Lost Z11 - Somerset

[M6TPV]

This is far from the thread I ever expected to start but I today lost my Z11 somewhere in Somerset. 

I was at my normal flying site near Wells in Somerset with my spotter, flying well within the limits of LOS and lost visual on the goggles but the Z11 failed to respond to control inputs.

I switched to the FYDOS RTH expecting her to come back but after a few minutes there was no sign.  Eyewitnesses I spoke to stated she appeared to be heading in a westerly direction..

If anyone hears of a large black and yellow plane as shown below can you please PM me..

Cheers.

[Flyn]

Ah mate that's sucks!! Was it new?

Do you have a ground recording or any tracking device onboard? How much battery was left & how was your failsafe set?

Do you think it was a midair power failure?

Did you have your phone number or email address with promise of reward on the wing?

[Flyn]

Shame I got a full week at work as my mum lives a few miles from you & I could've paid her a visit & help you look for the ZII.

By the time I've got some spare time it'll be into next week.

[Gundummy]

M6TVP

That's about 25mins from me, If you need a hand i'm off work all Month lol.... Or if you could be more specific where you think it went down?

http://gridreferencefinder.com/

and post links....

[M6TPV]

Hi Guys,

Unfortunately there was no tracking device and no ground recording as lost the video.

Also no number and reward on her, as was only flying her localised within LOS and relied on my spotter, she was only a week old but had been tested last weekend, RTH worked so I've no idea what went wrong, one minute she was flying happily, next the video was breaking up and last contact we had was somewhere near Priddy, about 2 miles NW of Wells in Somerset. 

We've been out and had a look with the quads, my fear is she's headed off at a good turn of pace with about 20 mins battery life, possibly more so she could have ended up going out of the Bristol Channel.

I've reported the loss to the Police in case of any incidents as a result, I am with BMFA.

I am just hoping word gets around and someone somewhere finds her and knows someone who uses this and/or other forums who can let me have her back.. It's quite a loss to suffer, a quick calculation of cost makes depressing viewing, I thought I had it covered with the FyDOS and GPS which had worked satisfactorily only last weekend.

Bob


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[Badlands]

:-(  Does sound like you had a power failure - could it of broken up mid-air?

[Flyn]

Ah dude that's not good news :(

As me & Badlands said above it does sound very much like a low voltage situation.

Did you plug both lipos in as this is the prime cause of what you've described, I know personally 2 people who have done just that & have flown with just one lipo powering the plane, one person lost then found their plane & the other just managed to get it into land LOS dead stick.

[M6TPV]

I'd be very shocked if it was low voltage, it was only up 5 mins before it went rouge and disappeared heading west at apparently high speed according to a couple who saw it...

I am just hoping that it will turn up, there is a glimmer of hope that it might be near Westbury-Sub-Mendip as scanning the horizon we saw something that appeared to be yellow and black but unfortunately at the distance we observed it it could have been a bird as other birds seemed to be tracking whatever it was... It may have been my imagination. 




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[Flyn]

Wow ok, sounds very strange then! No control & no video at the same time is very odd gotta say, plus full throttle escape is even weirder!

It did have a good gps sig right, & you definitely set the home position to where you were? As if gps was wrong it could fire it off in some random direction on rth?

Dont mean to patronise you, just trying to think of causes.

I really hope you find it, are you searching again at first light? I would be up there pretty quick incase some inquisitive dog walker picks it up.

[M6TPV]

I've really no idea where to start looking, it's a slim chance and a very slim chance it may be where I spotted the bird like something that could have been the Zed.

I'm not sure if the motor was at max chat, it may have been the Failsafes 60% that was set and I only have what some walkers said and with a tail wind they'd have thought it was doing Mach 2.

The RTH was set, green flashing GPS lock etc... I don't really know what's happened and why.

I too am hoping it will reappear, if it does I'll fly a Z11 again but think at this time the loss is too much to consider renewing her just yet, patience is a virtue and all that I am just hoping Lady Luck is on my side...

[Flyn]

If you don't find it pm me, I've got a spare one I can sort you out with, it ain't too pretty but with the addition of a motor mount & correx hatches it'll be just fine ;)

[Brucey]

Fail save sets throttle at 60%?

[Flyn]

Fail save sets throttle at 60%?

For RTH on a system that doesn't manage throttle me thinks.

I'll always set to 0% tbh or at least 30% on systems like that.

Personally I use eagle tree gear with full automation inc throttle control, which has saved my ZII on RTH in a totally heroic fashion!

[mjc1970]

Having lost a Z2 myself I feel your pain and I was lucky I didn't loose my Venturi too as I'm the second case Flynn referred to having only plugged one battery pack in!! Luckily I was close in at the time when the video faded and I quickly lifted my goggles and managed to LOS her back in without damage.

I really hope somebody finds her and reports it to the police.  This once again is a lesson to us all to put your number on the side of the plane.  I got a phone call five months later when somebody found mine on the side of a Scottish mountain!   

Unless it was stabilized, you'd probably find that it came down very quickly. You take your hands off the controls next time you're flying a wing (you will have another in time) and see how inherently unstable they are.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.  Good luck.

[M6TPV]

If you don't find it pm me, I've got a spare one I can sort you out with, it ain't too pretty but with the addition of a motor mount & correx hatches it'll be just fine ;)

Flynn that's most generous of you and thank you.  I do hope that it won't come to that though and in time it will turn up...

I am just hoping it will be localish and someone does report it to the Police, I need to put a similar notice on the Police website as don't think a call to the Police control room will get it on the records and yes, lesson learnt.....

Before committing any future aircraft to the air my numbers going on her and my BMFA Membership number.




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