Testing Follow me-mode, fly away and crash :( - happy ending! :)

Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
66
Reaction score
25
Age
69
Hi,

After some 40+ nice flights I decided to test the "Follow me"-mode, after some initial short flying. I was practicing on a large field and maybe did some foolish things. After initiating the "Follow me"-mode, which must be done with the drone above 10 meters, I thought it was a little high and took it down to maybe 5-6 meters, and it still worked ok. I tried the "Follow me"-mode a couple of times, walking around on the field, happy that it went so good. But suddenly the drone just took away, full speed away from me. I saw a message on the screen "Compass error" I think, pressed the RTH button in panic, but nothing happened and the drone crashed into a tree. It all went very fast.

The gimbal is broken and there are som scratches on the drone, :( ,but luckily enough no one got hurt. I got really scared.

I've tried to start the drone, without propellers, and it does start and gets contact with the RC. It updates the Home Point, and the led's are flashing green. However, when I shut down the drone, pressing the battery button twice, the drone doesn't shut down immediately. The leds on the drone and the red led on the battery are flashing a couple of seconds before it shuts down. I've never seen that before. Anyone knows what it means?

I would appreciate if anyone can help me to understand what happened. What did I do wrong? Or was it something wrong with the drone (even though I don't think so)? I'm planning to repair or buy a new one but I'm a little bit scared now. What if it had flown far away and crashed into a person?

I've uploaded the flight record to Healty Drones here:
HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

And the file is attached also.
 

Attachments

  • DJIFlightRecord_2016-03-13_[17-51-43].txt
    384.8 KB · Views: 810
  • Like
Reactions: Gpanek
Looking at the HD Log the scenario may be as folllows.... From when you engaged follow mode at 6:15 to when the motor obstructed error is logged seems to be about 11 sec. Given the distance recorded as travelled in that time the aircraft, and you to the extent it was successfully following you, moved in a straight line at an average of around 24km/hr. An average human can do that comfortably over short distances. The map shows the aircraft following a reasonably straight path direct to the tree where it seems to have come to greif.

I think tou can forget the compass issues. They are logged after the crash so likely of no relavence. There are no issues with GPS evident either.

This doesnt seem like an uncontrolled flyaway from the logs. It may be an unfortunate accident- that is you didnt allow enough clearance for the aircraft to pass the tree at the offset it was following you on.
 
Usually means no camera, or it doesn't recognize camera due to damage. Likely the ribbon cable broken somewhere or unplugged.
 
This doesnt seem like an uncontrolled flyaway from the logs. It may be an unfortunate accident- that is you didnt allow enough clearance for the aircraft to pass the tree at the offset it was following you on.

I may be fast but not that fast. :) However, the thing is that when I initiated Follow Me at 6:15 I stood still, and suddenly the drone flew away, me watching.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: candubob
Usually means no camera, or it doesn't recognize camera due to damage. Likely the ribbon cable broken somewhere or unplugged.

Yes, the gimbal and ribbon cable is broken. So that may be the cause with the delayed shut-down of the drone, you mean?
 
Yep. If you completely remove the gimbal & camera from the 4 hole flange down you can still fly while you repair the gimbal/ camera.
It will still power off funny like you described.

I put a Gopro on mine(Pro) for a week and flew it until I replaced the camera.

But yes it will power down like that until you repair the camera/gimbal.
 
Yep. If you completely remove the gimbal & camera from the 4 hole flange down you can still fly while you repair the gimbal/ camera.
It will still power off funny like you described.

I put a Gopro on mine(Pro) for a week and flew it until I replaced the camera.

But yes it will power down like that until you repair the camera/gimbal.

OK, many thanks for the info! I will try and fly before I buy a new camera/gimbal. But first I would like to understand what happened, if I did something wrong or if something happened with the drone (a warranty issue?).
 
I may be fast but not that fast. :) However, the thing is that when I initiated Follow Me at 6:15 I stood still, and suddenly the drone flew away, me watching.
Ok....well i would be sending the unit as is to DJI then. May be a warranty job.

Good genneral practice when in F mode is to be ready to toggle back to P ar the first sign of unexpected behavior. Has saved me more than once.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NRJ and zlively
Ok....well i would be sending the unit as is to DJI then. May be a warranty job.

Good genneral practice when in F mode is to be ready to toggle back to P ar the first sign of unexpected behavior. Has saved me more than once.

Yes, I'm thinking about maybe a warranty issue.

Thanks, good advice! It was the first time I was flying in F mode, and I didn't react that fast when it flew away. I haven't had any problem at all so I wasn't prepared/expecting any problems. I pressed RTH but that didn't help, maybe pressed it to short. OK, so you have had some problems in F mode?
 
Yes, I'm thinking about maybe a warranty issue.

Thanks, good advice! It was the first time I was flying in F mode, and I didn't react that fast when it flew away. I haven't had any problem at all so I wasn't prepared/expecting any problems. I pressed RTH but that didn't help, maybe pressed it to short. OK, so you have had some problems in F mode?
My F mode problems have all been user error (i.e. me). Poorly chosen waypoints etc. Control is instantly regained swithing out of F mode. I thought of this scenaio with you and the tree, i almost had that when i missjudged altitude in a follow mussion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AndersGB
My F mode problems have all been user error (i.e. me). Poorly chosen waypoints etc. Control is instantly regained swithing out of F mode. I thought of this scenaio with you and the tree, i almost had that when i missjudged altitude in a follow mussion.
OK, thanks for your help.
 
Prior to the errors and crash, your log shows your Phantom was doing 20-25 MPH. I'm assuming you were not on foot. What were you doing?

But suddenly the drone just took away, full speed away from me. I saw a message on the screen "Compass error" I think, pressed the RTH button in panic, but nothing happened and the drone crashed into a tree. It all went very fast.
When I look at your log at the link below instead, it's showing your motor was obstructed before you saw the compass error:

Phantom 3 Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

If that's what really happened, then it sounds like it followed you right into a tree. And, then those errors followed due to the crash.
 
I have had my P3P fly off fast and furious while in follow-me mode as well. I simple flipped the switch back to P mode and it stopped and hovered. The screen showed GPS the entire time. Very odd, and rather alarming. Seemed like a software bug to me, and I was lucky as there were trees nearby. In my case my Phantom was high enough that it cleared the nearby trees and as soon as I put it in P mode is stopped it's mad dash.
 
Prior to the errors and crash, your log shows your Phantom was doing 20-25 MPH. I'm assuming you were not on foot. What were you doing?


When I look at your log at the link below instead, it's showing your motor was obstructed before you saw the compass error:

Phantom 3 Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

If that's what really happened, then it sounds like it followed you right into a tree. And, then those errors followed due to the crash.
Thank you for looking into this!

I was walking back and forth on a large field. At 6:15 I entered Follow me mode, at position R, and suddenly the drone just flew away, when I was standing still.

The motor was obstructed when the drone hit a tree, at 6:26, at position T. It fought its way trough the tree but one prop got damaged and it fell to the ground.

I saw, and heard, Compass error shortly after the drone took away really fast from me.
 
Ah, got it. I didn't think you could run that fast ;)

I don't see anything unusual in your flight log before that occurred. I'd suggest you contact DJI and see if it is covered by their warranty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AndersGB
I have had my P3P fly off fast and furious while in follow-me mode as well. I simple flipped the switch back to P mode and it stopped and hovered. The screen showed GPS the entire time. Very odd, and rather alarming. Seemed like a software bug to me, and I was lucky as there were trees nearby. In my case my Phantom was high enough that it cleared the nearby trees and as soon as I put it in P mode is stopped it's mad dash.
Hmm, strange. It all happened so fast for me so I didn't have time to react, except for pressing RTH. Have you tried Follow me after that?
 
Ah, got it. I didn't think you could run that fast ;)

I don't see anything unusual in your flight log before that occurred. I'd suggest you contact DJI and see if it is covered by their warranty.
OK, thank you very much for your help!

I will contact DJI. I'm a little bit concerned what they will say when the software version isn't the latest, but I'll try anyhow.
 
I'm a little bit concerned what they will say when the software version isn't the latest
If you have a legit claim, I don't think they will deny you because of that. Let us know what happens though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AndersGB
Prior to the errors and crash, your log shows your Phantom was doing 20-25 MPH. I'm assuming you were not on foot. What were you doing?


When I look at your log at the link below instead, it's showing your motor was obstructed before you saw the compass error:

Phantom 3 Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

If that's what really happened, then it sounds like it followed you right into a tree. And, then those errors followed due to the crash.
I got just under 15mpg (ave) from the recorded displacement over 11sec (in the HD log).

The phantom help veiwer seems superior and very useful here as it clearly depicts acceleration. I like it a lot.

Anyway, OP has advised he was stationary so hopefully he gets some joy from DJI.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,935
Latest member
Pauos31