Not a fly-away but not far from it. Solo rolled upside down and slammed to the ground

[BradG47]

I am new to the drone movement.. I received a Solo as a Christmas gift. The first few flights were great and were short mostly getting used to the functionality of Solo, the controller and App. I haven't had any troubles until today and today I had big troubles. I did the normal start -> take off procedure and Solo was hovering just perfectly and before I flew it away manually all on its own it rolled upside down and slammed into the concrete drive upside down. BOOM! It scared the daylights out of me. Parts scattered including the propeller pieces and the battery popped off and some of the LED light covers fell off. Amazingly it didn't do a lot of damage that I can tell so far. It broke all four propellers and one of the motors is jammed and won't turn as freely as the other three. I put it all together and fired it up to see if it would lock on satellites and it did. I didn't start it up of course due to the one motor being basically seized up. I submitted a ticket to 3DR explaining all of this and I am ever so hopeful they will take care of things.

Has anyone had that same problem before?
Has anyone had 3DR fix their drone for a problem like this one?

 

[SteveReno]

I am new to the drone movement.. I received a Solo as a Christmas gift. The first few flights were great and were short mostly getting used to the functionality of Solo, the controller and App. I haven't had any troubles until today and today I had big troubles. I did the normal start -> take off procedure and Solo was hovering just perfectly and before I flew it away manually all on its own it rolled upside down and slammed into the concrete drive upside down. BOOM! It scared the daylights out of me. Parts scattered including the propeller pieces and the battery popped off and some of the LED light covers fell off. Amazingly it didn't do a lot of damage that I can tell so far. It broke all four propellers and one of the motors is jammed and won't turn as freely as the other three. I put it all together and fired it up to see if it would lock on satellites and it did. I didn't start it up of course due to the one motor being basically seized up. I submitted a ticket to 3DR explaining all of this and I am ever so hopeful they will take care of things.

Has anyone had that same problem before?
Has anyone had 3DR fix their drone for a problem like this one?

"and before I flew it away manually"
Most likely you caused the accident. Most beginners shouldn't attempt to fly "Manually" until they learned most of everything they need to learn. weeks maybe?
If it's Solos' fault, then 3DR will replace it.
Everything you did, on almost every flight, is recorded in logs & when you made a ticket to 3DR, these logs were automatically sent to 3DR customer services.
Of the 7500 Members here, not too many reports like yours?
Most user errors: Too near "buildings, T-poles, cars, trees etc....GPS interference
Most Hardware errors "3DR's fault" Bad ESC's, Bad Motors, Bad GPS unit. GPS<---very rare

Hope this helps

 

[BradG47]

"and before I flew it away manually"
Most likely you caused the accident. Most beginners shouldn't attempt to fly "Manually" until they learned most of everything they need to learn. weeks maybe?
If it's Solos' fault, then 3DR will replace it.
Everything you did, on almost every flight, is recorded in logs & when you made a ticket to 3DR, these logs were automatically sent to 3DR customer services.
Of the 7500 Members here, not too many reports like yours?
Most user errors: Too near "buildings, T-poles, cars, trees etc....GPS interference
Most Hardware errors "3DR's fault" Bad ESC's, Bad Motors, Bad GPS unit. GPS<---very rare

Hope this helps

SteveReno,
Thanks for the quick reply. Let me clarify what happened. I was not taking off manually, I was doing all the right things, by the book. I started Solo, then used the Fly function and it took off perfectly into the designated hover. The quadcopter was hovering at the normal 8 feet or so above the ground. It was there in that hover for a few seconds as I was actually looking at my android phone to see if the GoPro was recording when the crash event happened. I was not touching the controls. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the take off, hover, roll, slam action.

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One of the four motors is difficult to turn. I believe it is possible that a motor seizure was the cause of the crash causing the solo to flip over violently. Of course it could have been caused by when solo slammed onto the pavement. If 3DR won't do anything under warranty I see I can buy motor pods to fix it. It seems everything other than the four props and the one motor is fine.

 

[Sid nguyen]

your video is marked private and we can't see it.. needs to be unpublished.

 

[dml931]

your video is marked private and we can't see it.. needs to be unpublished.

+1

 

[SteveReno]

SteveReno,
Thanks for the quick reply. Let me clarify what happened. I was not taking off manually, I was doing all the right things, by the book. I started Solo, then used the Fly function and it took off perfectly into the designated hover. The quadcopter was hovering at the normal 8 feet or so above the ground. It was there in that hover for a few seconds as I was actually looking at my android phone to see if the GoPro was recording when the crash event happened. I was not touching the controls. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the take off, hover, roll, slam action.

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

One of the four motors is difficult to turn. I believe it is possible that a motor seizure was the cause of the crash causing the solo to flip over violently. Of course it could have been caused by when solo slammed onto the pavement. If 3DR won't do anything under warranty I see I can buy motor pods to fix it. It seems everything other than the four props and the one motor is fine.

You typed this in your first post "before I flew it away manually", is why i thought you may have done something .

Although parts are cheap, if the ESC or motor went south, then 3DR will Should replace your items or may replace the whole bird.
In ether case, Sorry it happened to you.

 

[BradG47]

You typed this in your first post "before I flew it away manually", is why i thought you may have done something .

Although parts are cheap, if the ESC or motor went south, then 3DR will Should replace your items or may replace the whole bird.
In ether case, Sorry it happened to you.

Hey SteveReno, Thanks.. I think I am going to buy another bundle before they are gone so if nothing else I can keep at least one flying. Right now at this price point it seems there is nothing close to this functionality for this price. It is a shame that 3DR quit making drones. The Forbes article on the mistakes the senior management team at 3DR made that lead to their demise is quite a fascinating read. I assume most Solo owners has read it.

 

[BradG47]

SteveReno,
Thanks for the quick reply. Let me clarify what happened. I was not taking off manually, I was doing all the right things, by the book. I started Solo, then used the Fly function and it took off perfectly into the designated hover. The quadcopter was hovering at the normal 8 feet or so above the ground. It was there in that hover for a few seconds as I was actually looking at my android phone to see if the GoPro was recording when the crash event happened. I was not touching the controls. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the take off, hover, roll, slam action.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

One of the four motors is difficult to turn. I believe it is possible that a motor seizure was the cause of the crash causing the solo to flip over violently. Of course it could have been caused by when solo slammed onto the pavement. If 3DR won't do anything under warranty I see I can buy motor pods to fix it. It seems everything other than the four props and the one motor is fine.

Hi Sid! I just made the video public. See if you can watch it now. It makes me sad to watch it! WHAM!!

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Possible prop came off? We're all 4 prop hubs still on the motors when you recovered it.

 

[BradG47]

Possible prop came off? We're all 4 prop hubs still on the motors when you recovered it.

Vegasrobbi,

All prop hubs were on. Of course the prop blades scattered for many yards after it hit the pavement. Pretty violent huh? The shadow of the drone on the landscaping tells the tale and I'll send that to 3DR for sure.

 

[Aginzu]

It's possible that that motor froze up before the crash, which would have caused it to flip over.

 

[BradG47]

It's possible that that motor froze up before the crash, which would have caused it to flip over.

Aginzu,
Maybe the logs will tell 3DR that very thing. Hopefully I will hear from them in the next couple of days. I am not too excited about shipping it to them to be fixed since I am not sure I will get mine back repaired or some exchange unit that very well may have a lot more hours on it than mine. I am very confident mine has less the 60 minutes total flight time since new, it is less than two weeks old. Hopefully 3DR will send me a brand new one.

 

[User Name]

Unless you had it in acro mode, which I'm sure you didn't, something failed on the Solo. You can see in the shadow that it rolled right over. In any mode but acro, it should never roll past a certain degree I'm sure is less than 90! I forget what the default is on Arducopter, but I think it's around 30 degrees or so.

Use the app to submit a ticket, and send a link to the video. 3DR should replace it. Otherwise, if it was bought at BestBuy, they might take it back as well. Bring the video on your phone to show them.

It's relatively rare, but failures do happen, and this certainly seems to be one of them..

 

[SARDG]

Aginzu,
Maybe the logs will tell 3DR that very thing. Hopefully I will hear from them in the next couple of days. I am not too excited about shipping it to them to be fixed since I am not sure I will get mine back repaired or some exchange unit that very well may have a lot more hours on it than mine. I am very confident mine has less the 60 minutes total flight time since new, it is less than two weeks old. Hopefully 3DR will send me a brand new one.

You would/will almost certainly receive a refurbished unit so if it goes back, remove everything that wasn't stock.

 

[fliersguy]

I've been going around with 3DR with mine that flipped on landing. Mine had less than six flights on it. They indicated it was a motor failure and I had to send it back. I insisted they send me a motor pod and props. The head of 3DR customer service informed me they they do not replace parts, only the quad itself. It will be refurbed quad as well. They had a complete list of items that needed to be sent back. After I questioned the need to replace the whole quad this was the response. 7-10 days once they receive the unit back so likely looking at 3 weeks time. I went on ebay and found a parts machine and replaced the motor from that.

"Jan 4, 8:13 AM PST

Correct, we will need to replace the entire unit, we do not replace by parts. We apologize for the inconvenience, we will follow up with you once the faulty unit is received.

If there is anything else we can assist you with, please let us know. Thank you."



Here was the previous note I received. Funny they made the motor pod very easy to change out but...I will be doing a T motor upgrade on both my Solo's after this. Sorry you are going through this as well, good luck with yours!



"Jan 3, 4:23 PM PST

Hi,

Thanks for contacting 3DR Customer Support. I have created RMA # XXXXXXXXXX for you to return your Solo unit only (NOT BACKPACK OR GIMBAL). Please be aware that your RMA is valid for 30 days. If your item(s) are not received within 30 days, the RMA will be cancelled and you will need to have your RMA re-approved.

We sent you a Fedex return label (tracking # XXXXXXXX), which will expire after approximately five days. Please send me an email if you do not receive it within two business days, and also, make sure to check your spam box. Please make sure to include this RMA number on the inside of the package when you ship it.

Before returning your package please make sure you read the following:

• Your unit will be replaced with a like-new, fully-functional one. In case your return does not qualify for warranty coverage it will be returned to you (please note you will need to absorb shipping cost) and we will refer you to our Authorized Repair Center, if this is the case further details will be provided.
  
  
• Packing list. Please make sure you send all of the products listed in the attached document. Important note!! If there is a missing item we will not be able to proceed with the RMA until we receive the complete kit (see attached file “Packing list” for items description).
  
  
• Lipo Battery. In case you ship us any Lipo battery please send them mounted on the device you have (i.e Solo controller battery inside the Solo Controller).
  
  
• Timeframe. The RMA processing time can take between 7-10 business days once the package is received.
  

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything I can do to help."

 

[BradG47]

I've been going around with 3DR with mine that flipped on landing. Mine had less than six flights on it. They indicated it was a motor failure and I had to send it back. I insisted they send me a motor pod and props. The head of 3DR customer service informed me they they do not replace parts, only the quad itself. It will be refurbed quad as well. They had a complete list of items that needed to be sent back. After I questioned the need to replace the whole quad this was the response. 7-10 days once they receive the unit back so likely looking at 3 weeks time. I went on ebay and found a parts machine and replaced the motor from that.

"Jan 4, 8:13 AM PST

Correct, we will need to replace the entire unit, we do not replace by parts. We apologize for the inconvenience, we will follow up with you once the faulty unit is received.

If there is anything else we can assist you with, please let us know. Thank you."



Here was the previous note I received. Funny they made the motor pod very easy to change out but...I will be doing a T motor upgrade on both my Solo's after this. Sorry you are going through this as well, good luck with yours!



"Jan 3, 4:23 PM PST

Hi,

Thanks for contacting 3DR Customer Support. I have created RMA # XXXXXXXXXX for you to return your Solo unit only (NOT BACKPACK OR GIMBAL). Please be aware that your RMA is valid for 30 days. If your item(s) are not received within 30 days, the RMA will be cancelled and you will need to have your RMA re-approved.

We sent you a Fedex return label (tracking # XXXXXXXX), which will expire after approximately five days. Please send me an email if you do not receive it within two business days, and also, make sure to check your spam box. Please make sure to include this RMA number on the inside of the package when you ship it.

Before returning your package please make sure you read the following:

• Your unit will be replaced with a like-new, fully-functional one. In case your return does not qualify for warranty coverage it will be returned to you (please note you will need to absorb shipping cost) and we will refer you to our Authorized Repair Center, if this is the case further details will be provided.
  
  
• Packing list. Please make sure you send all of the products listed in the attached document. Important note!! If there is a missing item we will not be able to proceed with the RMA until we receive the complete kit (see attached file “Packing list” for items description).
  
  
• Lipo Battery. In case you ship us any Lipo battery please send them mounted on the device you have (i.e Solo controller battery inside the Solo Controller).
  
  
• Timeframe. The RMA processing time can take between 7-10 business days once the package is received.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything I can do to help."

 

[BradG47]

fliersguy,

That stinks and I was afraid that is how it works. I am confident I will have a similar experience getting back a different solo that likely has had worse trouble than my one failed motor. The downtime is no fun either.

 

[Don H.]

I wouldn't worry about it. The one you get back, even if it's not your original will look like new.
I sent my first one in as well. They sent me a replacement. Not a brand new one. It looked new. My biggest concern was this replacement flight tested before it was shipped to me? They assured me it was and it has been fine other than a flip on landing one time.

 

[stanordave]

Solo #2 acted goofy after liftoff and flew under the SUV shredding its props. Used the Solo app to submit a log ticket and they just emailed me (the next day) saying the leg compass is dead and a new one is enroute.

Whew! Good to now they're still honoring warranties

 

[KoofPoof]

I am new to the drone movement.. I received a Solo as a Christmas gift. The first few flights were great and were short mostly getting used to the functionality of Solo, the controller and App. I haven't had any troubles until today and today I had big troubles. I did the normal start -> take off procedure and Solo was hovering just perfectly and before I flew it away manually all on its own it rolled upside down and slammed into the concrete drive upside down. BOOM! It scared the daylights out of me. Parts scattered including the propeller pieces and the battery popped off and some of the LED light covers fell off. Amazingly it didn't do a lot of damage that I can tell so far. It broke all four propellers and one of the motors is jammed and won't turn as freely as the other three. I put it all together and fired it up to see if it would lock on satellites and it did. I didn't start it up of course due to the one motor being basically seized up. I submitted a ticket to 3DR explaining all of this and I am ever so hopeful they will take care of things.

Has anyone had that same problem before?
Has anyone had 3DR fix their drone for a problem like this one?

Any news on this issue? I'm curious to know if 3dr declared it motor failure as the video seems to definitively prove.

The one thing that really terrifies me about the solo is the possibility of a motor failure destroying the bird.