On March, 9th 2021,
My phantom 4 pro randomly fell out of the sky with no warnings
It just showed me that the aircraft is disconnected when it was like 150ft away and then I see my drone on the ground with its camera ripped off and the propellers broke and the body of it was damaged.
During that time I was inside next to a window I don’t know if that could make a difference.
I flew my drone many times and I never had any problems with the system or anything.
This sounds like the infamous P4 battery disconnect issue. The flight log may or may not help in identifying that. You can post your .txt log at the link below and place a link back here to the log if you would like someone to take a look for you.
I use gaffer tape, stretched under tension as a way of backing up the battery latch and avoid sharp acceleration.
BTW, you can’t fly legally or safely from behind a window as you can’t keep a proper watch on the sky!
My window was open I could see my drone most of the time.
LOL!!!
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Seeing your drone ‘most of the time’ isn’t smart or legal! Suppose a helicopter was converging from the sides you couldn’t see. Only full VLOS is ever acceptable.
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Really tired of the VLOS.
I can see our drones (Phantom and I2 anyway) from 450m - but barely (can’t see the Mavic’s let alone the Air 2s)… and certainly couldn’t tell in what orientation it is in or how close to that tree or helicopter etc… I challenge anyone to. I do not believe the VLOS rule is to prevent any accidents… more it is a limitation of how far away to fly… instead of saying you can only fly 500m etc… And requiring a visual observer is just plain asinine - as an example from 500m away you can’t tell if you are behind or in front of an object if it is off to the side. Anyway, nuff of that… waiting for those with X-ray vision to rebuff this statement.
Yes it sounds like the battery problem for sure… we had this happen 2 months ago… dropped like a stone… we sent it (in many pieces) along with the battery and the flight logs from AIRDATA UAV - the drone was a year OUT OF WARRANTY… DJI replaced it and the battery free… We have had over a dozen repairs with DJI, they have always been Quick (less than 10 days from mailing it in to getting a replacement back), Inexpensive (most we have ever paid is $209 for a complete disaster) and got back a new drone… they don’t take the time to repair. And accommodating. Can’t understand why folks pay for the refresh program. Still, YMMV we spend $10k’s with DJI.
At glance at the map display shows your drone’s orientation. I agree at 4-500m you can’t tell if a hazard is behind or in front, but you can see if it’s converging from the sides and decide what is the best action to take to avoid a collision - but you can’t do that from inside a building. Until technology provides a solution, VLOS is the best way to keep drones away from aircraft in busy, shared skies. It is also the law and there’s no way round that without an exemption.
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Converging yes, but converging 500 ft ahead or 500 ft behind my flight path ? not so sure…
Yea I agree, and the map is a wonderful tool and something we drum into our apprentice pilots…
My point exactly is that “situational awareness” is far better aided by the technology my equipment offers. And now we have ADS-B in current and future models it is a step in the right direction. And lets face it if the FAA are on the verge of sanctifying autonomous drone deliveries the VLOS issue is gonna have to have a riddle overhaul or just plain abolished…
We have to keep in mind that this is a young industry and DJI overwhelmed the FAA with millions of drones produced relatively overnight… Just like the “flying over people/cars” restrictions have evolved, so too will VLOS.
Oh, one more point Jules, the rules don’t actually say you have to be watching the drone all the time, just that it must be “…kept within visual line of sight of either the PIC or the VO…” So again I would argue that this is a measurement not a command.
Good chatting brah…
Aloha