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DJI Fly flight logs help document an incident, but they do not replace a technical analysis. Before reinstalling the app, changing phones or deleting data, preserve the files available. An organised description, accompanied by the right log, lets you request support without relying only on your memory of what happened.
This guide proposes a method for preparing and archiving records. Menus and export methods vary according to the controller, operating system and app version; always check the instructions for your equipment.
What to save first
Note the date, local time, approximate location and drone model. Also record the controller, the phone when there is one, and the software versions you can check. If an error message appeared, keep a full screenshot with the code legible. A cropped photograph may hide precisely the detail that distinguishes two warnings.
Write a brief sequence: what you were doing before the problem, what the first warning was, what decision you made and how the flight ended. If you do not know a detail, mark it as unknown. Avoid presenting a hypothesis, such as interference or motor failure, as a proven cause.
App logs and drone data are different
DJI distinguishes flight logs, simplified flight controller data and internal aircraft logs. The official export guidance describes methods for DJI Fly and DJI GO 4, including copying folders and exporting through DJI Assistant 2 where applicable. Check with support which data is needed instead of sending everything indiscriminately.
On iPhone, this guide includes the Files app and file sharing through Finder on Mac. On Android, access to folders also depends on system restrictions. A controller with a screen should not automatically be treated as the phone of an RC-N controller.
If the drone suffered an impact or fell into water, do not turn it on just to try to extract data. Ask support for instructions first. Preserving the equipment and battery safety take priority over trying to obtain an additional file.
Create an incident folder
A simple structure can separate four items: account, screenshots, logs and original images. Keep the names of exported files and put your notes in a separate document. This lets whoever receives the data distinguish original information from comments added later.
- Copy the available data to a folder with the date and equipment identification.
- Keep a second copy before compressing or preparing the files for sending.
- Open the compressed archive and check that it contains the intended files.
- Keep the support request number and a list of what you sent.
This is a suggested filing procedure, not a DJI-required format. If support requests a different structure, follow that request and preserve your original copy.
Share only through the necessary channel
Logs may reveal routes and take-off locations. Check the recipient, the permissions for a sharing link and the attachments before sending. Do not publish the folder on a forum to ask for an initial opinion. For a general question, it is usually enough to describe the symptom and show a screenshot without unnecessary personal data.
If you are working for a client, also check what you may share about the property and the operation. Keep the archive in a location with controlled access and decide when you will review or delete it; keeping all data for ever is not an archiving method.
When the file does not appear
Check that you are looking on the device used for that flight and in the correct app. Distinguish a log you can play back on screen from a file that has already been exported. If the folder is empty, do not reinstall the app as your first attempt: document the problem and consult official support.
To put incidents in context, also read the signal or GPS loss diagnosis and how to organise the search for a lost drone. For images and videos, see QuickTransfer and copying alternatives.
When data contains personal information, consider the principles of data minimisation, limited retention and security set out in Article 5 of the GDPR, as recalled by the CNPD, as applicable to the processing.
Illustrative featured image. This article does not report an incident or a flight analysis carried out by the author.
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