Skydio 2 - unsuccessful crash

fracz · Dec 21, 2022

I have read on this forum some time ago that any crash after which the drone is still flying can be considered successful. Well, mine had an unsuccessful crash this this week then.

It flew into a thin wire that even me hadn't seen before it flew into it. The battery immediately detached from the drone and it felt on the road from approximately 4 meters. It was really hard to watch :-(

There was a really big snow this day on the ground and if it hit the ground 1m further, it will probably survive the crash "landing" in a big and soft snowdrift. But it chose the road.

Two of the bootom cameras broke as well as two propellers. One engine seems to spin harder that three others (with fingers). Gimbal camera did not broke and detach from the drone, but the gimbal is holding much more loosely than before. The drone starts up and connects via WiFi to phone, but after the calibration it reports a Gimbal error. The battery box also broke in two places, but it works too, when connected to drone (it charges, turns the drone on).

AFAIK, there are no replacement parts for S2 available anywhere (or am I wrong?), so there is little-to-no chance I will manage to fly with it anymore.

Well, short but great adventure. I'm really upset now, but no regrets. I'm glad I took the risk as this drone is amazing. Looking for a new one.

Ridefreak · Dec 21, 2022

I'm sorry to hear about the crash, wires and small branches are this drone's nemesis. It hadn't been in people's hands 3 days and there were already well publicized crashes into wires on YT.

It's not a drone that typically gets self repaired outside of minor stuff as you may know. I've had a crashed one apart and just swapping parts isn't for the casual tinkerer, it can be done but it's along the lines of replacing small parts inside a cell phone if you've ever done that plus the drone is a puzzle to it get apart w/o damaging anything, not impossible but not easy by any means and that's coming from a retired electronics guy. Parts for it are non existent outside of buying them from a cannibalized drone. And since you'd be replacing some cameras it might need a new calibration or at least checked before you let it loose, you'd need skydio for that. All that adds up to a drone that mostly gets send back for repairs. It's not cheap, the cost is often close to the price of a replacement.

I see the battery got cracked open, that's the first time I've seen that. If you have time and don't mind I wonder if you'd be willing examining it to see how it comes apart maybe take some picks of how its held together. I've sot an older one I'd like to disassemble but I don't want to ruin the battery case taking it apart. I've suspected screws or catches under that rubber pad stuck to the bottom surface. I've not peeled one off to check though.

DrtBkDav · Dec 24, 2022

After I crashed mine (Broken Gimble, scratches on some cameras, props mangled) I sent it back to Skydio for repair.

They charged me a total of $550 to get it fixed. In reality they just sent me a brand new one I think. That's still better than a new drone at least.

I sent it in on the 5th of the month and they shipped one back to me on the 20th.

Has worked like a charm so far.

gsrider · Dec 24, 2022

Sorry about your drone. My S2+ tangled with a high wire but survived with only scratches on the props. Not having the battery ripped off, it was able to right itself and slow its fall a little before hitting the ground., To say the least, I was gobsmacked when it was able to take off again and fly the rest of the mission. To date, there have been no problems. May your next drone avoid wires and have no problems.