Critical drone malfunction
We've been using DJI drones for over a year as part of our day-to-day business operations, capturing aerial footage of renewable energy projects. Until recently, we've had no significant issues and have always been impressed with the performance and image quality. Unfortunately, that changed when our drone suffered an apparent in-flight malfunction and simply fell out of the sky without warning. At the time, we were filming a newly installed solar PV array and the drone was operating at its maximum flight height. The consequences could have been far worse than a damaged aircraft. Had anyone been below, the falling drone could have caused a serious injury or worse. It also could have landed on the solar installation itself, causing significant damage to our client's newly completed project. What concerns me most is not the financial cost of replacing the drone, but the safety implications of an aircraft falling uncontrollably from height. After more than a year of reliable use, this was completely unexpected and has left us questioning the safety and reliability of the product. The drone itself had been a great tool for our business, which makes this incident all the more disappointing. When you're operating equipment above people, property and active work sites, reliability isn't just a nice-to-have, it's essential. A frightening experience and one that could easily have ended much worse than it did. Update: If you could provide an email address that I could send further details to that would be appreciated. Update: Files uploaded through link provided.