DJI Support Runaround MAVIC FLYAWAY

[nickperez1285]

I have the mavic mini and have just had my first flyaway. I thought it would be a simple warranty repair /return since ive only flown the thing for about 30 minutes , but after a month of back and forth BS I relented and DJI sent me back a box of broken dreams. I have two questions for the group . The first is whether or not they could verfiy that there indeed was a firmware issue that caused the flyaway. The flight log records are here FlightRecord - Google Drive . On new years day I was in downtown SF and wanted to get some shots near Embarcadero. Due to the notorious GPS unfriendly neighborhood, I had to recalibrate that thing every time I took off so Im confident that I had done so before the last flight. In any case, on my last flight I flew my mavic straight up for about 40 seconds before it just darted off on its own about 20 -30 ft towards the nearby skyscraper. There was no other flight control input other than ascend. The drone smashed into the building than came straight back down to the ground in pieces.
I submitted this information and my drone to DJI . The first tech told me the GPS was working fine and that i made it crash into the nearby building. After i questioned this, he revised his statement and then said that after analysis, in fact the GPS wasnt working, I lifted off in bad conditions, and again it was my fault for the crash. I have enclosed the two conflicting assessments . This brings me to my next question which is if a DJI tech cant tell me exactly why my drone flew away , other than it was clearly my fault, who am i supposed go to in order to properly assess the cause of my crash

 

[Meta4]

The first is whether or not they could verfiy that there indeed was a firmware issue that caused the flyaway.

It would be very, very rare for a firmware issue to cause a flight incident, lots of other users would also have similar incidents if it did.
I've looked at your flight data and can verify that the issue was not due to a firmware issue.

Due to the notorious GPS unfriendly neighborhood, I had to recalibrate that thing every time I took off so Im confident that I had done so before the last flight.

I've walked the Embarcadero and can't imagine what would make it GPS unfriendly.
I don't remember there being any tall buildings to block the view of the sky and the street is wide and open.
I would imagine that GPS problems should be unlikely there unless you were close beside a building wall.
There's nothing you can calibrate that would do anything to improve GPS reception.
Whether you recalibrated the compass or not shouldn't make any difference to GPS or the safety of the flight.

In any case, on my last flight I flew my mavic straight up for about 40 seconds before it just darted off on its own about 20 -30 ft towards the nearby skyscraper.

Your flight data shows that you never had any GPS reception for the duration of the flight which was in atti mode.
Without GPS, your Mavic had no ability to hold position and no "brakes" and would easily be blown around by any wind.

There was no other flight control input other than ascend. The drone smashed into the building than came straight back down to the ground in pieces.

While most of the control inputs were the left stick to climb, you also made inputs in each control axis.
Without brakes, the Mavic would have continued coasting for any horizontal movements you commanded.
The crash happened at 43 seconds, immediately after you had applied full right stick for 1.2 seconds and that will have been the cause of the crash.

I submitted this information and my drone to DJI . The first tech told me the GPS was working fine and that i made it crash into the nearby building. After i questioned this, he revised his statement and then said that after analysis, in fact the GPS wasnt working, I lifted off in bad conditions, and again it was my fault for the crash.

The first assessment must have been for a different flight since the last flight was over in less than 50 seconds.
The second assessment appears to properly match what the flight data shows and is correct.

This brings me to my next question which is if a DJI tech cant tell me exactly why my drone flew away , other than it was clearly my fault, who am i supposed go to in order to properly assess the cause of my crash

Your drone did not fly away.
If you've read my assessment above that should answer your final question.

 

[msinger]

my last flight I flew my mavic straight up for about 40 seconds before it just darted off on its own about 20 -30 ft towards the nearby skyscraper

This is what I see:

• You took off without GPS assistance
• The aircraft ascended nearly straight up to 126 feet
• You switched the flight mode to Tripod and ascended up to 132 feet
• The aircraft crashed into an obstacle after you commanded it forward with the right stick in the full up position for about one second

It looks like you might have been flying closer to the skyscraper than it appeared from the ground and accidentally maneuvered the aircraft into that building.

FYI, there is a Mavic Mini forum over at at MavicPilots.com.

 

[Fly Dawg]

who am i supposed go to in order to properly assess the cause of my crash

The above assements are correct. As are those from your screen shot from DJI. Your last elevator input caused the aircraft to impact the building.

27.5 FLY WITH CAUTION (NO GPS)
35.0 AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
35.8 AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
38.8 AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
43.0 AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
43.9 AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
45.9 _MOTOR UNABLE TO ROTATE. CHECK FOR OBJECTS BLOCKING MOTOR OR CONTACT DJI SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE.)
45.9 `MOTOR STUCK. CHECK FOR OBJECTS BLOCKING MOTOR OR CONTACT DJI SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE(CODE: 30165)AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
46.9 `MOTOR STUCK. CHECK FOR OBJECTS BLOCKING MOTOR OR CONTACT DJI SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE(CODE: 30165)AGPS SIGNAL WEAK. HOVERING UNSTABLE. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30002)
47.9 2MOTOR ERROR. CHECK PROPELLERS AND FLY WITH CAUTION)
48.9 IAIRCRAFT IN ATTITUDE MODE. UNABLE TO HOVER. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30004)`MOTOR STUCK. CHECK FOR OBJECTS BLOCKING MOTOR OR CONTACT DJI SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE(CODE: 30165)
48.9 FLY WITH CAUTION (ATTITUDE MODE)
49.7 VGPS SIGNAL WEAK. SWITCHED TO ATTITUDE MODE. AIRCRAFT UNABLE TO HOVER. FLY WITH CAUTION)
49.7 49.7 IAIRCRAFT IN ATTITUDE MODE. UNABLE TO HOVER. FLY WITH CAUTION(CODE: 30004)`MOTOR STUCK. CHECK FOR OBJECTS BLOCKING MOTOR OR CONTACT DJI SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE(CODE: 30165)

 

[PhantomFandom]

I have the mavic mini and have just had my first flyaway.

As clearly shown by the flight logs, your MM did not fly away.

I thought it would be a simple warranty repair /return since ive only flown the thing for about 30 minutes

Pilot error is never covered by factory warranty. How long you flew it has no bearing on the matter. If it crashed even 30 seconds into its very first flight (due to pilot error) it still would not be covered.

but after a month of back and forth BS I relented

There is no BS here on the part of DJI. They are under no obligation to fix a product that was crashed into a building.

Due to the notorious GPS unfriendly neighborhood

Neighborhoods aren't GPS friendly or unfriendly. Specific takeoff locations can be difficult for GPS due to high buildings and other obstructions. In such cases, do not take off from those locations.

I had to recalibrate that thing every time I took off

There is no calibration for GPS. If you are in a bad GPS reception area, there is nothing you can do, other than moving to a better (more open) location. What exactly were you calibrating? If the MM asked you to re calibrate the compass each time, then you have yet another issue.

40 seconds before it just darted off on its own about 20 -30 ft towards the nearby skyscraper

Not really "darted off on its own" as you did not have GPS lock and thus the MM was in ATTI mode. Drift is to be expected and the pilot must be in full control of all movement.

There was no other flight control input other than ascend. The drone smashed into the building than came straight back down to the ground in pieces.

The flight logs do not show this. You had stick input that directed the MM into the building.

GPS wasnt working, I lifted off in bad conditions, and again it was my fault for the crash.

Correct. Never take off until your MM has obtained a GPS lock and established its home point.

This brings me to my next question which is if a DJI tech cant tell me exactly why my drone flew away , other than it was clearly my fault, who am i supposed go to in order to properly assess the cause of my crash

The tech did tell you what happened (in the second message) and the log assessment here by some very talented members of the forum have pointed out exactly what happened.
The only recourse now would be to buy another one and do a lot more reading and learning before flying again.

 

[BigAl07]

Let's start off with WELCOME to the forum.

Sorry you came here after "losing" your new Mavic. You've been given some expert information above that should help you going forward.

 

[nickperez1285]

Thanks for all the Input guys . This info is a LOT MORE revealing than what was provided to me by DJI . I do have 2 more questions now though . The first is, did the MM lift off with GPS signal then lose it at around 28seconds? I was next to the salesforce building but not that close. Its a huge building so im its safe to say i didnt intentionally fly my MM purposely into it . Also , i should clarify that i did make stick input right before the crash , but that was in an attempt to "put on the brakes". My second question is whether or not there was anything I could have done to prevent the switch to ATTI mode or is this an automatic feature .

 

[xspwhite]

If you check ebay, I believe you can buy the mini just by itself since you already have the remote.

 

[Meta4]

Thanks for all the Input guys . This info is a LOT MORE revealing than what was provided to me by DJI . I do have 2 more questions now though . The first is, did the MM lift off with GPS signal then lose it at around 28seconds? I was next to the salesforce building but not that close. Its a huge building so im its safe to say i didnt intentionally fly my MM purposely into it .

Your flight data shows that you had no GPS reception right from the start and for the whole flight.
Without GPS, your Mavic had no ability to hold position and no "brakes" and would easily be blown around by any wind.

My second question is whether or not there was anything I could have done to prevent the switch to ATTI mode or is this an automatic feature .

Your drone didn't "switch" to atti mode.
Atti mode is what you have when the drone does not have GPS location data to work with.
The only "prevention" would be to launch from an open area where the drone's GPS antenna gets a clear view of the sky, then wait to confirm it has good GPS reception.

 

[nickperez1285]

Your flight data shows that you had no GPS reception right from the start and for the whole flight.
Without GPS, your Mavic had no ability to hold position and no "brakes" and would easily be blown around by any wind.

Your drone didn't "switch" to atti mode.
Atti mode is what you have when the drone does not have GPS location data to work with.
The only "prevention" would be to launch from an open area where the drone's GPS antenna gets a clear view of the sky, then wait to confirm it has good GPS reception.

Thanks again for helping me figure this out. Your knowledge bank is invaluable . One final question though.. ,Someone mentioned that I had a homepoint established. In order to do that , would I need a proper GPS connection before taking off?

 

[Meta4]

One final question though.. ,Someone mentioned that I had a homepoint established. In order to do that , would I need a proper GPS connection before taking off?

If someone said that, they were wrong.
Satellite numbers were always low, your GPS Health was never higher than zero and no position data was recorded at all during the flight.

 

[BigAl07]

Thanks again for helping me figure this out. Your knowledge bank is invaluable . One final question though.. ,Someone mentioned that I had a homepoint established. In order to do that , would I need a proper GPS connection before taking off?

Post #5 "mentioned" homepoint but it was not stated your aircraft has established a homepoint.

 

[PhantomFandom]

omeone mentioned that I had a homepoint established.

I mentioned home point, but never said you had a home point established...

Correct. Never take off until your MM has obtained a GPS lock and established its home point.

With any DJI drone, it should be a general rule of thumb to never take off until you see and hear that the home point has been established. As you properly just mentioned, at that point you are sure that you have a good GPS lock and that if the drone needs to return in an emergency, it knows where the home point is.