As a drone owner, you may be afraid of two things- one is drone flyaways, and the other is drone crashing. These are two inevitable situations that may lead your drone to be lost. You cannot control some common factors, but you can avoid making these mistakes so that you can protect your valuable drone from crashing. In this article, we have listed the reason behind drone crashing and tips to prevent it. Once you get the proper knowledge, you can prevent your drone from crashing. So how to prevent drone crashes? Read till the last to know everything about drone crashes.
Why Do Drones Crash?
Knowing the reasons behind your drone crashes can help you to prevent this unwanted situation. The reasons can be both human errors and unpredicted problems. If you are aware of the reasons, you can minimize the risk. So it is always a good idea to know the cause before preventing it, no matter if you are an experienced pilot or a newbie.
Pilot Error
The outcome of drone crashes is devastating yet small, like the pilot being distracted to pay attention to the drone while flying. Even the most experienced drone pilot can make errors, so drone operators need to keep their eyes on the drone because the drone pilot’s slightest mistake can cause you to lose your drone.
Automated Flight Modes
Though automated camera modes help take some fantastic pictures and videos, it flies to the most complex patterns when this mode is activated. Any obstacle can quickly drop it. Not every UAV model provides you with an obstacle avoidance system. That’s how automatic flight modes can lead you to a drone crash if you are not flying in areas that are free from obstacles.
Poor Weather
Poor weather like strong wind, rain, snow can cause drone crashes. Strong wind can drain drone batteries fast where rain, snow can cause damage to your drone. Poor weather can disrupt your drone’s flight and end up crashing.
Flying Out of Sight
Flying your drone out of sight is dangerous for your drone and the people around you. It increases the chance of your drone crashing and flyaways because it loses the transmission signal. Know more about what happens if a drone gets out of range?
How To Prevent Drone Crashes?
Firstly, read the drone instructions before flying the drone. You can also read these instructions on online sites. Know about different functions and modes and how they work. Don’t fly your drone on the assumption; learn every detail to have a safe flight. After reading, learn about the flight simulator rather than flying. Getting your first drone is exciting, but you need to know the primary modes to avoid flyaways and drone crashes. Our tips on how to prevent drone crashes will help you to ensure both you and your drone are safe to have a flight.
Regular Maintenance
This is one of the significant causes of drone crashes. If you don’t maintain your drone properly, it will malfunction and lead to an unfortunate circumstance. So properly check on your drone to prevent it from crashing. Follow the drone maintenance routine, clean your drone regularly and do a pre-flight check before every flight. Check the frame before a flight if they are cracked and structurally okay, to do a flight.
Checking on Propellers
Your drone’s propellers are strong yet soft, so they don’t hurt anything or any people when they fly. So it is obvious for them to be damaged after a flight. That’s why a pre-flight check is essential. Always check on the particular areas like drone propellers if they are cracked or working well enough to do a flight. This can save your valuable drone from a crash.
Avoid Indoor Flying
When you are flying your drone indoors, it flies in ATTP mode. That means it doesn’t connect with GPS. Indoor flying has to face many obstacles that may lead your drone to an unwanted crash. So be careful and have control of your drone while you are flying your drone indoors. Remember to set the option of sensing objects so they can track things while flying.
Avoid Flying Backwards
If you are an experienced pilot, only then fly your drone backward. But always try to avoid this option. Flying backward can create trouble for new pilots because it is not clear where the drone is pointing. That’s why while flying backward, it is more likely to crash your drone. So, you need to be more careful though it gives you some nice shots! Keep an extra eye while flying backwards.
Checking Compass Errors
Compass errors can be the most significant cause of drone crashes. Drone compasses lead the drone to return to their home point. If the compass doesn’t work efficiently, you will eventually lose control over the drone. Don’t fly your drone too close to magnets, as the drone’s compass can detox because of any magnetic and radio frequency (RF) source.
Video Transmission
One of the major reasons behind drone crashes is not getting a connection of video transmission. It can happen during your first flight or any other flight. When the ports and cables become loose, it can hamper the video transmission. So, before taking off, check your wires if they are plugged in carefully so that the ports remain in a perfect shape.
Avoid Hitting the RTH Button Soon
As a drone pilot, one of yours’s quickest natural reactions would be to hit the Return to Home (RTH) button when you lose control over your drone. But do you know that most drones cannot sense obstacles? Moreover, hitting the RTH button too soon will create a straight line to the home point, not sensing if trees or buildings, or electricity poles the way. This can lead your drone to severe damage. Don’t panic when you lose control over your drone. Instead, stay calm, and focus on having signals from your drone.
Set the Home Point Correctly
If the GPS loses its connection, the drone relies on the home point, so it is essential to set the home point correctly. The home point can be anywhere from where the drone took off or where your remote controller is. Put your return home altitude over 100m/150m to ensure your drone doesn’t hit any trees or buildings on its way home. You can also set a max distance and height. Always keep your drone in your sight to avoid collisions.
Recharge Batteries
It is a must to fly with a fully charged battery. Never take off with a low or partially charged battery. Flying with a partially charged or low battery can cause a drone crash. You can fly a drone with a half-charged battery, but this is a dangerous thing to do. What if the power can get consumed in the middle of the flight? However, it is advisable not to fly when your drone’s battery is running low.
Be Aware of the Warning Messages
Drones are designed to keep themselves safe and return to their place safely. You may be thinking of Return to Home and obstacle avoidance sensors, but the warnings messages within the apps can help you control your drone. The messages will warn you about low battery notifications, weak remote controller connection, weak GPS signal, and many more. The warnings are made to help you fly as safely as possible, so the pilot doesn’t feel pressured while flying. Be aware of the warning messages to avoid crashing your drone.
Fly in a Good Weather
Weather can have a huge effect while flying your drone. Avoid flying if the weather is windy or rainy because it is tough to keep the drone stable while there is a strong wind.
Also Read: How To Prevent Losing Your Drone
Conclusion
So, these are some of the tips on how to prevent drone crashes. Before taking off, please read our article to keep your drone safe. Drones are complex devices, and they rely on various systems to perform appropriately, yet any unwanted situation can occur anytime. If you follow these precautions, you can prevent your drone from crashing or minimize the chances of crashing or losing your drone. Most accidents can be prevented if you are aware of the precautions and follow the tips properly.