Drone Crash Recovery: Lessons Learned

I recently managed to crash my DJI Neo again in the river, but this time it happened on the other side of the peninsula where I usually practice. After about 20 minutes of searching through the shallow waters, I finally retrieved it. I could spot the Neo from afar, but I had to approach from the mainland side, as it was easier to enter the water from there.

You might be wondering how the Neo ended up in the water. I was practicing diving from the tops of the trees down to the surface, and everything was going well until the Neo suddenly lost connection with my FPV goggles, cutting off my view in an instant. Shortly after that disconnection, I heard a splashing sound and realized it had crashed into the river behind me.

After retrieving the drone, I hurried home to dry it off as quickly as possible, separating it from the battery to prevent any short-circuiting. Miraculously, it restarted and appeared to be functioning normally until I noticed some compass errors indicating I needed to recalibrate it. Unfortunately, the calibration was unsuccessful, and I received numerous error messages instructing me to contact support.

Fortunately, I had opted for the DJI Care Refresh service, valid for two years. The Neo is now back at the repair center, and I’m waiting to see whether it will be repaired or replaced entirely. I’m relieved I chose the DJI Care Refresh service for my Neo. The Neo cost me 200 Euros, with the service costing an additional 48 Euros. Even factoring in my first repair cost of 23 Euros, any future repairs will still be far less than the price of a new Neo.

While I thoroughly enjoy learning FPV piloting, it’s clear that having proper insurance is a wise investment. I didn’t purchase DJI Care Refresh for my first Neo, which crash-landed in Lake Davos last year—a rather amusing incident in hindsight. However, I was hooked on using the Neo, leading me to buy my second one shortly after that mishap, on my way from Davos to Locarno. That incident also prompted me to get DJI Care Refresh for my second Neo.

The lesson here is that the droning hobby can be costly, and having insurance like DJI Care Refresh is invaluable. Even as you become a better drone pilot through practice, many things can still go wrong—not necessarily due to poor piloting, but often because of technical issues.

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