Just lost my Phantom 4 in the Gulf of Mexico. This is what happened. It was all pilot error! We were at a big Channel Marker in St. Petersburg heading out!
We were in a 28ft fast fishing boat and the Home Point was set at that point where the flight started. Slowly the driver (a retired Delta Pilot) was driving. I was in the back of the boat and it was a great seat. The water was unbelievably smooth and we were doing winding swerving videos as I watched, controlled and the Phantom 4.....easy flying.
All of a sudden it started to becoming a little bit tricky to control. I noticed we'd gone 9350 ft from home Point.....I knew I had to do something so I got my wife Maribeth to go to the very back of the boat and I'd fly it into her hands. The boat was stopped.
As it came closer Maribeth was reaching out but it wouldn't come any closer. Her hands were 4 inches away! Then seemingly restless it started a climb into the blue. I said keep an I on it and we'll follow it back. It was too high to see but I knew it was going back to the market. I asked the boat driver to get us back to the channel marker. He had all the navigation equipment but he kept looking at a sail boat. I knew chances weren't good. Finally he found the marker and we went screaming back. When we got to the marker two guys said it was at the marker and going up and down trying to land. The whole time I was watching battery power and the last I saw was a RED 5%! They said it really tried hard to land but just finally gave up! Now she's in Davy Jones's Locker.
Pilot Error...1. Not thinking about how far and fast we could get away from the home Point! 2. Not turning off avoidance to land on the boat. 3. Not schooling the pilot about getting back to the home Point.
Thoughts. Could have turned off Return to Home and turn off obstacle avoidance. Lastly prepped all the people in the boat on the challenges.
Smart Drone. The whole time it was calculating how much batter it would take to get back. That was the reason she climbed and headed backward.'
Lastly....think about what you flight will be doing the whole time. I've got at least 200 flying hours but this flight became the most complicated quickly. I was out in a boat so doing this from a car would be risky also!!!
Yours Truly. Captain Hook
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
We were in a 28ft fast fishing boat and the Home Point was set at that point where the flight started. Slowly the driver (a retired Delta Pilot) was driving. I was in the back of the boat and it was a great seat. The water was unbelievably smooth and we were doing winding swerving videos as I watched, controlled and the Phantom 4.....easy flying.
All of a sudden it started to becoming a little bit tricky to control. I noticed we'd gone 9350 ft from home Point.....I knew I had to do something so I got my wife Maribeth to go to the very back of the boat and I'd fly it into her hands. The boat was stopped.
As it came closer Maribeth was reaching out but it wouldn't come any closer. Her hands were 4 inches away! Then seemingly restless it started a climb into the blue. I said keep an I on it and we'll follow it back. It was too high to see but I knew it was going back to the market. I asked the boat driver to get us back to the channel marker. He had all the navigation equipment but he kept looking at a sail boat. I knew chances weren't good. Finally he found the marker and we went screaming back. When we got to the marker two guys said it was at the marker and going up and down trying to land. The whole time I was watching battery power and the last I saw was a RED 5%! They said it really tried hard to land but just finally gave up! Now she's in Davy Jones's Locker.
Pilot Error...1. Not thinking about how far and fast we could get away from the home Point! 2. Not turning off avoidance to land on the boat. 3. Not schooling the pilot about getting back to the home Point.
Thoughts. Could have turned off Return to Home and turn off obstacle avoidance. Lastly prepped all the people in the boat on the challenges.
Smart Drone. The whole time it was calculating how much batter it would take to get back. That was the reason she climbed and headed backward.'
Lastly....think about what you flight will be doing the whole time. I've got at least 200 flying hours but this flight became the most complicated quickly. I was out in a boat so doing this from a car would be risky also!!!
Yours Truly. Captain Hook
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
