"Home mode" Resulted in uncontrolled, stunningly hard landing. Video inside

[Soniti1587]

Hi guys,

First things first, video of the incident is currently uploaded here.

FPV (avc) Version here

Remote Telemetry Here

I've also attached the telemetry from this flight below, rename the .txt to .csv (the forum apparently doesn't like .csv files).

Just as soon as I got my FPVLR antennas installed on the ST10+, I went to test it out. Thank God it didn't land in the lake (though I don't think that was ever really a danger).

I am just at a loss for words. I flipped it to home mode when it got to the edge of the lake, and it came back at full speed (almost 15mph). Once above me, it began to descend at basically the same rate. I applied throttle up power, and heard no increased engine pitch indicating the command was received. It was still in Home mode at that point, but it should still have responded. It landed at basically full speed, bounced and flipped over on top of itself, breaking all 4 props (thank God I bought extras) and snapping the right landing gear. The CGO3 sustained a single, 1mm scratch on the glass lens, miraculously the camera and gimbal themselves were otherwise unharmed. The gray triangular reinforcement sections got a few very superficial scratches.

Should I have put it into Smart mode? Angle mode? I was probably 15-20 feet away from the drone, so was it dead to my input commands because it was in too close of proximity?

This isn't the first time this copter has landed very hard as a result of Home mode, though I've used it successfully many times since then (it also happened on thick grass that time, so it was basically a freebie. Not this time.)

After replacing the blades, I had my brother hold the unit high above his head so I could run some tests and see if the motors themselves had sustained any actual damage, and noticed no such issues. I was able to take off and execute basic maneuvers, so I think the actual working parts of the UAV are otherwise unharmed.

Thanks in advance for any and all help or insight you guys can provide

 

[Jay Bennett]

OUCHHHH!!!! I have found that switching back to "angle" mode , slowing down your descent, at around 75 ft. I came close to dunking mine in pool. I mean VERY close. The cgo3 took a lil too big a splash, but that was it.

Also, I picked up that tip from some of the people in this forum. I found you can get a problem solved faster, and technical help thru here a lot faster than customer service. Thanks to every member here that keeps rookies in the field, like myself, edumucated on certain issues.



Drone on my fellow droners!!! [emoji88]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Soniti1587]

I have found that switching back to "angle" mode , slowing down your descent, at around 75 ft. I came close to dunking mine in pool. I mean VERY close. The cgo3 took a lil too big a splash, but that was it.

Also, I picked up that tip from some of the people in this forum. I found you can get a problem solved faster, and technical help thru here a lot faster than customer service.

Drone on my fellow droners!!! [emoji88]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Eek! What a butthole puckering moment that must have been!!

It ruined my whole afternoon seeing my UAV descend so fast with absolutely zero command response from my remote commands. I haven't felt sick like that in years. I've done landings in smart mode, but honestly I really don't like to; the ground effect makes it bounce up and down very precariously, and it tends to flip over. Any tips or advice for landing in either Angle or Smart mode? It sounds so simple and basic, but even setting it to Turtle mode (obviously) and trying to time the blade shutoff just right has had it flip over on me more than once.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Never had mine flip over like that, but it has done a hippity hop more than I would've wanted it too. Try switching to Angle mode at about 75 ft r so, half way between the turtle and hare, and descend in baby steps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Are Aech]

Have had mine land in home mode a bit harder than I wanted once. Flying in about 15 mph+ winds.Was at about 75' in Angle mode, switched to home. It came home, didn't start descent until it was home, descent was a bit quicker than I anticipated. I was in fairly long grass so only damage was when it bounced, the wind picked up front end enough to cause one of rear rotors to contact ground and break before they could spin down. Manual landings for me from now on unless perfect conditions.
I know you hate to see your investment do crazy stuff like that, but loved the video. Lake was beautiful and then it turns into Breaking News from CNN as we target which ever enemy we are targeting today. ;-P.
You mentioned new antennas. I doubt that there is (noob here) since it was flying great b4 the incident, but any possible correlation there? Or just mark it all up to Sh*t happens?

 

[Rayray]

The first time I decided to try RTH and let it land itself, it did everything right BUT then came down (20-30' away) and started to land in a patch of berry vines! I switched to Angle, landed it manually. I decided then and there to always take off and land in Angle mode.
Fun, name of the game.

 

[Soniti1587]

Have had mine land in home mode a bit harder than I wanted once. Flying in about 15 mph+ winds.Was at about 75' in Angle mode, switched to home. It came home, didn't start descent until it was home, descent was a bit quicker than I anticipated. I was in fairly long grass so only damage was when it bounced, the wind picked up front end enough to cause one of rear rotors to contact ground and break before they could spin down. Manual landings for me from now on unless perfect conditions.
I know you hate to see your investment do crazy stuff like that, but loved the video. Lake was beautiful and then it turns into Breaking News from CNN as we target which ever enemy we are targeting today. ;-P.
You mentioned new antennas. I doubt that there is (noob here) since it was flying great b4 the incident, but any possible correlation there? Or just mark it all up to Sh*t happens?

The antennas were on the transmitter, not the unit itself. Totally unrelated.