I charged my DJI smart flight battery just before the flight, but it had been sitting unused for a while before that. Everything seemed fine during preflight—over 20 satellites, RTH updated, and the checklist looked good. But mid-flight, it skipped RTH and went into a forced landing. Has anyone experienced this? Any tips?
Did your battery sit unused for a long time? In cold weather, it’s always a good idea to give the batteries a fresh charge on the day of your flight.
Jesse said:
Did your battery sit unused for a long time? In cold weather, it’s always a good idea to give the batteries a fresh charge on the day of your flight.
I charged them just before the flight, but yeah, they did sit for a while before that.
Did you have RTH set? Always do a safety preflight check.
Devi said:
Did you have RTH set? Always do a safety preflight check.
If the battery drops to 10% or below, it skips RTH and goes into a forced landing procedure.
Devi said:
Did you have RTH set? Always do a safety preflight check.
I had more than 20 satellites and updated the RTH location during preflight. It just skipped RTH mid-flight.
Was it a knock-off battery or an official DJI one?
Parker said:
Was it a knock-off battery or an official DJI one?
It’s an official DJI smart flight battery.
Parker said:
Was it a knock-off battery or an official DJI one?
Was your RTH set to a safe height to avoid obstacles? Either way, that’s so unfortunate. I’d be sick if it happened to me.
@Parker
Yes, everything was set and double-checked after hovering for a bit. It even updated RTH before takeoff.
Cold batteries can cause voltage drops. If you don’t warm them first, the drone can shut off mid-flight. I had a similar issue with my old Phantom.
Keir said:
Cold batteries can cause voltage drops. If you don’t warm them first, the drone can shut off mid-flight. I had a similar issue with my old Phantom.
How do you warm a battery?
@Julius
I keep my drone on the passenger seat with the seat warmer on. For larger jobs, I use a heated trailer for all my equipment. It’s a lifesaver in Minnesota.
I go up about 25 feet during preflight to let it update everything before flying.
I’ve used knock-off batteries and never had any issues with them.
Cold weather can drain the battery quickly once you’re in the air. It’s definitely something to watch out for.