OSB Number:SOSB-24-V11
Date: 21 November 2024
Operational Impact: Calibrating using the Multi-Step Calibration (magnetometer) option during night flights may lead to erratic flight behavior when surrounding objects causing magnetic interference are present. This may lead to inaccurate heading estimates that negatively impact in-flight behavior.
Products affected: Skydio X2, Skydio X2D
Description, Identification, and Manifestation
When flying Skydio X2/X2D in environments with low-light or poor visibility, pilots must enter GPS Night Flight. This mode requires manual calibration and allows pilots to choose between Hand Wave or Multi-Step Calibration. Multi-Step Calibration uses a magnetometer to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.
When using Multi-Step Calibration, magnetic interference from surrounding objects (e.g., steel, iron, nickel) may cause significant noise in magnetometer readings, leading to inaccurate heading estimations. This may subsequently cause erratic flight motion, which, in rare cases, may lead to crashes.
Mitigation
Recommended Operator Actions
During night flights, we strongly recommend all X2/X2D pilots use Hand Wave Calibration in place of Multi-Step Calibration, as Hand Wave calibration doesn't rely on the magnetometer.