DJI Advises Customers To Fly With Caution When Using TB50 And TB55 Batteries In Drones
DJI Investigating Cause Of Small Number Of Batteries Reporting Incorrect Power Levels
DJI is investigating reports that a small number of TB50 and TB55 batteries have shown incorrect power levels that have led to loss of power mid-flight. Flight safety and product reliability are our top priorities, and we are advising customers to fly with caution when operating their drones equipped with these batteries. In addition, DJI is working on a firmware update that will provide improvements to flight safety for the affected drones.
DJI strongly advises customers to strictly follow regulations that are designed to mitigate the risk of a power failure, including U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibitions against flight over people and vehicles, and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority's offset requirements from people and property. Do not operate over, or in close proximity to, people or property that could be injured or damaged in the event of a power loss. Customers performing non-essential operations may also choose to delay those operations until we are able to provide more information.
DJI is taking this step out of an abundance of caution, and we are urgently working on a mitigation plan to allow customers to confidently use these batteries again as soon as possible. DJI is working on a firmware update for the affected batteries which will provide improvements to flight safety and be made available in two weeks. DJI will promptly update customers on the status of these efforts.
In the meantime, customers are advised to check the voltage of their TB50 or TB55 batteries before and during the flight. Instructions can be found below.*
TB55 batteries are used to power the Matrice 200 series of professional drones, while TB50 batteries are used to power the Matrice 200 series and Inspire 2 drones. A small number of customers have reported mid-air power failures while using TB55 batteries, which share similar power management firmware with the TB50. DJI is working with our battery supplier, which developed the power management algorithm for those batteries, to determine the underlying cause of those failures and develop a solution for them.
DJI is reviewing all recent reports of power problems that may be connected to this issue. Any customer who believes he or she may have experienced a related power problem involving the TB50 or TB55 battery should contact DJI customer service at dji.com/support to report the issue.
*Instructions before and during flight:
1. Fully charge the battery according to the indicator on the charger, not the indicator on the battery itself
2. Insert the battery in the drone, power on and check in the app that the voltage is above 4.25V (fully charged)
3. During flight, continue to monitor the voltage of the battery in the battery submenu of the app at all times and ensure it is above 3.7V
4. Plan your flight so as to end the operation and land with at least 3.7V indicated (approximately 30% of full charge)
5. Reminder: Keep the flight within visual line of sight (VLOS) to support a safe return to home
6. Do not fly over people, moving vehicles, or other property that is susceptible to damage
