P3P drops from sky into Mississippi flood, flood wins

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......but what happened?

Never a hint of a problem, and a great trouble free craft for 26 consecutive flights.

Normal successful calibration, normal startup, aircraft "safe to fly", GPS lock, takeoff, no significant weather to speak off. Flight was at about 20 ft off ground and moving forward across moving floodwaters of the Mississippi covering a roadway. About 4 minutes into flight, it drops from the sky directly into the water. Flight data states that one second before the drop, the craft went into ATTI mode and the controller said "ATTI mode". It was impossible to control and instantly crashed, carried off to New Orleans from St. Louis. No recovery possible.

There were some high tension power lines about 100 yards away but calibration was performed normally and I have flown within that distance of high tension power lines before without anything happening. I can understand if the lines were directly overhead or extremely close, but why would the craft just instantly enter ATTI mode and crash because of relatively distant ones?

I am attaching link to the flight log. I've been on Healthy Drones and can't see anything unusual, maybe more seasoned eyes can help on this forum. Based on this, I think I have a legitimate claim with DJI for a replacement. I am a moderately experienced pilot, not a novice and was flying slowly and normally. I feel this crash was not my fault.

Please note that the GPS shows a relatively dry area but at the time of this flood, the water was moving swiftly across this road and where it crashed was in about 3-5 feet of water.

HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters
 
did you disable VPS? it can cause problems when flying low over water
 
Have a look at the sensors tab, looks like the compass threw a leg out of bed....

Did you look at the mod value for the compass before takeoff?
 
......but what happened?

Never a hint of a problem, and a great trouble free craft for 26 consecutive flights.

Normal successful calibration, normal startup, aircraft "safe to fly", GPS lock, takeoff, no significant weather to speak off. Flight was at about 20 ft off ground and moving forward across moving floodwaters of the Mississippi covering a roadway. About 4 minutes into flight, it drops from the sky directly into the water. Flight data states that one second before the drop, the craft went into ATTI mode and the controller said "ATTI mode". It was impossible to control and instantly crashed, carried off to New Orleans from St. Louis. No recovery possible.

There were some high tension power lines about 100 yards away but calibration was performed normally and I have flown within that distance of high tension power lines before without anything happening. I can understand if the lines were directly overhead or extremely close, but why would the craft just instantly enter ATTI mode and crash because of relatively distant ones?

I am attaching link to the flight log. I've been on Healthy Drones and can't see anything unusual, maybe more seasoned eyes can help on this forum. Based on this, I think I have a legitimate claim with DJI for a replacement. I am a moderately experienced pilot, not a novice and was flying slowly and normally. I feel this crash was not my fault.

Please note that the GPS shows a relatively dry area but at the time of this flood, the water was moving swiftly across this road and where it crashed was in about 3-5 feet of water.

HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters
How many satellites did you have locked in?
 
The report shows the GPS satellite count as 15+. I can see the compass goes crazy at the end, ostensibly for no reason. Is there something in the controls I could have looked at before takeoff which would have told me that a 4 minute totally normal flight would suddenly go haywire?
 
Just wondering ... Old or new style of motors ?


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
These are starting to scare me a little. I will be buying a uav in about a month (love tax time). Was set on a P3A. Im starting to wonder a little. I wont have the money to just go replacing it should it fall from the sky.

Probably wont be flying over water (even though they are some of the best shots), but still.
 
The report shows the GPS satellite count as 15+. I can see the compass goes crazy at the end, ostensibly for no reason. Is there something in the controls I could have looked at before takeoff which would have told me that a 4 minute totally normal flight would suddenly go haywire?
Either a sudden magnetic interference accrued with in the area you were flying in or sudden failure of the compass itself. Sorry for your loss.
 
Anyone know if it had new or old style motors ??


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
According to healthy drones you were in ATTI mode before take off and at 2.2m altitude just before loosing her (within VPS operating distance). Loss of compass and relying on VPS over water may be the issue. Sorry about your loss.
 
Im just thinking, without GPS and teliable compass dara could the phantom have read the VPS data over the moving water to think it was moving and in the absence of control input from you throttled up to try and stop moving and tipped over?
 
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A few things to answer here.

I did a normal calibration just prior to takeoff. It showed normal and ready to fly. I have calibrated and been denied in the past due to electromagnetic interference. It didn't happen this time.

Why did it take off in ATTI mode? Does loss of compass throw it to ATTI automatically? I don't even know how to intentionally put it into ATTI on the P3 while in flight. How would someone do that?

To those who are scared, I've had many many flights over water without incident. The P3P is a joy to fly. This crash unnerved me as I was literally doing nothing, flying slowly in an open rural area. But it will not stop me from owning one again. I'm addicted.

What do people think my chances are of getting a replacement from DJI given the flight log?
 
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............. What do people think my chances are of getting a replacement from DJI given the flight log?
No idea here. But I would get a ticket opened up with them asap. Call, explain, hopefully get the data file accepted. Might be a total refund, 30% off another, or nada. Won't know until you contact them.
 
I had mine go into ATTI the last flight. Could we be dealing with sun flares? Remember hearing about increased sun flares at the end of the year.
 
Im keen to hear from those whi can possibly draw more out of the log file. Accorfing to it GPS was all good start to finish.... RICKray you said tou werent sure how to manually get into ATTI in flight, is the flight mode switch on the remote in GPS atm?
 
I don't even know how to intentionally put it into ATTI on the P3 while in flight. How would someone do that?

Atti is the center position on the left index finger switch on the rc but... It went into atti and you have never flown in atti before today? Unfortunately that may have caused the accident. When it went into atti at that height did you move the left stick forward and try to take it up? When it goes into atti on me, the first thing I do is gain altitude.
 

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