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1. The M300 was climbing and pitching forward at reasonable speeds.2. At a reported 40ft (OSD reports 45ft) the PIC saw a black object shoot out of the drone and it started to swirl.3. The UAS motion got more violent, falling faster with an increasing yawing motion.4. The PIC tried to do a down input but it appeared to have no affect on the unstable aircraft.5. The M300 landed upside down. The mounting bracket broke on ground impact and the p1 sensor was 3ft from the wreckage
DJI Flight Log Analysis
Background and Context
The crash happened on the 16th of April, 2025. The aircraft in question was DJI M300C. It took place at the Purdue Wildlife Area where Anesti (PIC) and Cameron (VO) were test flying it after the removal and reinstallation of the propeller brackets for Purdue Aviation Day.
The M300, more commonly referred to as the DJI Matrice 300, is a large quad-rotor UAS designed for “high-performance, industrial-grade.. enterprise applications” (Google AI).
Root Cause Analysis
The primary cause of this crash was the propeller shearing mid flight causing the UAS to lose control. This was a mechanical failure that led to the M300 crashing.
Human Error could have certainly been a factor in the crash. An improper checkout review by the dispatcher on duty or the propeller brackets could have been reinstalled wrong. The fact that the VO did not see anything could have been due to a lack of VO awareness in the flight leading up to the crash.
There seemed to be no environmental or regulatory causes related to the crash. The weather was pretty close to the FAA’s definition of a “standard day” of 59 degrees Fahrenheit and no wind, with the weather on the day being 52 degrees Fahrenheit with zero wind.
Crash Dynamics
The following steps outline the flight that ultimately ended in the crash.
The kmz file retrieved from the M300 shows the flight path the aircraft took during its failed mission. The aircraft starts its flight by climbing at a reasonable rate and with a slight forward pitch. The aircraft then experiences the loss of its propellers and begins to rapidly lose altitude whilst seemingly spinning in circles.
The CSV file from the M300 shows that during the flight, there were minor roll and pitch changes, and a large yaw hazard, which increased exponentially until around ten seconds, when you can see major oscillations from all roll, pitch, and yaw, until around fourteen seconds into the flight mission. The oscillations seen would be attributed to the drone spinning while falling, matching what the PIC and VO reported seeing.
Post-Crash Response and Consequences
The PIC measured the distance of all the parts and sensors from the drone. He collected all the parts that broke off of the drone and did a brief visual inspection. The PIC filled out a SATT crash report as well as submitting a crash report to UAS Dispatch where he attached images and a screen recording of the flight so dispatch could get more information as to what happened.
The UAS Dispatch team took several steps both in investigation of the crash as well as preventative measures. Magnifying glasses were used to inspect the remaining propeller pieces as well as the intact props on the remaining M300s for microfractures or other visible weak spots. Torque settings were also investigated in case the brackets were overtightened and resulted in excess vibrations reaching the propellers.
In terms of consequences, the only real consequence that came about was the inability to use the drone because it had been shipped back to DJI for repairs. No punishment was leveled against anyone because there was no malice or intent in anyone’s actions.
Recommendations
The PIC did a test flight of different maneuvers before the crash at low altitudes before ascending. In our opinion this shows that the problem wasn’t related to test flying the drone. One of the reasons given for the crash was improper propeller use over time. I think that a operational change that could have prevented this crash is if UAS dispatch had better means of logging propeller flight hours and propeller damage. Vibrations caused by improper torquing of the bracket screws could also have contributed to the crash, but it is difficult to say for sure.
Bibliography
Google.com, 2026, earth.google.com/web/@40.45069706. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
“DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help.” Www.phantomhelp.com, www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026
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