Public case timeline

DJI Refused to Analyze My Incident Flight Log

During a family vacation in Italy, I was flying my DJI Neo over a lake. The drone started drifting over the water without input, then became difficult to control while I was trying to bring it back. Around 01:38 in the flight log, it stopped responding normally to controls; the bank angle and speed increased, and it hit the water at high speed. DJI refused to analyze the actual May 29 incident flight and instead focused on a post-recovery test flight. That is frustrating because I care about flight safety and still want to understand the root cause of the crash. Here are flight logs and the rundown of my interaction with DJI Support.

πŸ’¬ Chat source βœ‰οΈ Email source πŸ“ Notes
DJI Support ↔ Me
Emails are shortened for readability; full text is available under Source.
May 29, 2026
πŸ“ My DJI Neo lost control and crashed into the water. I recovered it from the bottom of the lake.
May 31, 2026
πŸ“ After two days of drying, I tested the drone and it appeared to work. I uploaded the flight logs through the DJI App requesting flight analysis.
June 5, 2026 – Session 1
πŸ“ Did not hear anything back from DJI Support regarding the flight log analysis request. Contacted DJI Support through online chat to follow up on the request and received the response below.
Me πŸ’¬

I've submitted FlightLog Analysis Request and received the tracking id. How do I proceed?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Greetings from DJI Technical Support. Michael is with you.

Me πŸ’¬

Hi, I've requested Flight Log Analysis through Log Upload from the App. I've received a QR Code with Tracking ID, how do I proceed now?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Where did you get tracking ID from? May I know this please?

Me πŸ’¬

After uploading log though DJI App I was presented with QR code and Tracking ID. It said to take a screenshot of it and to "send to online DJI Support for assistance"

Me πŸ’¬

[Image: QR code screenshot – Tracking ID: 64a8f135-22a3-42b5-bd8d-0b195d526255]

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Hi there

Me πŸ’¬

Here's the QR code

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thanks for sharing May I know if there is any issue with your device?

Me πŸ’¬

Yes, I've described it in the log upload. The drone (DJI Neo) lost control and crashed into the water at high speed. I'm interested why this happened, was there software, hardware or pilot error

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I may need a few minutes to check this for you, would it be okay to put you on hold for 3-5 minutes?

Me πŸ’¬

yes

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thank you Thank you so much for waiting: we appreciate your patience with us. Did you retreive you aircraft already?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Your*

Me πŸ’¬

Yes, I was able to find it laying on the bottom of the lake

DJI Support πŸ’¬

May I have the serial number of your device and your current residing country name, please?

Me πŸ’¬

sure, where do I find the serial? On device or in app? I'm in Germany

DJI Support πŸ’¬

The serial number (SN) of the DJI Neo aircraft can be found in two places: on the sticker inside the battery compartment and on the barcode sticker on the package. [Image: instruction screenshot]

Me πŸ’¬

can I just send you the photo of QR?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Sure, please

Me πŸ’¬

[Image: photo of device serial sticker]

Me πŸ’¬

OK I think I've attached it.. is there resolution OK?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thank you

Me πŸ’¬

The sticker is the drone reg number BTW

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I will check it first Please allow me to transfer the chat to our relevant team for better assistance on this issue, please hold online.

Me πŸ’¬

ok

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Your concern has been transferred to me. It may take 3-5 minutes for me to review your previous conversation. Please hold on line.

Me πŸ’¬

sure thing, I have the flight logs if needed too

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thanks for your time. We appreciate your patience. According to your situation, we recommend you to send your device back to us for further checking, you can submit an online repair request here https://repair.dji.com/repair/index . - You may enter the Serial Number, fill up the online form and submit to get a case number. - You will receive a case number CAS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX, and shipping instructions within 12 - 24 hours.

Me πŸ’¬

Are there any costs associated with it or does DJI cover shipping and repair?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

We will cover the shipping for you, after you submit the request, you will receive the free shipping label via email, and cause your device is within warranty, after we receive your device, we will do the damage assessment, if the result shows that is not user error, we will provide you free service.

Me πŸ’¬

roger that, thank you

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thanks for your understanding, I really appreciate it.

Me πŸ’¬

Is there any way to get the result of the analysis, I'm interested in flight safety, not only in drone repair

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Of course, after you submit the request, you can provide me the case number and I will make a note to our relevant team to do the data analysis, and it would shows the reason that cause the accident.

πŸ“ This is why I created the repair case: DJI Support said the case number would be forwarded to the relevant team for data analysis to identify the accident cause.
Me πŸ’¬

Great, thank you! Have a nice day

DJI Support πŸ’¬

My pleasure to help you, you can contact us when you have the case number and we will make the note for you. thank you My pleasure to help you.:) Any further question, please feel free to contact us again. Have a nice day and take care. Thanks for choosing DJI.

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Case Created Successfully Your DJI Case has been created successfully with a case number of CAS-33415913-B8S5F5. Please follow the instructions below to send back your device(s). <... omitted ...>

Me πŸ’¬

I've created the case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5, I think I still need some assistance, since I'm now confused about the batteries. I'm not sure whether I should send in the battery

June 12, 2026 – Session 2: Dispute of repair assessment
DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Quotation This message is from DJI Support. A quote detailing the cost to repair your product DJI Neo is attached to this email. <... omitted ...> Flight Date: 2026-06-01 01:07:44 GMT+8 1. The aircraft worked under Sport mode after took off. 2. Flight Time T=160.9s, Relative Height H=0.8m, Distance to Home Point D=7.2m, the pilot pushed the pitch stick forward, the aircraft flew to the front direction, the aircraft crashed with obstacles. 3. The incident coordinate: (45.4524549, 10.6686335). Flight Conclusion: The incident was caused by non-manufacturing factors. Therefore, it is concluded to customer responsibility. <... omitted ...> Grand Total Payment (EUR): €100.50

πŸ“ I received DJI’s repair assessment and noticed discrepancies between the assessment and the flight record I had submitted.
Me πŸ’¬

Hello. I have a question regarding case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5. I have received the repair assessment, but I believe there may be significant discrepancies between the submitted flight record and the flight-data analysis used in the assessment. Before I provide the details, could you please confirm whether you are able to review and escalate flight-data analysis issues, or whether I should be transferred to the appropriate team?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thanks for contacting DJI after-sales support. This is Evan. How may I help you today?

Me πŸ’¬

Hello. I have a question regarding case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5. I have received the repair assessment, but I believe there may be significant discrepancies between the submitted flight record and the flight-data analysis used in the assessment. Before I provide the details, could you please confirm whether you are able to review and escalate flight-data analysis issues, or whether I should be transferred to the appropriate team?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Hi, there. Please kindly hold on 3-5 mins, I need to check your case first

Me πŸ’¬

OK

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thank you

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thank you for your patience. After review, we have completed the data analysis for your case. The results are as follows: MC SN: 1581F87LB251400204Z3 BAT SN: 87HPMBFAA008D8 Flight Date: 2026-06-01 01:07:44 GMT+8 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 1.The aircraft worked under Sport mode after took off 2.Flight Time T=160.9s, Relative Height H=0.8m, Distance to Home Point D=7.2m, the pilot pushed the pitch stick forward, the aircraft flew to the front direction, the aircraft crashed with obstacles 3.The incident coordinate: (45.4524549, 10.6686335)

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Flight Conclusion: The incident was caused by non-manufacturing factors. Therefore, it is concluded to customer responsibility.

Me πŸ’¬

Thank you. I believe there are several objective inconsistencies between the repair assessment and the flight record I submitted, and I would like the case escalated for review. The assessment references a flight date of 2026-06-01 01:07:44 GMT+8. However, the flight record I submitted is FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt and contains telemetry from 2026-05-29 15:21:17 to 15:23:03 local time. The assessment references an incident at T=160.9s, but the submitted flight record ends at T=105.7s. The assessment references incident coordinates (45.4524549, 10.6686335), which do not appear to match the submitted flight record and are approximately 4 km from the logged flight path. My original report identified abnormal drift, inability to maintain position, and the onset of abnormal behavior at approximately 01:38. The assessment does not address these reported symptoms. Could this case please be escalated to the flight-data analysis team for review? I can provide a more detailed technical breakdown if required.

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I got your concern. No worries, I will relay your situation to our factory and ask them to redo the data analysis.

Me πŸ’¬

thank you

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Please pay attention on your email and wait for the updates, you will receive email notification within 1-3 business days

Me πŸ’¬

Thank you for your help. Could you please confirm that the discrepancies regarding the flight date, T=160.9s, incident coordinates, and the reported abnormal behavior around 01:38 have been included in the re-analysis request?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I will forward all the detailed information you provided to our factory, including the flight date, T=160.9s, incident coordinates, and the reported abnormal behavior around 01:38.

Me πŸ’¬

Thank you

DJI Support πŸ’¬

You are most welcome

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Hi, are you still there?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I just reviewed your case again. Our team noted in your data analysis results that when exporting the data, they found that your drone did not have an accident on May 29th, but the accident occurred between 7 and 8 AM on May 31st. Therefore, they analyzed the data from May 31st. And the system displays the time corresponding to DJI China headquarters, so due to the time difference, it shows June 1st.

πŸ“ I went offline before seeing Evan’s final chat message.
DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

I just reviewed your case again. Our team noted in your data analysis results that when exporting the data, they found that your drone did not have an accident on May 29th, but the accident occurred between 7 and 8 AM on May 31st. Therefore, they analyzed the data from May 31st. And our system displays the time corresponding to DJI China headquarters, so due to the time difference, it shows June 1st. Therefore, we may not be able to redo the data analysis as you requested.

πŸ“ Evan’s follow-up email stated that DJI analyzed the May 31 flight rather than the May 29 flight.
June 13, 2026 – Session 3: Re-analysis request
Me πŸ’¬

Hello, I need further assistance regarding case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5.

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thanks for contacting DJI after-sales support. This is Rosa. How can I help you today?

Me πŸ’¬

Hello, I need further assistance regarding case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5.

DJI Support πŸ’¬

how may I help you with this case?

Me πŸ’¬

I have received an update regarding the flight-data analysis, but I believe I have identified the source of the discrepancy and would like the case reviewed again. Could you please check the case and advise whether you are able to forward additional information to the factory team?

DJI Support πŸ’¬

I understood your concern, let me check this case

DJI Support πŸ’¬

MC SN: 1581F87LB251400204Z3 BAT SN: 87HPMBFAA008D8 Flight Date: 2026-06-01 01:07:44 GMT+8 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 FLY-0131 1.The aircraft worked under Sport mode after took off 2.Flight Time T=160.9s, Relative Height H=0.8m, Distance to Home Point D=7.2m, the pilot pushed the pitch stick forward, the aircraft flew to the front direction, the aircraft crashed with obstacles 3.The incident coordinate: (45.4524549, 10.6686335) Flight Conclusion: The incident was caused by non-manufacturing factors. Therefore, it is concluded to customer responsibility.

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Upon checking, this is the result of the data analysis May I know the discrepancy, please?

Me πŸ’¬

I believe the wrong flight was analyzed. The accident flight referenced in my repair request is: FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt This is the Lake Garda water-impact flight described in the incident report. The aircraft was recovered from the water, dried, and remained operational. I subsequently performed several test flights after the recovery. Based on the information in DJI's assessment, I believe the analysis was performed on one of these later test flights rather than the original accident flight. In particular, the assessment references incident coordinates (45.4524549, 10.6686335), which do not match the coordinates of the accident flight. The assessment also describes a low-altitude incident profile that is consistent with my post-recovery testing flights. I now believe the factory may have analyzed a later test flight, possibly FlightRecord_2026-05-31_[19-07-37].txt, instead of the actual accident flight. Please ask the factory to review FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt, as this is the actual accident flight referenced in my repair request and incident description.

Me πŸ’¬

I have the flight records and can provide them if needed

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Sure, if you could, please share it with me so that I can forward this to our engineer to further check this, and I will email the update to you within 1-3 working days.

Me πŸ’¬

[File: FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].zip]

Me πŸ’¬

here you go

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Thank you for your information I will forward this to our engineer I will email the update to you within 1-3 working days.

Me πŸ’¬

Thank you very, much and have a nice day

DJI Support πŸ’¬

My pleasure OK. If you have any other questions later, please feel free to contact us again. Have a great day and take care. Thanks for choosing DJI! Byebye~

Me πŸ’¬

bye

DJI Support πŸ’¬

Bye :)

June 15-17, 2026 – Email exchange with DJI Support
DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

We have received information from our team that you disagree with the analysis results. We are very sorry, but our colleagues reached this conclusion based on the stored flight data. Our warranty terms do not apply to water-damaged devices. The device manual also includes a section about flying DJI Neo devices near water. We advise against this because reflections on the water may cause the device to receive incorrect GPS signals and thereby cause an accident. If you would like to continue using your device, we can offer you a 20% discount on the current price. Your product will be replaced. If you would like to accept this offer, please reply to our email.

Me βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for the response. I understand that water damage itself may not be covered under warranty. However, my concern is not simply that the aircraft is water-damaged. My concern is the cause of the water impact. The aircraft entered the water after abnormal flight behavior during the flight recorded as: FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt This is the water-impact incident described in my repair request. The drone was later recovered from the water, dried, and flown again. Therefore, any later post-recovery flight should not be used to determine the cause of the original water impact. Based on DJI's assessment coordinates and flight profile, it appears that DJI analyzed a later post-water-damage test flight, likely: FlightRecord_2026-05-31_[19-07-37].txt That flight occurred after the aircraft had already been submerged and recovered. It is therefore not relevant for determining why the aircraft originally entered the water on May 29. I respectfully ask DJI to confirm whether the final decision is based specifically on FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt, and not on a later post-recovery test flight. I have attached the accident flight record again. I also ask DJI to clarify the telemetry basis for the conclusion that the May 29 water impact was not caused by hardware, sensor, or software/flight-control behavior. If DJI is not willing to perform or provide this clarification, please confirm that the current offer is DJI's final position so I can decide whether to accept the replacement/repair offer.

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for your feedback. our colleagues always extract data from the last flight data. This is also important because if the customer has an accident with a machine we sell (as you wrote) and then continues to fly with it, it is the customer's responsibility from then on. Therefore, we can only offer you alternatives that comply with your regulations. And this is a replacement device.

πŸ“ At this point, I had lost hope that DJI would re-analyze the correct flight, but I still wanted a clear written confirmation that DJI was refusing to do so.
Me βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for the clarification. Just so I understand DJI's position correctly: are you confirming that the final decision is based on a later post-water-damage flight, and that DJI will not analyze FlightRecord_2026-05-29_[17-21-17].txt to determine the cause of the original water impact? If so, please also clarify the replacement offer: - What is the final price I would need to pay? - Does 'replacement device' mean a replacement aircraft only, or the full DJI Neo Fly More Combo that I sent in? - Is the replacement new or refurbished?

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Your quote is €100.50. Only the drone has water damage, the rest of your devices continue to work flawlessly. We can replace the water-damaged drone for you with a so-called refurbished drone. This meets DJI's quality requirements and is still under warranty until 2027.08. Data analysis: no, we cannot perform data analysis retrospectively. The last flight data is the one that counts for us.

Me βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for the clarification. I would like to proceed with the replacement offer. As the original quotation was €100.50 and DJI offered a 20% discount, I understand the final payment amount should be €80.40. Please send me the updated payment link or revised quotation reflecting this amount.

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Today you should receive the new email with the revised offer from our team. Please check your email inbox.

Me βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for your message. Unfortunately, I have not yet received the new email with the revised quotation. I have also checked my spam/junk folder. Could you please check whether the updated offer for case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5 has already been sent, and resend it if necessary? Thank you.

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Quotation This message is from DJI Support. A quote detailing the cost to repair your product DJI Neo is attached to this email. <... omitted ...> Flight Date: 2026-06-01 01:07:44 GMT+8 1. The aircraft worked under Sport mode after took off. 2. Flight Time T=160.9s, Relative Height H=0.8m, Distance to Home Point D=7.2m, the pilot pushed the pitch stick forward, the aircraft flew to the front direction, the aircraft crashed with obstacles. 3. The incident coordinate: (45.4524549, 10.6686335). Flight Conclusion: The incident was caused by non-manufacturing factors. Therefore, it is concluded to customer responsibility. <... omitted ...> Grand Total Payment (EUR): €74.46

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Sorry, I don't know what the problem could be. I downloaded the PDF and attached it. I hope it will be fine.

Me βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for your help. I received the payment information shortly before your email and have now completed the payment for case CAS-33415913-B8S5F5. Please let me know if anything else is needed from my side.

DJI Support βœ‰οΈ

Thank you for your payment, we have received it, and the tracking number will be sent to you by email tomorrow.

πŸ“ I received the tracking number, and the drone is on its way back.