NTO: Skydio X10 “Unsupported Attachments Error” - 22 January 2025

OSB Number: SOSB-24-V-16

Safety Risk: There are two rare cases where flying with NightSense could lead to safety risks due to “Unsupported Attachment Error”:

• Uncommanded emergency landings can occur if the error appears during flight and GPS is unavailable or unable to acquire a sufficient signal for navigation.
• Collision with an obstacle can also occur when using NightSense if it is being used for obstacle avoidance and this error is seen.

Products affected: Skydio X10, Skydio X10D

Description, Identification, and Manifestation

There have been rare instances of an “Unsupported Attachment Error” occurring when flying with NightSense or RTK installed in the top attachment port of the vehicle. This is due to an internal vehicle connector seating issue. The “Unsupported Attachment Error” notification could be for the top, right or left port, even if there is only an attachment on the top.

This can occur when the drone is flying with only NightSense attachments or when combined with other attachments such as Spotlight and/or Speaker.

Do not fly with NightSense if all of the following conditions are met simultaneously:

• “Unsupported Attachment Error” has been seen previously on the controller for this drone
• The drone is being flown in dark or low light conditions
• NightSense is being relied on for either
  • Positioning (due to GPS being unavailable), OR
  • Obstacle avoidance

When all three conditions are met, flying with NightSense on may result in an uncommanded emergency landing (if GPS is unavailable) or a potential collision (if used for obstacle avoidance). Both scenarios pose significant safety risks to people and property. Although this error can sometimes be temporarily cleared by adjusting the screws or repositioning the attachment, it can reappear during a subsequent flight.

This error can also occur when using RTK attachments, but it does not pose a risk of an emergency landing. If it happens during flight, the error will be displayed, 3D scanning will be aborted, and the system will prompt the user to return to home.

Mitigation and Resolution

Skydio Actions

Skydio is working on a hardware solution to address this issue that affects a small number of drones.

Operator Actions

If the “Unsupported Attachment Error” occurs with NightSense or RTK, contact Skydio Support to initiate a return for the drone (attachments do not need to be returned).

For critical missions, if the error prevents flight and NightSense is not required, remove NightSense to proceed. Contact Skydio Support and arrange for the return of the drone.

For instructions on how to install attachments, visit: Getting Started with NightSense for Skydio X10