Mavic Mini lost for strong wind.
7877 25 2020-1-5
Uploading and Loding Picture ...(0/1)
o(^-^)o
Akrasky
lvl.2
Flight distance : 350331 ft
Italy
Offline

Hi all.
Today I had the fatal issue: I lost the drone due strong wind.
I take off and fly without problem at low altitude but as soon as I passed the 10 meters high a huge gust of wind take away the drone (I'm stupid, I had to check first before to take off, this is a very newbie mistake).
I will try to find the drone tomorrow because went dark but I would understand a thing: on the flight log there is marked "the drone point", is this the last position send before the signal lost or the position where the drone crashed?
As you know the flyaway will put you in an out of signal condition so I would understand what means the drone point on the map because the point indicates a zone but the done could be very far away from that point.
I don't know if you understand what I mean.
Any help is very apreciated.
Thank you very much!
2020-1-5
Use props
DJI Stephen
DJI team
Offline

Hello and good day Akrasky. I am sorry to read and to know that you have lost your DJI Mavic Mini on your previous flight and thank you for reaching out. Since this incident happened I would recommend you contact our DJI Support Team at https://www.dji.com/support?site=brandsite&from=nav for further assistance. We have the team that would do their best to find out the reason of the incident and then the corresponding resolution would be provided. Again I am sorry for the trouble and thank for your support.
2020-1-5
Use props
JJB*
Core User of DJI
Flight distance : 12225059 ft
  • >>>
Netherlands
Offline

Hiya,

To get some help its better to upload your flightlog, using this > https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/

cheers
JJB
2020-1-5
Use props
Ian in London
First Officer
Flight distance : 8330187 ft
  • >>>
United Kingdom
Offline

Open the app, tap the top 3 dots top right. scroll down to Find My Drone and see if that will lead you to the drone's precise position.  If it crashed whilst still in contact with the remote, this will work. If you lost signal and it was still flying, you have little chance of finding it unfortunately.

As JJB said, if you upload the flight logs, the flight errors can be seen
2020-1-5
Use props
GaryDoug
First Officer
Flight distance : 1264639 ft
  • >>>
United States
Offline

See this video, it may help:
2020-1-5
Use props
Savage3006
lvl.4
Flight distance : 156709 ft
United States
Offline

Not another one jeez??? read manual look on YouTube about Wind  read manual do research on here, read manual, and another thing read manual. sorry but it's becoming a norm here.
2020-1-5
Use props
Akrasky
lvl.2
Flight distance : 350331 ft
Italy
Offline

don't blame me, I know, I did a mistake, a very newbie mistake
By the way, returning to the problem, the drone was flying when I lost the signal and I think it gone far away.
I prompt switched in "S" mode thinking about more power but the wind was too strong
It's NOT a DJI fault, it's my fault.
No error occured, I just did what i should not to do: fly without care of wind in different altitude.
2020-1-5
Use props
Burak C.
lvl.3
Flight distance : 21814 ft
Turkey
Offline

I am sorry for what happened. Please upload your flight logs so that the experienced ones can decipher what went wrong and we all can get a lesson from it.
2020-1-5
Use props
m80116
Second Officer
Flight distance : 3264131 ft
Italy
Offline

The Find My Drone feature should mark in the map the last known position of the drone, if you've lost connection before it auto-landed you better prepare your flight log data to create a projection of the path based on the last telemetry received from the drone.

You need to extract .dat and .txt files from your smartphone. You can fallow this guide https://mavicpilots.com/threads/ ... alysis-guide.78627/

Oh... and don't forget the use a proper app like the UAV Forecast to check the weather end especially wind levels at altitude.
2020-1-5
Use props
SD_Pilot
Captain
Flight distance : 10278435 ft
  • >>>
United States
Offline

Akrasky Posted at 1-5 13:16
don't blame me, I know, I did a mistake, a very newbie mistake  
By the way, returning to the problem, the drone was flying when I lost the signal and I think it gone far away.
I prompt switched in "S" mode thinking about more power but the wind was too strong

Good that you realize the mistake. We all learn from out mistakes not to make the same mistake again. The MM is so light I wouldn't be surprised that a strong gust of wind with take it away.

Have any idea what the wind speeds were that day?
2020-1-5
Use props
The Saint
First Officer
Flight distance : 5902228 ft
  • >>>
United States
Offline

wow, this is ridiculous.  
2020-1-5
Use props
Lucas775
First Officer
Flight distance : 50642090 ft
  • >>>
United States
Offline

Hello, I hope you find your drone.  Thank you for admitting that it is a pilot error and not blame it on DJI.
2020-1-5
Use props
Akrasky
lvl.2
Flight distance : 350331 ft
Italy
Offline

Here I'm.
This is my MM txt LOG file, the only one I found, there was no .dat in my app.
.dat should be located in the MCDatFlightRecords folder which is empty.
However, if anyone can help me give me a projection of where the drone might have gone it is helpful.
Many thanks
https://app.airdata.com/share/GgAvbX


2020-1-6
Use props
jonny007
Second Officer
Germany
Offline

Woaw, strong wind, indeed and on the map this is the speed only 10 meters above ground level (green > 40-50km/h)
https://www.ventusky.com/?p=40.69;13.97;8&l=wind-10m&t=20200105/1700
2020-1-6
Use props
Akrasky
lvl.2
Flight distance : 350331 ft
Italy
Offline

jonny007 Posted at 1-6 09:57
Woaw, strong wind, indeed and on the map this is the speed only 10 meters above ground level (green > 40-50km/h)
https://www.ventusky.com/?p=40.69;13.97;8&l=wind-10m&t=20200105/1700

yes, I know, I was showing the drone to a friend and the intent was to fly low just around my garden, the error has been to go up a bit, the wind took it and pushed nearly on an electric wire so I to avoid the obstacle I increased the height more... the rest is story
2020-1-6
Use props
jonny007
Second Officer
Germany
Offline

On airdata you can download the kml file for google earth and see your flight path in 3D. Connection lost 233m from homepoint at 24m height. Perhaps left behind the building with the green roof.
Here are some guys who can better predict the "impact point" with analysis programs.

2020-1-6
Use props
JJB*
Core User of DJI
Flight distance : 12225059 ft
  • >>>
Netherlands
Offline

jonny007 Posted at 1-6 10:09
On airdata you can download the kml file for google earth and see your flight path in 3D. Connection lost 233m from homepoint at 24m height. Perhaps left behind the building with the green roof.
Here are some guys who can better predict the "impact point" with analysis programs.
[view_image]

Hi,

Impossible to predict where it landend...(if the fly path is obstacle free)

with approx 70 usable batt left for a RTH (drifing backward), distance travelled in 1 sec = 6-8 meter.

5 % batt per 60 seconds means and 1 sec = 8 meter > 840 seconds * 6-8 meter =  too much to predict.

cheers
JJB
2020-1-6
Use props
jonny007
Second Officer
Germany
Offline

JJB* Posted at 1-6 12:48
Hi,

Impossible to predict where it landend...(if the fly path is obstacle free)

Assuming the drone is roughly there where the last position was recorded. Maybe it flew into a tree or has hit a building and the battery has unfastend, which is why the drone switched off. You are right if it continued to drift in the strong headwind, lost connection, initiated rth but still flew backwards. Then it is hopeless, unless someone else finds it and returns it to the lost property office ... similar to the drone in budapest ;-) in the other thread.
2020-1-6
Use props
PiotrPL
lvl.1
Poland
Offline

Hey! Did you find it finally? And if not, did you contacted DJI and did they maybe help you?

(and I have the same problem since yesterday, so I understand your loss completely)

2020-4-4
Use props
smabcn2020
New

Spain
Offline

Hi,
i have just buy a mavic mini, and i'm a little bit worried about this kind of problems with the wind.
I hardly understand why, in this cases, with PiotrPL and Akrasky, was not possible to press RTH and force the drone to return to the home position.
And anyway if the drone lost the signal and you have the correct setting, the drone will execute RTH...
Is possible to analize this comments?
Thank  you
2020-5-9
Use props
cfigu65761
lvl.1

United States
Offline

dji is not user friendly. I spent 500 during covid. to have a Mavic Air that does not work. tried everything I could think of. waste of Time and money trying to fix. and only open on weekdays. smh
2020-5-9
Use props
Akrasky
lvl.2
Flight distance : 350331 ft
Italy
Offline

smabcn2020 Posted at 5-9 12:09
Hi,
i have just buy a mavic mini, and i'm a little bit worried about this kind of problems with the wind.
I hardly understand why, in this cases, with PiotrPL and Akrasky, was not possible to press RTH and force the drone to return to the home position.
Hi. Just do not fly with wind and check apps like ventusky and UAV forecast "before" to takeoff. Keep in mind that wind speed is very different to each altitude level. Just check if you can fly or not. MM is a light toy.
I thinked also that an higher RTH altitude settings was safe; that's WRONG! More height=more wind! Higher you go, more dangerous is. Set a correct RTH altitude is very important. Too low can crash in obstacles. Too high you can face unexpected wind that takes your toy and throws it away. very very far away where you can't predict anything... maybe kilometers away. Higher is NOT safer.
I did a stupid mistake,  you should learn by my mistake.
If you do my same error , expecially after reading what happened here you are 10 (ten) times idiot without chance of recovery.
You are warned: wind= NO FLY
2020-5-9
Use props
m80116
Second Officer
Flight distance : 3264131 ft
Italy
Offline

Actually the MM is a little beast battling the wind up to fastidious level of perception.

Troubles are:
- people flying w/ Fly more cage thinking it is safe (it's not.. DON'T USE it)
- people flying at altitude like the MM had a f 500 mm lens. It's 24 mm eq. wide angle, 50 to 80 m of height already suffice in pretty much every situation
- people repeatedly ignoring Strong Wind Warning(s)
- peoeple flying with half empty battery because why not... it's still 50% if juice.
- ignoring wind forecasts

Now we've even got the option to land it after signal loss, this completely avoids to famous fly-away because you pretty much know with very close approximation where you drone has emergency landed. Still... it requires a brain behind the remote as it must be manually activated.
2020-5-9
Use props
3Recon
Second Officer
Flight distance : 4175541 ft
United States
Offline

This is why a lot of us under experienced pilots come to the forum to mention our misshapes there's always going to be someone with more knowledge and experience we swallow our pride and ask for guidance. Yes it does seem to happen often and sometime the M Mines are pushed to their limits.
Let me reach out in advance, in case of Flyaway or anything else that I wish I could have "do overs" Thank you, and may we only be grounded for a short time.
And lets have fun.
2020-5-9
Use props
m80116
Second Officer
Flight distance : 3264131 ft
Italy
Offline

I try my best to warn and inform as many users as possible about potential MM shortcomings, drawbacks and straight irresponsible flight practices by new drone users, this irregardless of possible judgments on my online person.

But I digress... you're right, MM experience should be fun. Yet FUN doesn't mean not knowing what you're doing.
2020-5-9
Use props
Labroides
Core User of DJI
Flight distance : 9991457 ft
  • >>>
Australia
Offline

smabcn2020 Posted at 5-9 12:09
Hi,
i have just buy a mavic mini, and i'm a little bit worried about this kind of problems with the wind.
I hardly understand why, in this cases, with PiotrPL and Akrasky, was not possible to press RTH and force the drone to return to the home position.

hardly understand why, was not possible to press RTH and force the drone to return to the home position.
And anyway if the drone lost the signal and you have the correct setting, the drone will execute RTH...

The explanation is simple .. The Mavic Mini is not magic.
Looking at the flight data from the incident above:  https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/0H04XA8QWSUUWZTGHPH8/
We can see that although the drone was mointing toward the home point and the flyer had the right joystick ushed full forward, the drone was being pushed backwards at 5-7 metres per second.

The Mini is a slow, underpowered drone.
The wind was 5-7 metres/sec faster than the Mini can fly.
RTH can only go as fast as the drone flies so it won't be a big help if you put the drone up in stronger winds than it can fly against.
2020-5-9
Use props
Advanced
You need to log in before you can reply Login | Register now

Credit Rules