Mysterious Crash of my F11 4k pro

[W7UV]

A friend of mine bought an F11 and was showing it to me.... I've had a number of cheapy "Toy Drones" and wanted to see if I would like it enough to eventually buy a DJI..

I took it to an open area, unrestricted air space... and flew it for hours... I was really enjoying myself and I got to feeling pretty confident. My background goes back to fixed wing RC in the 70s and 80s.
When I ran out of batteries I headed home.

I recharged my batteries... and took a flight around backyard... no problems...

I got called by my work to troubleshoot a problem by phone... once done... I went outside to fly some more.... big mistake. I turned on the F11 and calibrated the compass after putting in a full battery. I clicked the two yokes and the motors spun up... I pressed up on left yoke... and the F11 shot up vertically at a very rapid speed. It spun on axis even though I had released the yokes... it then began wild gyrations and shot downward and crashed in the street next to my yard. Breaking the Fron B arm and landing gear.

So lesson learned, don't fly it in back yard... question is... is this a one off? Has anyone else had this happen.. I've ordered a new arm and landing gear. I'm frankly worried as hell that this could happen again.
Anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[wafflejock]

Looking at the 1 star reviews on amazon (filtered down to them by clicking ratings then selecting one star) see a few others who had a similar experience and even after repairing had similar issues. It might just be there is a lot more wifi noise in the area around your house vs going out in the field where there are less devices around using 2.4GHz and or 5.8GHz signals.

This is one of many unfortunate things about off the shelf solutions you don't really have any black box logging type system on most of these and the customer support tends to be lacking to say the least.

With DJI you are still going into a proprietary system where getting information out of the quad might be difficult whereas any betaflight or iNav based quad or custom build would allow you to access black box logs and otherwise do more debugging (no guarantee you find the problem still and sometimes matter of buy enough replacement parts to determine which failed but still you have some way to eventually diagnose/fix issues, but there are a lot more ways to get information about what is happening in these cases). The difference though is DJI basically boils down to customer support and scale. They are so big and sell so many of the same style quads at a premium, that it is relatively easy for them to maintain pretty good support and if the company is failing you there is a very large community of owners to reach out to who also tend to modify or fix their own gear and can find parts on ebay/craigslist etc. from people who don't want to spend the time or don't have the know how (or desire to learn) how to fix things themselves.

 

[wafflejock]

Also see some questionable pictures/videos from people flying DJI gear (not just them but a lot of it is them), don't fly over roads, don't fly over people don't fly over 400ft if in the US, keep it safe so it stays as open/legal to us all as possible. Even the best built quad can have a solder joint eventually come loose or a bird fly into it or any number of things that can cause it to physically be unable to maintain flight (not counting software bugs, RF interference, electromagnetic interference, etc. etc.)

 

[W7UV]

Great info Wafflejock.


Thanks

Joe

 

[W7UV]

Also see some questionable pictures/videos from people flying DJI gear (not just them but a lot of it is them), don't fly over roads, don't fly over people don't fly over 400ft if in the US, keep it safe so it stays as open/legal to us all as possible. Even the best built quad can have a solder joint eventually come loose or a bird fly into it or any number of things that can cause it to physically be unable to maintain flight (not counting software bugs, RF interference, electromagnetic interference, etc. etc.)

Yeah, I know what you mean... I saw a video of a young dad flying his drone between a young boy bent down like an upside-down U and flew inches from his sons face! Jerks like this ruin all good things.

Joe

 

[wafflejock]

Yah if it is a brushed tiny whoop then only harm it'll do is getting caught in someone's hair but anything bigger without guards on the props is dangerous for sure.

 

[Nikita]

A friend of mine bought an F11 and was showing it to me.... I've had a number of cheapy "Toy Drones" and wanted to see if I would like it enough to eventually buy a DJI..

I took it to an open area, unrestricted air space... and flew it for hours... I was really enjoying myself and I got to feeling pretty confident. My background goes back to fixed wing RC in the 70s and 80s.
When I ran out of batteries I headed home.

I recharged my batteries... and took a flight around backyard... no problems...

I got called by my work to troubleshoot a problem by phone... once done... I went outside to fly some more.... big mistake. I turned on the F11 and calibrated the compass after putting in a full battery. I clicked the two yokes and the motors spun up... I pressed up on left yoke... and the F11 shot up vertically at a very rapid speed. It spun on axis even though I had released the yokes... it then began wild gyrations and shot downward and crashed in the street next to my yard. Breaking the Fron B arm and landing gear.

So lesson learned, don't fly it in back yard... question is... is this a one off? Has anyone else had this happen.. I've ordered a new arm and landing gear. I'm frankly worried as hell that this could happen zumba for beginners again.
Anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

Joe

It sounds like you had a concerning experience with your F11 drone, where it unexpectedly shot up vertically and then experienced wild gyrations before crashing. Here are some thoughts and suggestions:
Potential Causes: There could be several potential causes for the drone's erratic behavior, including technical issues with the drone itself, interference with its sensors or GPS signals, or a calibration error.
Isolated Incident: It's difficult to determine whether this was a one-off occurrence without further information. If you haven't experienced similar issues before and if the drone behaves normally after repairs, it could have been an isolated incident.

Precautionary Measures: To mitigate the risk of such incidents happening again, consider the following precautions:
- Ensure that the drone's firmware is up to date and that you've followed all manufacturer instructions for calibration and operation.
- Fly in open areas away from obstacles, buildings, and electromagnetic interference sources.
- Double-check the calibration of the drone's compass and other sensors before each flight.
- Perform a pre-flight check of all drone components, including motors, propellers, and battery connections.
- Stay vigilant during flights and be prepared to take manual control if the drone behaves unexpectedly.
Seeking Advice: It might be helpful to reach out to the manufacturer or community forums to see if others have experienced similar issues with the F11 drone. They may be able to provide insights, troubleshooting tips, or potential solutions.
Replacement Parts: Since you've ordered replacement parts for the damaged components, make sure to inspect and install them properly to ensure the drone's structural integrity before attempting to fly again.
Overall, it's essential to approach drone flying with caution and to prioritize safety at all times. While incidents like these can be concerning, taking appropriate precautions and being prepared for unexpected events can help mitigate risks and ensure enjoyable and safe flying experiences.