This will be the first and, in all likelihood, the last thread I'll start on this forum. The reason? Two days ago I decided to see how good a submarine my Mavic Pro Platinum would make. Well, not quite...

I'd taken it with me on a business trip after recently getting it back from repairs performed by DJI. I went to a spot I'd been to in the past thinking it would be a great place to photograph and video. But when I got there midafternoon, the wind was a steady 30 mph, gusting to over 40. I decided to employ a little discretion and left to get checked into my hotel room. Later in the evening the wind let off a bit, so I headed back to the spot.

Winds were a sustained 20 mph, but I've flown in it with no trouble before, so I fired up the Mavic. Got some great footage of passing boats, the sites along the shore, and a construction site, but then set my sites on the nearby drawbridge. Long story short, I decided it would look cool flying under it and that's where the story turned to an acquatic one. the sun was bright and so it was difficult to see the screen on my ipad, but I'm certain I cleared the far side of the bridge. What I didn't see, and believe I must have hit, was the pylon left from an old bridge sticking up out of the water three or four feet. I ran down the walk way to the other side of the bridge, all while trying to raise the craft up high enough over the bridge to get a glimpse of it, but it was gone. At that point I noticed my scree was black and reading no video signal.

My parent's refrain used often when I was a kid of, 'If you had a brain you'd be dangerous,' rang in my ears as I plodded back to my car, numb. Ironically, I'd just said something to my wife earlier in the day that I wished someone would make a drone that doubled as a submersible and an UAV. She's not too keen on me buying another drone, submersible or not.

Best of luck to everyone. Stay dry!

That's ashame.

Very sorry to hear.

That's too bad.

It is so easy to be smart and righteous when sat at the keyboard replying to a post, so I will be different and confess my own blunder.
A recent thread talked about the effects of metal on the drone compass. Because I was testing the MP  after firmware refresh issues, I decided to compare compass interference readings away and close to my car.
In the process I turned around through 180 degrees to face the drone as it approached the car. No problem. The drone was level with the top of the open door and about a metre away. I would normally never go that close to anything. I punched up the compass readings and noted them. I went to move the hovering drone away sideways.
Bang!
I forgot the control was reverse to instinct.
I was lucky, the flimsy low noise props were slightly chipped and the gimbal was shaking like a drunk clearing his head. Not a mark on the brand new car.
My wife who was sat in the car said "has the drone malfunctioned?"
"No," I said, "just your idiot husband."

Sorry to read that   

Do the dishes, Hoover the carpets, bring her breakfast in bed, buy her flowers, tell her bottom is tiny, you'll get another drone.

I am very sorry for your loss but hope there will be a drone again for you some time in the future!

I am sorry to hear what happened to your Mavic Pro Platinum. Think positive and I hope that there will be another drone for you in the near future. Everything is possible.

"I wished someone would make a drone that doubled as a submersible"

They do. Its called the Splashdrone

AlansDronePics Posted at 2018-6-15 21:58
It is so easy to be smart and righteous when sat at the keyboard replying to a post, so I will be different and confess my own blunder.
A recent thread talked about the effects of metal on the drone compass. Because I was testing the MP  after firmware refresh issues, I decided to compare compass interference readings away and close to my car.
In the process I turned around through 180 degrees to face the drone as it approached the car. No problem. The drone was level with the top of the open door and about a metre away. I would normally never go that close to anything. I punched up the compass readings and noted them. I went to move the hovering drone away sideways.

I think most people who mix up the orientation of the drone then crash it, promptly claim the drone malfunctioned.  Especially if the drone was in the distance where it is hard to tell the direction it is facing.

Missed the camera by a couple inches.

There is a distinct difference between a great place to fly and "a great place to photograph and video."  Used to be no problem with people mixing them up.  Then drones entered the hobby.  It is cool as long as the pilot puts the risk/results on his shoulders instead of crying for a free drone,... "it flew away."

Ah sad times! Easy mistake to make. Sounds like your generally cautious with wind etc, only takes a little miss judgement and bad luck for that to happen.  Come back to the fold soon.

Whenever I think something will 'look cool", I probably shouldn't do it.

hey...ya gotta live and learn. i have done a few very close flybys and passed between things and under things.. but when i fly under bridges i take it seriously because its a risk of total loss, is only 2 outcomes, success or drowning the drone.   no halfway.. because all it takes is like you had, little bit of sun glare on screen and you miss a old support beam/pylon that you are flying right into.  same with wind... bridges do change how wind behaves as well, have mini vortexes and turbulent zones and even if the drone can handle it, it is going to move a few inches around as it compensating, and sometimes all it takes is a few inches to catch the props on something solid and break em and down it does..

another aspect is you were only using live view..while you can certainly do that, there in enhanced risk of not having a spotter help you out on these risky passes, because on live view it may look totally fine, but with your eyes you maybe seeing that the drone is about to drift sideways into something.. or that split second fo glare on your screen causes you to miss wat eyes wouldn't have.. and hey, i fly live view, but when i do bridge fly unders and tunnel runs, im using both my eyes and my screen, again live view doesn't tell you the whole story.

AlansDronePics Posted at 2018-6-15 21:58
It is so easy to be smart and righteous when sat at the keyboard replying to a post, so I will be different and confess my own blunder.
A recent thread talked about the effects of metal on the drone compass. Because I was testing the MP  after firmware refresh issues, I decided to compare compass interference readings away and close to my car.
In the process I turned around through 180 degrees to face the drone as it approached the car. No problem. The drone was level with the top of the open door and about a metre away. I would normally never go that close to anything. I punched up the compass readings and noted them. I went to move the hovering drone away sideways.

Thanks for sharing that story. I'm glad my wife wasn't present, and that I didn't crash into her new car! It can be easy to lose your orientation in the air at a distance. I'd been practicing a lot with a smaller drone that takes every ounce of concentration to control. Maybe I was a little overly confident in my abilities and paid the price for it.

M2Wair Posted at 2018-6-16 00:32
Do the dishes, Hoover the carpets, bring her breakfast in bed, buy her flowers, tell her bottom is tiny, you'll get another drone.

Good advice, with the exception of the tiny bottom part. She's hypersensitive about being too thin, so I'll change that to, 'Wow, Sweetheart, your bottom is beginning to blossom."

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2018-6-16 11:54
hey...ya gotta live and learn. i have done a few very close flybys and passed between things and under things.. but when i fly under bridges i take it seriously because its a risk of total loss, is only 2 outcomes, success or drowning the drone.   no halfway.. because all it takes is like you had, little bit of sun glare on screen and you miss a old support beam/pylon that you are flying right into.  same with wind... bridges do change how wind behaves as well, have mini vortexes and turbulent zones and even if the drone can handle it, it is going to move a few inches around as it compensating, and sometimes all it takes is a few inches to catch the props on something solid and break em and down it does..

another aspect is you were only using live view..while you can certainly do that, there in enhanced risk of not having a spotter help you out on these risky passes, because on live view it may look totally fine, but with your eyes you maybe seeing that the drone is about to drift sideways into something.. or that split second fo glare on your screen causes you to miss wat eyes wouldn't have.. and hey, i fly live view, but when i do bridge fly unders and tunnel runs, im using both my eyes and my screen, again live view doesn't tell you the whole story.

Sounds like good advice from an experienced flier. I wish I'd had better sense than to attempt it, but you know what they say about hind sight. Yep, live and learn. Some lessons are more expensive than others and are the ones you don't easily forget.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-16 07:01
There is a distinct difference between a great place to fly and "a great place to photograph and video."  Used to be no problem with people mixing them up.  Then drones entered the hobby.  It is cool as long as the pilot puts the risk/results on his shoulders instead of crying for a free drone,... "it flew away."

Since drones fell pretty squarely into the hobby/RC arena when they started, wasn't every pilot a hobbyist at one time? An old friend of mine who works in the business developing drone motors, and has flown RC since it was invented, likes to say that the early drone pilots were the 'here, hold my beer and watch this' crowd.

As for your second point, yes, I've seen all the whining and blaming DJI or the drone, but you don't see me doing that, or asking for a free replacement. It was my own fault and I'll live with the consequences.

So this begs to ask.... Why doesn't DJI make submarines with a camera?!? Not everything needs to be videoed from the air...lol.


As for crashing drones into water I have heard plenty of stories of revived DJI in a bag of rice are working after 2-3 days.

Bah, 1/2 of my last thread didn't appear...anyways I heard DJI will offer small discounts to those that lost their drones. There is also refurbs...better than nothing. Good luck!

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-16 12:49
Sounds like good advice from an experienced flier. I wish I'd had better sense than to attempt it, but you know what they say about hind sight. Yep, live and learn. Some lessons are more expensive than others and are the ones you don't easily forget.

that's exactly right, sometimes even the best of us, lessons need to be learned the hard way.  it humbles us after we make such a mistake and we learn from it.

Sorry for your lose.
Any insurance cover?
House contents / Personal Belongings etc, might be worth checking if its covered.

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-16 12:57
Since drones fell pretty squarely into the hobby/RC arena when they started, wasn't every pilot a hobbyist at one time? An old friend of mine who works in the business developing drone motors, and has flown RC since it was invented, likes to say that the early drone pilots were the 'here, hold my beer and watch this' crowd.

As for your second point, yes, I've seen all the whining and blaming DJI or the drone, but you don't see me doing that, or asking for a free replacement. It was my own fault and I'll live with the consequences.

They were model aircraft, or radio control aircraft, pilots first.  The interest was in flying and controlling the aircraft.  Now photographers are in the "UAV hobby" with their interest in the shot.  Flying and being safey go right out the window for the shot.  Just ask Princess Diana.  

Photographers need the autopilot to do the piloting while the photog guides the shot.  They have little to no interest in being able to pilot aircraft.  Then all heck breaks loose when the autopilot hands back full control via ATTI mode or RATE mode.  Futhermore, they want DJI to cover them with a new one when it turns out they can't control the aircraft.

I knew plenty of RC helicopter pilots and airplane pilots that crashed and not once did they expect a new one for their lack of control/skills.  It is part of the hobby.  RC aircaft crash regularly and often.  There is no crying in baseball or RC model flying,...until photographers started pretending to be in the hobby.

I am pretty sure photogs and their drones will be the end of the model airplane hobby.  Your acceptance of responsibility characteristic makes me think you come from the RC model side to drones instead of the DSLR/mirrorless photog side to drones.

Sorry to hear what happened to your drone.  I just had a boneheaded crash myself.  And the only person I can blame looks at me every day in the mirror.  My wife's first response was "well, that's why we put insurance on it."  and if the repair estimate costs too much, i'll just file a claim.  I also realize that once I do that, my policy will be canceled, but I will have gotten what i need out of it.  I just have to make sure that I don't make the same mistake again.  Luckily, my wife has been understanding of it.  She'll probably wait until after this weekend to make smart comments about my inability to fly.

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-16 12:43
Good advice, with the exception of the tiny bottom part. She's hypersensitive about being too thin, so I'll change that to, 'Wow, Sweetheart, your bottom is beginning to blossom."

No, tell her spandex is supposed to look slack.

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-16 12:43
Good advice, with the exception of the tiny bottom part. She's hypersensitive about being too thin, so I'll change that to, 'Wow, Sweetheart, your bottom is beginning to blossom."

No, tell her spandex is supposed to look slack.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-16 16:46
They were model aircraft, or radio control aircraft, pilots first.  The interest was in flying and controlling the aircraft.  Now photographers are in the "UAV hobby" with their interest in the shot.  Flying and being safey go right out the window for the shot.  Just ask Princess Diana.  

Photographers need the autopilot to do the piloting while the photog guides the shot.  They have little to no interest in being able to pilot aircraft.  Then all heck breaks loose when the autopilot hands back full control via ATTI mode or RATE mode.  Futhermore, they want DJI to cover them with a new one when it turns out they can't control the aircraft.

Actually, I've been both a professional photographer and a RC hobbyist. You make a good point in distinguishing between the two, although just as you'd expect, broad generalizations have their exceptions.

AlansDronePics Posted at 2018-6-16 23:09
No, tell her spandex is supposed to look slack.

That's too funny. Then I get to sleep on the couch for a week or so.

3-D Posted at 2018-6-16 18:35
Sorry to hear what happened to your drone.  I just had a boneheaded crash myself.  And the only person I can blame looks at me every day in the mirror.  My wife's first response was "well, that's why we put insurance on it."  and if the repair estimate costs too much, i'll just file a claim.  I also realize that once I do that, my policy will be canceled, but I will have gotten what i need out of it.  I just have to make sure that I don't make the same mistake again.  Luckily, my wife has been understanding of it.  She'll probably wait until after this weekend to make smart comments about my inability to fly.

I think it's in the wife's job description: "Keep him humble."

As for insurance, I didn't think it was offered to anyone but those who are Part 107 certified. Is that not right?

ghostrdr Posted at 2018-6-16 11:34
Whenever I think something will 'look cool", I probably shouldn't do it.

Touche! Wish that thought had crossed my mind at the time.

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-17 16:07
Touche! Wish that thought had crossed my mind at the time.

its a risk, but thats how you actually do get really amazing shots is by risk.  

if it was easy then everyone would be getting amazing shots and wouldn't be a premium highly sought after career that's difficult to get into.  

i done shots where i used my mavic pro to replace a russian arm because that's crazy expensive... making a chase scene for a friend..while didnt turn out great, its all there, its aspirational.. with better lighting, better editing.. probably would turned out better.  but the risk was there flying backwards at 30+MPH and having him do 100+MPH flybys inches from my drone.

AirMart Posted at 2018-6-17 16:06
I think it's in the wife's job description: "Keep him humble."

As for insurance, I didn't think it was offered to anyone but those who are Part 107 certified. Is that not right?

Yep.  definitely in the job description.  and mine is excellent at it.  

no, that is not right.  In my case, my agent asked if i had the part 107 because it would have to be a different type of policy if i had it.  He said his division couldn't cover commercial use.