Crash repair triage — fix now vs bench later

Every freestyle pilot eats dirt eventually. The goal after a crash is not heroics — it is triage: fly again safely if you can, or stop before a small problem becomes a vtx fire. Good triage is a decision tree, not optimism.

First 30 seconds

1. Disarm and kill power if the quad is still twitching.
2. Props off before you pick it up — bent blades cut fingers.
3. Sniff test — sweet/hot electronics smell means stop; do not “one more arm.”
4. Visual scan — cracked arm, vtx antenna snapped, camera dangling, battery puncture.

If the pack is puffy, torn, or warm and angry, retire it. See LiPo safety.

Adrenaline discipline

Your quad might be fine. Your finger might not be if you grab props first. Disarm, props off, then pick up. Teach spectators the same if they help retrieve.

Field fixes (usually worth it)

Carry props, zip ties, hex keys, and a multimeter in your field repair kit.

Prop swap nuance

Match rotation direction when swapping singles. Spin motor by hand after — grinding means bullet or bearing damage, not another prop.

vtx antenna triage

Gentle straighten if coax not kinked. If internal wire exposed at tip, replace antenna before re-arm. A vtx without load can burn — do not transmit into a snapped stub.

Bench-later list

• Motors that grind, stutter, or wobble when spun by hand
• ESC that smells hot after a hover test on the bench
• FC with lifted pads or cracked USB — soldering repair needs calm lighting
• Frame with delaminated carbon or multiple arm cracks
• RX / vtx with intermittent link after antenna stress

Carbon and structure

Hairline arm cracks are not field fixes except walk-back once. Read carbon splinters and stress cracks — flying a cracked arm is how stacks get buried.

Electrical bench signs

Power path inspection

Crashes stress connectors and pigtails. Before re-arm:

1. XT60 fully seated?
2. Pigtail solder joints at ESC moving?
3. Battery strap twisted into props?

Connector damage often pairs with frame repair — fix power before tuning.

Hover test discipline

After any field repair:

1. Props on, battery out of bag
2. Arm on bench — motors spin correct direction
3. Short hover at knee height — listen for vibe
4. Check motor temps after 30 seconds

If something feels wrong in the first pack, land. Tuning will not fix a bent motor.

Hover test limits

Hover test confirms basic function — not airworthiness for bando. If hover vibe is new, bench before style returns.

When to retire the session

• Repeated same-arm breaks — frame may be done
• Electrical smell that returns after cooling
• Rain / mud inside the stack — dry fully before power

Session stop vs pack stop

One bent prop — swap, hover, continue maybe. Two electrical smells — session over. Mud in stack — dry 24 hours minimum per monsoon habits.

Triage after minor vs major hits

Emotional triage

Adrenaline makes you re-arm too fast. Sit down, drink water, run the 30-second checklist. The quad can wait; fingers and spectators cannot be undone. Pilots who rush triage fly on cracked arms — then blame luck.

DVR and blackbox after crash

If the quad still flies, pull DVR before next arm if camera survived — impact footage shows which arm hit first. Blackbox optional but valuable for electrical hits that felt like "weird desync." Log file naming with date saves spring debugging.

Logging for next time

Note what broke: arm, motor, vtx, connector. Patterns reveal frame weak points and whether you need spares in bag. Crash repair is a skill. Log what broke, fix mechanicals before PID, and restock the bag before the next weekend.

India field notes

Hard sun on parked quads after repair — let ESCs cool before hover retest. Summer heat exaggerates marginal ESCs. Domestic spare arms in the car beat import wait — stock from the Armory during week.

When to stop and not "send it"

If you are debating whether the arm is fine, it is not fine enough for freestyle. Replace or bench. Social pressure to keep flying is how vtx fires happen.

Decision tree (field use)

Crash → disarm, props off, sniff test
├─ Battery damaged? → retire pack, inspect quad
├─ Sweet electrical smell? → session over, bench power path
├─ Bent prop only? → swap, hover test, maybe continue
├─ Arm crack visible? → walk-back or replace arm
├─ Motor grind by hand? → bench motor, do not hover hard
└─ All clear + hover clean? → easy pack, then normal flying

Log what broke — patterns over a season reveal frame weak points. If feel drifts over the next two packs after hover pass, run tuning after a crash before PID.

Field kit minimum

No props in the bag means triage ends at carry-to-car — valid, but plan shorter sessions.

Armory

• Propulsion / 5" Prop — first field swap after any hit
• Airframe / 5" Freestyle — arms when hairlines show
• the Armory — vtx antennas and consumables

See also

• Building a field repair kit — what to carry for real field days
• Soldering ESCs and pads without lifting traces — bench repairs after a bad hit
• Connector guide: XT60, XT30, PH2.0, BT2.0 — power joints that fail in crashes