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The last thing you want to happen when you've worked hard to buy a brand new drone is to make a mistake that could easily have been avoided. While some factors are inevitably out of your hands, you need to be aware of the things you can control and the mistakes you can avoid.
Why do drones collide?
Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, collide for a number of reasons:
1. Malfunction in the rotors
Your drone's rotors/propellers are built to be durable and soft at the same time so they won't hurt the world or damage other objects. They are therefore quite sensitive to their shape after several collisions. Always check all rotors before each flight to ensure they are in perfect condition.
2. No GPS signal
If you fly your drone indoors, it's almost guaranteed to lack GPS signal. Therefore it is recommended to always fly in open areas away from tall buildings.
3. Compass error
Misaligned compasses are one of the biggest causes of drone collisions. Drone compasses can be detuned by any magnetic and radio source. Avoid keeping the drone too close to magnets such as car speakers during transport, as well as flying in high electromagnetic interference environment, high voltage lines and cell phone towers.
4. Disconnected video streaming
This is another common cause of drone crashes and can happen anytime after your first flight or a few months later and usually results from loose cables and broken ports. Make sure cables are always securely connected before flight and carefully disconnected afterwards to keep ports in good condition.
5. Pressing Return to Home very soon
When you lose control of your drone, as a pilot one of the quickest natural reactions would be to hit the Return to Home (RTH) button, but it's worth remembering that most consumer drones cannot avoid obstacles . This means that the drone will simply trace a straight line to the take-off point even if there are trees or buildings or power poles in the way - but this can easily lead to a serious collision. You shouldn't panic and hit the RTH button every time you lose control of the drone, stay calm and think of a better move.
6. Incorrect initial takeoff point
This sometimes happens when the GPS signal is lost during flight and then regained, causing the drone to recalibrate to an incorrect starting point. Note that the starting point can be where your drone took off or wherever your remote is. Finally, make sure you set your return altitude to be higher than anything in the area, 100m should be fine unless you're flying over a city or near particularly tall structures.
7. Current error
It is essential to always fly with a fully charged battery and never be tempted to start a new flight with a low or partially charged battery. While you'll probably get away with using a half-charged battery most of the time, this always comes with the risk of accidentally losing power mid-flight when you least expect it.
8. Insufficient battery to return safely to the starting point
It is important to land your drone with 30% battery power so that in case an emergency situation requires you to delay landing, you have enough time to find a new landing spot or troubleshoot the problem. In addition, some drones come with a safe feature where the drone automatically heads back to its home point when the battery reaches 10%. This can be useful, but in case there are trees or other obstacles between the drone and its starting point, the drone will fly straight into them.
9. Collision with another drone
If there are other drones in the sky there is always the possibility of a collision, especially if the pilots are both unaware of the other's presence in the area, performing complex flight maneuvers or racing.
10. Aircraft heading error
When the drone is flying very high in the sky it can be hard to tell, especially for novice pilots, which way it is. It's easy to mistake the tip of the tail for the nose and thus steer it in the wrong direction. Make sure you familiarize yourself with which side is which before flying farther.
