Why did you crash?

[CrispyClaret]

Fair to say most of us have at some point had a crash, doesn't have to be 40mph into the local office block, snapping a few twigs still counts.
The forum is full of posts who blame Dji for all their woes, including next doors dog using their lawn as a toilet. Ok, maybe not that, but there are some pretty dumb things get posted. I think I am safe in saying some posts are fib telling in the hope that someone will believe them and gently hold their hand and say its "its not your fault". (There has been one post today that fits that category successfully)
So, my point.
How many have truly had a crash that really was due to system glitch? And I don't mean a glitch caused by you screwing up calibrations, I mean a proper Dji, friday built drone. Plus were Dji quick to accept you bought a sick puppy?
How many crashes were 100% your fault, looking the wrong way, showing off to mates/sexy onlookers, programmed Litchi to make the Phantom perform like a mole, props on loose etc etc.

For the record, first flight, straight into a tree above where my sister was sat. Sister survived and so did my birdie.

 

[Philltayl]

Not crashed YET!!!!!! Just awaiting my turn

 

[Sky Wombat]

Yep crash due to faulty battery. DJI accepted full responsibility & replaced battery, yaw an

 

[tobby]

It's been too cold to fly, so she sits safely in her bomb proof case waiting for gravity and I to do our evil bidding...........

Tobby

 

[kristian.perkins]

I crashed last week. Wanted to try out litchi tracking mode. Instead I just put it into follow and set the distance to 6m all while having home lock on (by accident) I set it going and it cleared off straight into a tree.

Completely my fault and I will learn from it.

That's if the bird flies again.

The bird was physically unharmed apart from. As it rested in the tree sideways water got into the gimbal roll board connector. Now the roll motor doesn't move and the rest of it dances

I've gone for the flat cable which should arrive tonight. If not that then I'll get a board and so on.

I've literally flown it around 5 times since having it for the last 3 weeks due to bad weather.

My advice to anyone. Before using anything other than GPS mode. Make sure you know how it works and always try it first in an open space so you can get to grips with the characteristics of what it's gonna do

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

 

[Richard R]

my crash was entirely my fault. committed the ultimate pilot error and lost situation awareness. I was filming an historic building and manually flying around it in a 'sort of orbit'. I knew that there was a tree in the area, but thought that I was clear of it. 'fraud not! a bare branch snuck out and grabbed my phantom. next thing I heard was the bird imitating a buzz saw then watched it falling about 40 ft to the ground. When I picked up the pieces, the frame was bent, the gimbal bracket onto body was off and broken and the cables to the gimbal and VPS module were stripped! Looked ugly. Shopped around for a repair shop and finally sent it to the Drone Co. in Atlanta. After they took my $49 to inspect it and estimate the cost of repair, they sent me a quote for $699 stating that the main board was fried and the GPS was damaged! Hardly going to pay as much as buying a new bird for repairs so had them send it back. At the urging of some folks here on the forum, I put a battery in the bird and fired it up. Amazingly, everything lit up and worked (still minus the gimbal). Even took it out for a test flight and it flew fine and held position just as well as ever! So went on line and order the replacement parts, put everything back together and ti was all go!. So, for about $20 in parts and about an hour work, i did the $699 repair that the repair shop quoted me! Still some dings on the shell and I will probably replace that before I do much more flying, but still! Lesson learned, things aren't necessarily as bad as they look, worth doing a little investigating after a crash!

 

[ob1415]

my crash was entirely my fault. committed the ultimate pilot error and lost situation awareness. I was filming an historic building and manually flying around it in a 'sort of orbit'. I knew that there was a tree in the area, but thought that I was clear of it. 'fraud not! a bare branch snuck out and grabbed my phantom. next thing I heard was the bird imitating a buzz saw then watched it falling about 40 ft to the ground. When I picked up the pieces, the frame was bent, the gimbal bracket onto body was off and broken and the cables to the gimbal and VPS module were stripped! Looked ugly. Shopped around for a repair shop and finally sent it to the Drone Co. in Atlanta. After they took my $49 to inspect it and estimate the cost of repair, they sent me a quote for $699 stating that the main board was fried and the GPS was damaged! Hardly going to pay as much as buying a new bird for repairs so had them send it back. At the urging of some folks here on the forum, I put a battery in the bird and fired it up. Amazingly, everything lit up and worked (still minus the gimbal). Even took it out for a test flight and it flew fine and held position just as well as ever! So went on line and order the replacement parts, put everything back together and ti was all go!. So, for about $20 in parts and about an hour work, i did the $699 repair that the repair shop quoted me! Still some dings on the shell and I will probably replace that before I do much more flying, but still! Lesson learned, things aren't necessarily as bad as they look, worth doing a little investigating after a crash!

I pretty much always attempt repairs, or at least research whether it's feasible, before I pay for someone else to do the work. Too many people looking to cash in on other people's misfortune.

 

[ChiefStealth]

No crash, yet.

 

[yjander]

My first crash was flying low, trying to fly the P3S like a hubsan h107 and it drifted into the side of a tree and flew into my greenhouse, broke two props and my pride.

Second crash was a bit more traumatic, as I was flying at night and lost contact, so waited for RTH, nothing ever happened. So I had lost it for the night, but found it the next day in the woods behind neighbors house. Turns out I was flying way too low because those **** hills and trees come out of no where to grab by P3S. So yea, two crashes, both totally my fault!!!

 

[Gearbox]

Prop flew off in flight ( P3S ) , after almost four minutes of flight . Pre flight was done & I never did find the Prop that came off & do not take them off any more , unless I have to . My fault, Bad Prop ( factory ) who knows ?
They don't fly too well with only three Prop's , I don't care what anyone says .

 

[extremetm]

I was doing my first demo at a county fair. It was a very confined space. Thought I was so cool. Flew over 100 people for 15 minutes, in and out of trees, up and down, side to side. I'm bringing the bird in for a landing, no RTH, too confined. I get literally 6 feet to my landing spot and sliced a tree limb. The drone came tumbling down. It was fine but I was beyond embarrassed. First and last crash I ever had, that is until the next one and I'm sure there will be a next one. 100% my fault.

 

[Pirate63]

In my first and only crash, I grazed the side of the house. Got a little to cocky after a first day of successful flights and got a little too close to the house as I tried to maneuver around a corner. Props hit the brick wall and dropped about 12' into a plant bed. No real damage to the P4 but I did have to replace the props. Sometime these machines make you feel like a better pilot than you really are.

 

[KiwiBird]

Third day of ownership. Doing some (relatively) high speed circuits. I don't have the best depth perception - thought I was well clear of a high fence - but apparently not. Hit it in the apex of my turn at around 40 km/h. Bird hit the dirt, battery fell out before it had cleared the video buffer, so I don't even have some nice dramatic footage!

Entirely my fault and it made me a better flyer. Drone was totally fine.

 

[octantman]

Every one of my crashes, one minor with P3S and many with collective pitch helis were pilot error.

 

[CrispyClaret]

I was doing my first demo at a county fair. It was a very confined space. Thought I was so cool. Flew over 100 people for 15 minutes, in and out of trees, up and down, side to side. I'm bringing the bird in for a landing, no RTH, too confined. I get literally 6 feet to my landing spot and sliced a tree limb. The drone came tumbling down. It was fine but I was beyond embarrassed. First and last crash I ever had, that is until the next one and I'm sure there will be a next one. 100% my fault.

Nothing beats an audience to share your pain, I can almost hear the collective gasps of horror.

 

[Robert Smith jr]

Hi,

I have 175 flights, two crashes. First one was flying too close to the house, as I gained altitude the wash of the props mags the craft pitch forward and it kissed the roof. Came down in a set of bushes, no damage.

Second crash, lost GPS right after takeoff, drifted into a tree (couldn't react fast enough). Slammed into the ground after hitting a few branches, broke a prop and the yaw arm and camera. Frantically trying to do a CSC, it took off fro the ground again and flew into an apple tree. CSC, it came to rest in the tree, I was able to reach it without a ladder. I repaired it myself and it flies good as New again (3D printed yaw arm and ribbon cable).

Both crashes were my own fault.

Rob


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[DocDiggler]

A few close calls but lucky so far


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[MacPhantom]

I have been lazy lately launching from my main floor deck that is actually a story up (walkout) and has no way off to the ground. It also has glass railing with panels. Bringing the bird back requires precision to land but I ended up getting all Maverick on myself end ended up like Goose as the props touched the corner of my siding. 2 splintered props with a drop to the deck. (The battery popped out as well). No real damage, replaced the props and got back on the horse.


Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

 

[KNS8Y]

Having flown helicopters and quads of various shapes and sizes over a number of years, with plenty of crashes and one total loss, the P3S by comparison is very stable. So far with the phantom only one mishap when landing it lost gps and drifted under a car,damaging one prop but no damage to the drone.
Apart from that, the OCD in me is pleased to report the aircraft is completely without blemish. No doubt I have tempted fate and next time I won't be so lucky!
Thats why I am attempting to take out the DJI Care insurance...

 

[David_Cambridge]

I have had more crashes than I care to admit to, all my fault. Probably the most spectacular was flying sideways into a tree, about 60 ft up. The Phantom fell 50 feet complaining and screaming all the way down. Somewhere between 10 and 5 feet from the ground it got clear of the tree trunk it had been bouncing against, and happily returned to its original 60 ft, and waited for me to change my underwear.


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