Drone crash - investigation

[Marktheman]

I have just been trying out a new Holy Stone - HS510 drone. I hovered at 50m, I was turning 360 and recording. Then all of a sudden the drone shot off at speed and descended quickly crashing into a neighbouring garden. I knocked on doors but there was no signal and no sign of the drone anywhere near the probable crash site. The camera was wifi recording and filmed the direction of the crash before cutting out a few seconds before crashing. I am now put off buying another drone as I've no idea whether it was pilot error (I've no idea what I could have done) or malfunction. Amazon were terrific and have offered a full refund if I return the case, charger and controller as they were happy to agree it was a malfunction and because I spend thousands with them and have rarely retuned anything. I believe it should have descended slowly if it lost connection. I pressed return to base as soon as it veered off but that did nothing. Hope someone can explain what might have happened.

 

[Diagro]

I have just been trying out a new Holy Stone - HS510 drone. I hovered at 50m, I was turning 360 and recording. Then all of a sudden the drone shot off at speed and descended quickly crashing into a neighbouring garden. I knocked on doors but there was no signal and no sign of the drone anywhere near the probable crash site. The camera was wifi recording and filmed the direction of the crash before cutting out a few seconds before crashing. I am now put off buying another drone as I've no idea whether it was pilot error (I've no idea what I could have done) or malfunction. Amazon were terrific and have offered a full refund if I return the case, charger and controller as they were happy to agree it was a malfunction and because I spend thousands with them and have rarely retuned anything. I believe it should have descended slowly if it lost connection. I pressed return to base as soon as it veered off but that did nothing. Hope someone can explain what might have happened.

Aliens.

Battery fault.

Third party WiFi blocker

 

[NoobCannon]

Try calling the police or see if sainsburys can go there at 7am

 

[FloppyPoppy]

definitely aliens

 

[Whitewater]

RIP drone.

 

[Bug One]

I've had this with an older drone in heavy wind. I was trying to get the drone back to me against the wind, and it leaned so far over trying to fight the wind it flipped forward. The software went completely haywire and it shot off away from me with the wind.

I was very very lucky the drone was still on and transmitting a GPS location. I found it about 30 foot up a tree and with a very long pole + ladder was able to prod it down.

 

[Derek W]

I expect there might be an investigation when you're flying in areas you shouldn't be (possibly without a licence either?)

 

[Bug One]

I expect there might be an investigation when you're flying in areas you shouldn't be (possibly without a licence either?)

There's always one.


Source: Amazon
HS510 has compact design in that the quadcopter arms and blades can be folded. It is small (Folded Dimension:5.59*2.91*2.04) and weighs less than 250g/0.55lbs, you don't need to register your drone with the government. Nice Choice for Beginners!


Source: https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/individual
You do not need to register if you will only fly or use the following types of drone or model aircraft:

• toys below 250g or in C0 class

 

[dlockers]

Shot down. People are losing patience for peeping toms doing drones in residential areas.

 

[FoxEye]

Would have been more fun if OP was piloting a Reaper Left disappointed

 

[mmj_uk]

It might be better to fly it in an open area/park in the future? that way you won't lose it and I'm not sure what band they use but it could have been wireless interference?

 

[Feek]

There's always one.

He still has to have both owner (or whatever it’s called) and Flyer ID and have the appropriate number marked on the drone.

 

[Bug One]

Does he?

https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/registration-requirements-for-drones

If it doesn't have a class mark, then it depends if you class it as a toy or not.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Should have got a DJI?

 

[Feek]

If it doesn't have a class mark, then it depends if you class it as a toy or not.

Whether it's a toy or not, it has a camera so at the very least he has to have an Operator ID and the drone should be labelled.

That's if it even exists in the first place.

 

[Marktheman]

I expect there might be an investigation when you're flying in areas you shouldn't be (possibly without a licence either?)

In farmer's field at back of our property (with permission), 50m away from people (or buildings where they might be), operators and pilots licence paid £9. Long gardens of all properties in semi-rural area, lots of hedges and trees. 80m from a road.
Think that ticks the right boxes. Still managed to travel 50m plus from where it was hovering. Although it wasn't windy, perhaps a wind at 50m took it.

 

[Marktheman]

It might be better to fly it in an open area/park in the future? that way you won't lose it and I'm not sure what band they use but it could have been wireless interference?

Good advice - if I dare get another one.

 

[Bug One]

Whether it's a toy or not, it has a camera so at the very least he has to have an Operator ID and the drone should be labelled.

That's if it even exists in the first place.

Are you even reading the official CAA guidance?

 

[Ahleckz]

 

[Haggisman]

Are you even reading the official CAA guidance?

While you're correct that a toy drone doesn't need a registration even if it has a camera, I think you'd find it hard to argue a £200 drone with a 4k camera is a toy, compared to say a sub £100 Tello or miniFPV. Either way, sounds like the OP was operating legally.

I'm not sure what band they use but it could have been wireless interference?

In which case the connection would have been lost, but the drone shouldn't have just dropped out of the sky - definitely sounds like a malfunction/failure of some kind.