DJI FPV crashed. Need help deciphering a flight log.

[solidhouse]

Hello,

I need some help deciphering a flight record for my DJI FPV. The link is:

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

There were a few errors which came up on the goggles such as IMU error, motor overload, and propulsion error. The drone started spinning extremely fast and then plunged into a swamp. It seemed to actually be holding altitude for a while while spinning before finally coming down.

This was my 5th or 6th flight on a newly activated DJI FPV.

I appreciate anyone that can help out here.

Thanks,

SH

 

[solidhouse]

Here is the video of the crash.

IMG_4260.MOV

drive.google.com

 

[pcgboca]

Man I am interested in this thread as I am seriously looking at this Drone.

sorry for your loss, DId you have the DJI Care refresh?

 

[solidhouse]

Man I am interested in this thread as I am seriously looking at this Drone.

sorry for your loss, DId you have the DJI Care refresh?

No, I didn’t have care refresh on it. Also, it look like it burst into flames when it hit the ground.

 

[pcgboca]

Also - DId you submit this to Standard support since this is so new?

There is a lot in the log - and not sure about the stick centering message, but looks like you were on the gas when it started - first red ink you were going 56.9mph.

Wonder if you broke a prop right then?

Check whether propellers are working normally.; Propulsion system error. Return to home promptly and check whether propellers are working normally. If the issue persists, contact DJI Support.; IMU error. Return to home or land and restart aircraft.; XTighten the F2 screw behind the throttle stick to keep it from recentering automatically.

 

[solidhouse]

Also - DId you submit this to Standard support since this is so new?

There is a lot in the log - and not sure about the stick centering message, but looks like you were on the gas when it started - first red ink you were going 56.9mph.

Wonder if you broke a prop right then?

Check whether propellers are working normally.; Propulsion system error. Return to home promptly and check whether propellers are working normally. If the issue persists, contact DJI Support.; IMU error. Return to home or land and restart aircraft.; XTighten the F2 screw behind the throttle stick to keep it from recentering automatically.

Yes, I was on the gas when it started. It may have been a prop broken. I didn’t submit it to standard support. I wasn’t able to retrieve the drone so I’m not sure if DJI would cover it under warranty.

 

[pcgboca]

No, I didn’t have care refresh on it. Also, it look like it burst into flames when it hit the ground.

i agree there was some serious weirdness there. Maybe prop or motor failure? were you able to get close to the last known location? any recovery at all? Looks like maybe a fire to me.

I used to bring home the plane, no matter how bad it was No fuselage left behind.

But that is super ouch when it just happens out of the blue with no reason. Can those goggles record as well like the Avata? No video of the flight complete?

 

[solidhouse]

i agree there was some serious weirdness there. Maybe prop or motor failure? were you able to get close to the last known location? any recovery at all? Looks like maybe a fire to me.

I used to bring home the plane, no matter how bad it was No fuselage left behind.

But that is super ouch when it just happens out of the blue with no reason. Can those goggles record as well like the Avata? No video of the flight complete?

I know there was a lot of things going wrong looking at the log. At one point in the log, it actually shows the drone maintaining altitude for a bit while spinning. Is that even possible with a prop or motor failure?

It ended up landing is a swamp while is inaccessible for anything but maybe an airboat. There is no way to even get close to the crash site without swimming with snakes and gators.

 

[solidhouse]

i agree there was some serious weirdness there. Maybe prop or motor failure? were you able to get close to the last known location? any recovery at all? Looks like maybe a fire to me.

I used to bring home the plane, no matter how bad it was No fuselage left behind.

But that is super ouch when it just happens out of the blue with no reason. Can those goggles record as well like the Avata? No video of the flight complete?

The goggles can record well. I didn’t have a memory card in neither the drone or goggles.

 

[Kilrah]

On the video the left prop is visible but not the right, seems a prop broke. The log has errors about propellers/propulsion all the way from 54 secs from the start of the flight, was probably damaged before failing. You should have gotten the warnings to come land ASAP in the goggles.

 

[BudWalker]

From the .txt log it appears that there was a loss of thrust in one of the motor/props. Usually the roll, pitch and yaw data can determine which motor/prop has failed. But, in this case the .txt log data just isn't fast enough to determine which motor/prop had failed.

Generally, a motor/prop thrust loss falls into the category of 1) missing or broken propeller, or 2) failure in the electronics that power the motor (ESC), or 3) a motor obstruction. The "Propulsion system error.; Motor overloaded...." messages suggests that one of the motors was obstructed. But, the current data is ambiguous as to this as being the cause.

With the DJI platforms preceding the FPV a loss of thrust would cause the tumbling seen here and a loss of altitude. But, the FPV was in manual mode so it's hard to say what the effects of a failed motor/prop would be. Also, the altitude data is problematic both because it shows no altitude loss during the incident and the FPV descending 1700 ft below the launch location.

If you want to know more about the cause there is a .DAT on the goggles that will contain the data needed to determine this. Take a look at this post
.DAT available
to see how to retrieve the .DAT. The .DAT corresponding to this flight will have the name
FLYxxx-037-2023MMDDHHMMSS.DAT

Note that using DJI Assistant 2 to retrieve a .DAT will yield an encrypted .DAT; i.e. unusable. A usable .DAT can be obtained only by using the procedure in the above mentioned post.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I see BudWalker has beaten me to it but attached, as an example, is the output of CsvView after processing a DAT from my FPV, this might have been an indoor hover.
Your DAT might show obe motor running significantly faster than the others.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Just curious, given the area would anyone have been inclined to kill the drone's motor in mid air?

 

[solidhouse]

Just curious, given the area would anyone have been inclined to kill the drone's motor in mid air?

After realizing that I could not regain control, I tried the CSC function several times. It did not seem to work.

 

[pcgboca]

After realizing that I could not regain control, I tried the CSC function several times. It did not seem to work.

I noticed that in the stick movements - wonder why it did not honor that

 

[solidhouse]

I noticed that in the stick movements - wonder why it did not honor that

I’m not too sure. Maybe it is turned off by default.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I’m not too sure. Maybe it is turned off by default.

Pages 49 & 50 of the manual detail stopping the motors, it seems that when in manual mode you need to use the start/stop button on the controller.
I don't rememeber if the FPV has a Mavic style "emergency only"/"Anytime"option for the CSC response.
I'd normally test such things by hand holding the 'flying' drone and wobbling it but the FPV is a bit of a monster and those rigid props would be bacon slicers if something went wrong.

 

[pcgboca]

Pages 49 & 50 of the manual detail stopping the motors, it seems that when in manual mode you need to use the start/stop button on the controller.
I don't rememeber if the FPV has a Mavic style "emergency only"/"Anytime"option for the CSC response.
I'd normally test such things by hand holding the 'flying' drone and wobbling it but the FPV is a bit of a monster and those rigid props would be bacon slicers if something went wrong.

I used to fly with a guy named Angel....... We are 2 old school Fixed Wing Nitro Powered R/C Plane guys.....the bigger the better.

And everyone would ask why I called him "Nine and a Half" all the time.....and not Angel. That's because when I meet him, he had 10 fingers.

Keep away from the props at all times, and that DJI FPV would be a mulcher like any serious 5" quad. Respect is better than fear.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

After realizing that I could not regain control, I tried the CSC function several times. It did not seem to work.

Did you find the DAT?

 

[solidhouse]

I was able to pull the .DAT from the goggles.

DJI just replied back from my flyaway report. They are sending me a new drone along with a battery and charge. I really wasn’t expecting them to replace the drone this easily.