After receiving a small number of reported issues that came with the rollout of the latest Phantom firmware v3.10, DJI had to immediately suspend the update. The company advised Phantom owners to reset their firmware to v3.08, which they have now designated as the latest version.
Released only a few days ago, the Phantom firmware v3.10 features an update to its "no-fly zone" that would include a 25 km. radius in Washington, D.C. The update is meant for owners of the Phantom 2, Phantom 2 Vision and Phantom 2 Vision+.
However, DJI had to pull back the version and encouraged Phantom owners to stick with the previous v3.08.
The decision comes after all the negative publicity garnered from a Phantom drone crashing on the White House lawn.
"Phantom 2 owners please rollback/update your firmware to v3.08 now," tweeted DJI.
Phantom 2 owners please rollback/update your firmware to v.3.08 now https://t.co/tsSHON9730 https://t.co/eSGbloZ6Cx https://t.co/ASypi6U62w
— DJI (@DJIGlobal) February 6, 2015
The identity of the "White House crasher" has remained a secret. The drone belonged to his friend who was not around the drone crasher's Washington D.C. apartment when the incident happened.
The drone's owner believes that the aircraft could have malfunctioned.
"The situation ultimately I think was the result of flaws in the software, in the DJI drone's coupled with an unfortunate decision to fly," said the owner.
"And also a dose of bad luck that the DJI trajectory, which it decided to embark upon, happened to cross the White House. I think all these three things together were a perfect storm. And unfortunately there's nothing now the operator can do to take it back. If he could he would. He sincerely understands that he made a mistake. And so he's very apologetic for everything," the owner continued.
DJI first added the "no-fly zone" to its firmware in April 2014. The move aimed to prevent newbie pilots from entering into the restricted airspace of airports. If a Phantom 2 pilot is found to have been flying within five miles of the no-fly zone of a major airport, the maximum altitude of the drone will gradually be decreased. When it flies 1.5 miles away, it will land and will not take off again. Likewise, municipal airports are protected by the firmware's smaller zone.
"We started seeing the community of pilots grow," said spokesman Michael Perry. "The guy in the White House incident, I'm pretty sure he didn't know that flying in downtown D.C. is illegal."
