and closing with yourself.

You can also see the GPS data in use as it has distance, height, and velocity(?) showing correctly.  The position on the  map isn't updating.  I figure the IMU isn't passing the faulted out GPS data to the map software object.   

Just wondering about ways to fly blind in ATTI.  I am thinking of blinding the camera by taping a cloth to the lens and flying around on navigation data only.  Or, just use the Map screen so I can't cheat with the video feed.  Get my instrument rating for my model pilot license.  If Rustic17 can do it, I am sure anyone can.

DJI Elektra Posted at 2018-3-26 02:23
Did your find your drone? Please contact our support and start a case: http://www.dji.com/support I would recommend you provide the flight record to locate the problem. Thanks for your support.

Yes all ok. Had a good hour flight today and everything was perfect.
Once I calibrated the Compass all was ok.  Thanks

Grant_Vorster Posted at 2018-3-26 08:58
Yes all ok. Had a good hour flight today and everything was perfect.
Once I calibrated the Compass all was ok.  Thanks

Good catch on compass calibration. happy flying!

chorn1966 Posted at 2018-3-26 12:29
Good catch on compass calibration. happy flying!

Yeah I was lucky. Thanks Happy Flying to you 2

I can here your panicked breathing! How did you record your screen like this?

I don't really think flying that close or even over a highway is the right thing to do. Not that I want to be the drone nazi, but this kind of behavior may well lead to more restrictive legislation and regulation of our beautiful hobby.
Then, on the other hand, the guy slandering DJI for the Spark, I definitely do not agree. I've had mine 4 days now, and not so much as a problem, except for a small scare with a wind gust. I was flying in an open area, and far from buildings, power lines, people or vehicles, so all went well, I was able to lower the aircraft closer to ground where there was less wind and safely fly it back to me.