I guess it was just a matter of time.
But then I looked at the ST16 in my hands and saw the Flight Mode toggle switch......stuck in the dreaded Smart Mode position! I obviously had somehow flipped it to Smart Mode by accident while talking to the tenant and had not double-checked the switch was correctly thrown before powering up my H.
Before you beat yourself up any more make sure that you didn't throw the switch into smart mode AFTER the crash. Those switches stand out pretty far and can be moved while you are in a panic watching your H go out of control. I am not saying that you didn't have your H in smart mode at some point before the crash but check it out. It's not hard to do.
As I noted on a related thread 'You can use the FlightLog Parser in the ST16 to review your flight data and it will show what mode (angle, smart, EMERGENCY, etc) you are in at any time, the position of the H (3 views), and both of the stick movements.' You will then see what mode you were in at time of crash.
see: new firmware 2017 ?
There very well may be a firmware issue causing erratic behavior when landing. I have had a similar experience with both my drones (as others have also) and the telemetry logs show that there was no pilot error in either case. The Pro is currently at Yuneec being repaired under warranty because the telemetry data showed it was not pilot error but a malfunction with the H. My basic H had no damage other than 2 grass stained props.
I also agree with Jussaguy that automatic protections and warnings at least should be a basic features. I feel there should at least be a vibration warning alerting you to the fact that you are in smart mode when the drone gets close to the ground.
It would be very wise for the manufacturers to incorporate these functions for they share liability if lack of an easily incorporated safety feature is not implemented and someone gets hurt because of it. Being that manufacturers have 'deeper pockets' than most drone pilots I would expect them to be the first target of a lawsuit.
There is always liability insurance for pilots but I am sure if you read the fine print such insurance wouldn't cover pilots purposefully violating the new FAA drone laws such as flying over people which is hard to avoid unless you live on a farm or have acreage near you etc.. Violating the new rules is easy to do being they are pretty restrictive and vague on many points. Other than to mention it as a side note I won't even go into the fact that a 2012 law specifically states that the FAA has no jurisdiction over drones less than 55 pounds. But I wouldn't want to hire a lawyer to be the first test case to claim the FAA rules are void.
There should also be a warning if the landing gear is not down. I have both a H Pro with RealSence and a standard Typhoon H. The RealSence won't let you get too close to the ground if landing gear is up. Realsence uses sensors on the bottom of the H incorporated in the Realsence module but the ST16 has the Altitude (via GPS probably) so that could also trigger (less precise) warnings.
So I repeat - don't beat yourself up until you check the logs. If they indicate it was not pilot error be aware that it can happen again. I bought some prop guards (training wheels LOL) to offer some protection until this issue is addressed and fixed.
I would appreciate if you could update us after(if) you check out the telemetry data with the Flight Log Parser.
That's my $.02 . . .
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