Do I have a warranty case?

[Jonathan M Halley]

Here we go... I recently crashed my Phantom 3 Professional due to an RC Signal issue... Here are the specs:

I had taken off and was flying around a downtown area. I went to the other side of a tall building (which I had done previously without any issues) and suddenly got the RC Signal lost and Return Home Initiating in 7...6...ect... Screen. It also went to a black screen. Knowing there was a building between me and the drone, I hit cancel. I then noticed that the red x where the "return home" button was still showed which told me the return home had been initiated. I immediately tried it again and it would not cancel... I started walking to see if I could regain signal and noticed the GPS was not moving at all...

Upon reviewing the flight log, when the RC loses signal it immediately and swiftly starts flying toward the "home point". I also noted that my sticks were not showing any movement.

From my experience with losing signal, and the return home, the aircraft always pauses where it is, waits for the return home initiation, then pauses more, raises to the appropriate height, pauses, then returns home... From my flight log, the aircraft does not pause and seems to fly full speed in the direction of the home point...

Thoughts?

 

[Dirby]

send it and give it a try.

 

[msinger]

I went to the other side of a tall building (which I had done previously without any issues) and suddenly got the RC Signal lost

That is by design. It's covered in the Phantom manual. You should never allow an object to get in between the remote controller and your Phantom.

From my experience with losing signal, and the return home, the aircraft always pauses where it is, waits for the return home initiation, then pauses more, raises to the appropriate height

If your Phantom was above the RTH altitude, then it should have started returning home immediately. You might have a case here if you can show what your RTH altitude was set to at the time and what the actual altitude was when it started returning home. I'm pretty certain that information can be found in the internal Phantom log.

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

If your Phantom was above the RTH altitude, then it should have started returning home immediately. You might have a case here if you can show what your RTH altitude was set to at the time and what the actual altitude was when it started returning home. I'm pretty certain that information can be found in the internal Phantom log.

So looks like I was at 27M when I lost signal and I didn't have a max set if that's what you are referring to...

 

[rrmccabe]

I hit cancel. I then noticed that the red x where the "return home" button was still showed which told me the return home had been initiated. I immediately tried it again and it would not cancel...

Sounds normal to me as well. Cancel will not work if the bird is behind something and cant get the cancel command. Its on its own and all it can do is fly home.

Always make sure RTH is high enough to clear anything between you and the bird.

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

Sounds normal to me as well. Cancel will not work if the bird is behind something and cant get the cancel command. Its on its own and all it can do is fly home.

Always make sure RTH is high enough to clear anything between you and the bird.

So if I didn't have an RTH set, it should go to 20M above the take off point right? It went to 30M though...

 

[msinger]

I was referring to the RTH altitude -- which is the altitude your Phantom will ascend to before returning home.

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

I was referring to the RTH altitude -- which is the altitude your Phantom will ascend to before returning home.

Where do I find this setting?

 

[rrmccabe]

Whatever the default is. I always have mine at about 70 meters. I don't even remember default.

Keep in mind if you are higher than default it wont lower. It flies home at the higher elevation.

How tall was building?

Is bird a total loss?

 

[Phantom751874]

In my experience if I recall correctly the first thing it does is turn to point to home. Then it goes up to the RTH altitude that is set if it's not already above that altitude. Then it makes a bee line home.

 

[Phantom751874]

Whatever the default is. I always have mine at about 70 meters. I don't even remember default.

Keep in mind if you are higher than default it wont lower. It flies home at the higher elevation.

How tall was building?

Is bird a total loss?

Default is 30 meters.

 

[rrmccabe]

Where do I find this setting?

Advanced and then failsafe. But you need to be connected to see the setting.

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

Whatever the default is. I always have mine at about 70 meters. I don't even remember default.

Keep in mind if you are higher than default it wont lower. It flies home at the higher elevation.

How tall was building?

Is bird a total loss?

Building was probably 300ft and yeah pretty much total loss.... Camera and gimbal are attached by 1 of the shock absorbers but all the wires are disconnected...

 

[rrmccabe]

You mean the gimbal did not separate? If it didn't that is amazing.

This is a common mistake. Sorry for your loss but you should always fly like you could lose connectivity. RTH height is important thing to set.

 

[msinger]

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

This shows exactly what your screen is showing.

 

[Oso]

I tend to agree with the other posts. It seems to have worked as designed. With no signal lock, it could not hear your cancel command. With no RTH altitude set, it could only do what it thought was correct and probably stayed around the 27-30M attitude and flew into the first obstacle in its way.

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

You mean the gimbal did not separate? If it didn't that is amazing.

This is a common mistake. Sorry for your loss but you should always fly like you could lose connectivity. RTH height is important thing to set.

Nope it just pulled the pins, smashed the camera glass and dented it. Its dangling by 1 connector

 

[Jonathan M Halley]

Can I remove the camera and it still connect and fly? Solution: simply replace the camera?

 

[cdronefly]

I don't think you have a warranty case! It's impossible for any company (other than SquareTrade currently through B&H) to warrant against crashing.

Of course that does not mean you shouldn't try! You may get the 30% off a new one offer - and then you can sell some parts of your old one if they let you keep it.

Of course there is a whole 'nother conversation about where you were flying, danger to the public below, etc. - the only part which is valid here is that only very conservative flying is likely to keep the bird in your hands for the long run.