You couldn’t be more excited. You are out and about getting some wonderful drone shots. You take a peek at the controller and notice something has gone haywire!
All of a sudden you hear a loud drone crash off in the distance.
What happened? Is your drone even insured?
This can surely cause some anxiety. You hope you didn’t hurt your drone or, more importantly, a person.
If you’re wondering what to do if you crash a drone, this guide is for you. Read below to find out all you need to do.
Preflight
What drone safety can be done preflight? It pays to check the drone body and ensure the propellers are intact beforehand to decrease your chances of a drone crash. Pay attention and see if you notice any screws loose, cracks, or chips.
Does your drone operate with an app? If so, be sure you update to the latest firmware. Once done, calibrate the compass and enable flight logging so you can more accurately track the drone.
Double-check the battery life and temperature. Read the owner’s manual to take note of the proper temperature. If your battery is too cold or too hot you’re setting yourself up for a potentially dangerous flight.
Locate the Drone
Odds are you’re bound to experience a drone crash sooner or later. Crashing a drone happens to everyone—novice or a seasoned vet. It may be your fault or extraneous conditions outside of your control.
The first step is not to panic. Follow FAA regulations, and you’ll be able to tell roughly where the drone has landed. If you can’t find it with your line of sight, resort to using the map on the app!
Check for Damage
After you’ve located the drone, check for any damage that may have occurred. You may find that there is neither internal or external damage to the drone. Write down anything you damage you may spot in the case you need to contact the manufacturer.
Be sure to inspect the battery. Are there any dents or swelling you see?
A few dings won’t matter much, but swelling will. Don’t fly your drone with a swelled battery. Instead, contact the manufacturer of the drone right away.
Test Flight
The next thing you’ll want to do post-drone crash is a test flight. Once you have a new battery installed, remove all the propellors and boot it up. You won’t be able to fly but you can run the standard boot sequence.
The standard boot sequence of your drone will check firmware updates, camera gimbal, and sensors. Simulate a flight sequence to ensure everything is behaving as it should.
Pop the propellors back on the drone and get ready for a low-altitude test flight! You don’t want to go extreme here, as you are testing to see if it is okay or needs drone repair. Pay attention to the GPS and remote transmitter upon your test flight.
You want to be as binary with this as possible—did your drone pass or fail the test? If it passes, you can continue with the flight. If something seems to be malfunctioning, internal damage may have occurred during the drone crash.
Drone Repair
It is advised not to perform a DIY drone repair. Even if you think everything is okay on the surface, underneath the hood your drone may require proper maintenance. You never know if a circuit board may have gotten knocked loose.
Head to drdrone to have all your drone repairs handled professionally. The turnaround time will be much quicker than dealing with the drone manufacturer.
You’ve Passed the Drone Crash Course
Congratulations! You’ve passed the drone crash course. Now you ought to have a better understanding of what to do if you crash a drone.
If you enjoy drones, then you’ll want to hover over to our tech blog. You will love our posts that will keep in you the loop. Now fly away and enjoy!