It ook my spark out today and was at the end of my flight, hit return to home and then the craft headed towards the landing point initially and all of the sudden it lost signal and said it had a compass error, said switch to Atti mode which i cannot manually do, then it said it was switching to atti mode.  The drone took off with no way for me to control it and is lost.  I am not able to locate it due to the flight log showing only the last position before it lost signal, and the flight video ends at what im assuming is an out of range scenario.  Is there any other way to locate these drones?   From what I am seeing this is all too common.

Hi, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I would suggest syncing your flight records via DJI GO 4 app and contact our facility for further investigations as well. Please see the link.

https://www.dji.com/support?site=brandsite&from=nav

Nelson if you go to the DJI go 4 so then click one the ||| it should have the option to fund my drone on as an option and it should tell you where it is. I hope this helps you. Best if luck

djiuser_uMitnAZejgn9 Posted at 2018-6-22 07:19
Nelson if you go to the DJI go 4 so then click one the ||| it should have the option to fund my drone on as an option and it should tell you where it is. I hope this helps you. Best if luck

I did try the find my drone in the app but it seemed useless.  I was not able to make it beep or light up the LEDs.  it just showed me the last position before it lost signal but it was a long ways from that position according to video that i was able to retrieve from the cache.   The  video shows that it headed north of me and just ends at what i'm assuming is the point where it went out of range to transmit video.  I looked in the area where the video ended but was unable to connect to it with wifi or the find my drone option in the app.

Can you send me the video that it recorded

Sorry to hear your loss.
Open a case with DJI and If you wish you can upload your flight date to the following link and let us know the reference and our experts should be able to assist you.

Your best bet is to always have your contact information located somewhere on the Spark. The reason is you may be unlikely to locate it, but chances are at some point someone will? I always label my drones underneath where the battery goes, on the area near the Serial Number. I also stick a label onto the battery itself also next to the Serial Number. Having two labels on the drone and battery will provide you the best chances of locating back your drone. Remember to have your FAA Registration Number next to your information.

I've had multiple flights so far and no problems i haven't had a incident yet. Knock on wood. But iam starting to get skeptical with all that iam seeing on the forum about spark having issues

Please upload your flight logs here: http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Forum members can try to help in understanding what happened and, possibly, directing you where to search for it.

Please note that if your drone switched to ATTI, it was pushed by the wind. Also, if you it lost signal it would start landing sequence after about 3 seconds if you controlled it form RC or 20 seconds if you controlled it form mobile.

If you know strength and direction of wind and approximate altitude of Spark the moment it took off, you can figure out where to search.

When Spark is landing it usually lands slower than 3 m/s.

Anyways - looking forward to checking you flight records.

djiuser_uMitnAZejgn9 Posted at 2018-6-22 07:54
I've had multiple flights so far and no problems i haven't had a incident yet. Knock on wood. But iam starting to get skeptical with all that iam seeing on the forum about spark having issues

Hey djiuser,

Instead of getting skeptical, read this forum, head the advise, read the manual, be educated and be prepared. Do pre-flight checklist, calibrate the drone. You will be fine.

Most of the issues reported here are pilot mistakes caused by inexperience and lack of understanding what they can do with Spark. Also lack of understanding of Spark behaviour.

Some are genuine h/w or s/w errors - but in majority of cases DJI replaces Spark if on warranty.

What you do not see on this forum is accounts of tens of thousands of very happy Spark owners :-).

I am a happy Spark user , giving advice NOT to upgrade DGI GO4 app > 4.1.15

I always check everything before flights

Mirek6 Posted at 2018-6-22 08:09
Hey djiuser,

Instead of getting skeptical, read this forum, head the advise, read the manual, be educated and be prepared. Do pre-flight checklist, calibrate the drone. You will be fine.

What else does anyone need to add to Mirek's Comments ? ? ?

They are PERFECT ! I Love this Guy !

Jos A Posted at 2018-6-22 08:53
I am a happy Spark user , giving advice NOT to upgrade DGI GO4 app > 4.1.15

Jos you are refering to Android Users right ?

With IOS you can upgrade without problems ?

Thanks Boss !

Sorry to hear of your situation.  As others have recommended, firstly I'd suggest opening a ticket with DJI support.  They will investigate and determine if it may be covered under warranty.

Secondly, if you would like community assistance in trying to find your aircraft and to maybe help understand what may have happened, I would recommend uploading your logs to the following site, then pasting the resulting URL into this thread.  The logs quite frequently have more information in them than is available in the UI.

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

Thirdly, it would be great to also upload the video from the flight and share it here as well.  Lots of times it helps to understand what is being seen in the logs when you can coordinate it with what is seen in the video.

djiuser_uMitnAZejgn9 Posted at 2018-6-22 08:55
I always check everything before flights

Thats a really good thing ! Welldone !

Do a PreFlight Checklist
Study your Area and do a Plan of your Flight
Check the Spark Sensors and Props
Check your >11 Satellites + Strong GPS Signals / Compass / Imu
Set the Homepoint
Fly in VLOS

Hit the Sky Buddy and have Fun !

In ATTI Mode the Spark is still controllable, so don't panic, if in doubt just calmly land your Drone.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 09:00
Thats a really good thing ! Welldone !

Do a PreFlight Checklist

Ill be alright ive been flying for 7 years

In atti mode*

Mirek6 Posted at 2018-6-22 08:09
Hey djiuser,

Instead of getting skeptical, read this forum, head the advise, read the manual, be educated and be prepared. Do pre-flight checklist, calibrate the drone. You will be fine.

Its hard to land the drone manually when you have no controls to do so.  This is the part that i am not understanding.  The drone had switched to ATTI, but in the app on my mobile i had no controls to work with.  Is there a problem with the app as well?  I have the latest version.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 08:58
Jos you are refering to Android Users right ?

With IOS you can upgrade without problems ?

Yes right sir

knelson69 Posted at 2018-6-22 09:41
Its hard to land the drone manually when you have no controls to do so.  This is the part that i am not understanding.  The drone had switched to ATTI, but in the app on my mobile i had no controls to work with.  Is there a problem with the app as well?  I have the latest version.

In app. The virtual stick go away when a small icon bottom left is pressed.  I think the dji app is crap to use, i like the parrot better....
Was this one of your first flights?? Sounds a bit like it.  

It sounds like you were using the app on your phone to control the spark, not the physical remote controller, is this correct? If so, did the controls on the screen disappear when the spark went into ATTI?

It would also be helpful to upload your flight record and post the link here for more insight on what happened and possibly where you can locate your spark.
http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/

knelson69 Posted at 2018-6-22 09:41
Its hard to land the drone manually when you have no controls to do so.  This is the part that i am not understanding.  The drone had switched to ATTI, but in the app on my mobile i had no controls to work with.  Is there a problem with the app as well?  I have the latest version.

knelson,

Ouch! Controls disappeared on mobile when Spark switched to ATTI? - this would be bad! Please confirm that this is what happened to you - hard to believe.
If you use DJI GO 4.2.20, there is lots of issues reported with this version.
I use DJI GO 4.2.12 - it is stable on Android (I have LG G5).

Also - upload your flight log as per instructions of other forum members above.

Mirek6 Posted at 2018-6-22 10:44
knelson,

Ouch! Controls disappeared on mobile when Spark switched to ATTI? - this would be bad! Please confirm that this is what happened to you - hard to believe.

yes, this is exactly what happened.   I lost gps, had a compass error message, and then lost controls in the app.  I am using the very latest version of the app.  Prior to this happening i was reading 15 satellites, and the drone was very much within wifi range.   Not sure what happened.

knelson69 Posted at 2018-6-22 10:49
yes, this is exactly what happened.   I lost gps, had a compass error message, and then lost controls in the app.  I am using the very latest version of the app.  Prior to this happening i was reading 15 satellites, and the drone was very much within wifi range.   Not sure what happened.

Knelson,

Upload your flight data and the chances are that we may be able to tell you what happened.

Sorry to hear about your loss man, it's heart breaking to lose a drone. I hope DJI will give you a new one.
Was it windy where you flew? Maybe entering ATTI mode made it flow with the wind, but that still doesn't explain the unresponsiveness.

Antipaxi Posted at 2018-6-22 11:50
Sorry to hear about your loss man, it's heart breaking to lose a drone. I hope DJI will give you a new one.
Was it windy where you flew? Maybe entering ATTI mode made it flow with the wind, but that still doesn't explain the unresponsiveness.

There was a light wind, and at the altitude that it had climbed to I'm quite sure it drifted in some possibly stonger winds.  I would say that on the ground the winds were max 5mph from the south

Mirek6 Posted at 2018-6-22 08:09
Hey djiuser,

Instead of getting skeptical, read this forum, head the advise, read the manual, be educated and be prepared. Do pre-flight checklist, calibrate the drone. You will be fine.

DJI official safety guideline:

knelson69 Posted at 2018-6-22 10:49
yes, this is exactly what happened.   I lost gps, had a compass error message, and then lost controls in the app.  I am using the very latest version of the app.  Prior to this happening i was reading 15 satellites, and the drone was very much within wifi range.   Not sure what happened.

We know what happened! This is a YAW, compass error known as error. Every day, 1-2-3 new cases occur.

If the connection is lost, the end of the drone will be lost.

(In less frequent cases the connection is restored and then the pilot is brought home.)
Everyone here has read about these cases, but the opinion of the DJI is still waiting.

Jos A Posted at 2018-6-22 08:53
I am a happy Spark user , giving advice NOT to upgrade DGI GO4 app > 4.1.15

I totally agree with you dude!
I use this and I do not mind updating.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 09:00
Thats a really good thing ! Welldone !

Do a PreFlight Checklist

"In ATTI Mode the Spark is still controllable, so do not panic"

This could be true, but in the case of compass, YAW error, the connection is also interrupted.
There have been dozens of cases of loss of control, and that's not true!
It was also written that the weak wind did not flow as fast as it started, and reported that it was approx. sport mode speeds.

handle separately the ATTI mode flight (it's written very well in a post) and the compass-YAW failure anomalies.

Let everyone prepare for ATTI flight, that's right, but in vain I'm prepared if I have no contact and can not control it ...

Jakab Gipsz Posted at 2018-6-22 12:54
We know what happened! This is a YAW, compass error known as error. Every day, 1-2-3 new cases occur.

If the connection is lost, the end of the drone will be lost.

I had the same thing happen yesterday on an earlier flight.   One flight was successful and returned to home right dead on the spot and with the next flight it lost connection briefly but i still had controls to bring it down safely.

knelson69 Posted at 2018-6-22 13:18
I had the same thing happen yesterday on an earlier flight.   One flight was successful and returned to home right dead on the spot and with the next flight it lost connection briefly but i still had controls to bring it down safely.

It seems like in your case compass error came into play while the drone was closer and landing at home point. Usually when this happens due to some EMI interference, the SPARK sends the RTH location to the mobile app probably every few seconds and when it realizes that it is away from the Home point due to the malfunction of the compass, u see a sudden take off which most pilots report as fly aways.
Please remember that a computer like SPARK is a idiot box as long as how we write the software to intelligently control its functions.

djiuser_uMitnAZejgn9 Posted at 2018-6-22 09:17
Ill be alright ive been flying for 7 years

Welldone Buddy ! You are Great !

Jos A Posted at 2018-6-22 10:05
Yes right sir

Jakab Gipsz Posted at 2018-6-22 13:18
"In ATTI Mode the Spark is still controllable, so do not panic"

This could be true, but in the case of compass, YAW error, the connection is also interrupted.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 16:07
I like your comment Jakab.

There maybe situations that you cannot control the Drone. Unfortunately the Spark is a Basic Beginner Drone, its not a Pro Line Model. Its has no Redundancy Equipments like Dual GPS + Dual Compass, so if one fails, you are on your own in ATTI Mode.

'Unfortunately the Spark is a Basic Beginner Drone, its not a Pro Line Model. It has no Redundancy Equipments like Dual GPS + Dual Compass, so if one fails, you're on your own in ATTI Mode. '

So why advertise it like that?
I think that is why so many people who have not been treated in the life of their lives and are not technically interested.
Do Pro Drones (inspire, Phantom, etc ..) buy a professional and redundant sensors right there?

Aim of the Post by Jakab Gipsz also known as JimboHUN - Turn lots of Pilots against DJI Corporation.

Oh man!
So many opinions, speculations and no proof. Just Nelson's talk without ability or willingness to upload his records even though we asked for it several times.

Nelson,

The situation is darn simple. Either you share your flight records with us and we can try to help (if we can), or all this is just one big speculation which may, or may not be true.
It looks to me like you are trying to put DJI on trial here.
We have a victim and attorney (you) we have jury and judge (forum members) but we have no iota of any proof.
Sure, you describe what happened. But you are obviously very new user to Spark and very new user to this forum. To help you we need proof in a form of records. Not just you words. They are simply not enough to understand what happened.

I feel for forum members whom I know and respect, and who spent a lot of their time trying to help you. And yet I have a strong feeling that you are just having fun and wasting our time.

If you are honest and really want something constructive and really want to get help from us to understand what happened, give us your flight records. Otherwise you overstated your welcome here.

Mirek6  I don't know if you received my reply via email or not but i am definitely not here to have fun with people and after losing a drone that my family spent good money for as a fathers day gift I am not very encouraged by your reply at all implying that I am not being honest.   I did not know that i had to prove anything to anybody on this forum.  I did synch my flight data as requested to DJI support.  Such a reply is not cool to somebody who is new to this forum, and new to drone flying.  I'm sure you didn't come out of the womb with your knowledge and experience.  I did upload the flight logs to the link that you provided today, and i had uploaded them to another user as well to that same link. I also attempted to upload the in flight video of that particular flight and did not have success.  Maybe the file is too large or something, i don't know.   I appreciate everybodys time and willingness to help me understand what went wrong with my flight and hope that I will be welcome to participate in this forum in the future  as I continue to fly drones.