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Every pilot hits snags

Drones misbehave sometimes - that’s normal. The skill is knowing how to diagnose the problem. This is your field guide to the most common Echo Drone issues and their fixes.

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Start here: is it battery or pairing?

The most common problem - “my drone won’t respond” - almost always comes down to one quick check: are the lights blinking?
Decision flowchart: drone won't respond, are lights blinking, yes means re-pair, no means charge

The first question to ask when a drone goes unresponsive

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Common problems

The pairing between drone and controller failed. Re-pair them. If it still won’t respond, interference may be the cause - if several drones are nearby, pair them one at a time.
The battery has died. Charge the drone and try again.
The left joystick isn’t centered at zero. Return it to the middle. If they still spin but the drone won’t lift, the propellers may be installed wrong or the battery is low - check A/B placement and charge.
Use the trim buttons to correct the drift (trim opposite to the direction it moves). Also make sure you’re flying over a textured, well-lit floor so the optical-flow sensor can hold position.
Usually a propeller problem: (1) propellers installed in the wrong A/B spots, (2) a damaged propeller, or (3) lost pairing. Reinstall or replace propellers, then re-pair.
Propellers may have come loose or been damaged in the crash. Tighten or replace them, and restart the drone (especially before using headless mode again).
Quick-reference chart of five common drone problems and their fixes

Keep this handy - the top five fixes at a glance

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Replacing a propeller

Damaged propellers are the most common casualty of learning to fly. To replace one:
Three-step diagram: check the A or B letter, remove the old propeller with a wrench, fit the matching type

Three steps to swap a propeller - always match the A/B letter

Check the letter

Every propeller has an A or B on the back of a blade. Note which one you’re replacing.

Remove the old one

Use the included wrench to grip and pull the propeller straight off the motor shaft.

Fit the matching type

Press on a new propeller with the same letter. A is forward-rotating, B is reverse - mixing them up makes the drone unstable.

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Replacing a prop guard

To remove a prop guard, don’t pull straight down. Instead, tip or push in the part attached to the motor and it pops right off. Then clip on the replacement.

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When in doubt: restart

Many mysterious problems vanish with a clean restart: power the drone off, power it back on, and re-pair. It resets the sensors and the drone’s sense of direction.
You can diagnose an unresponsive drone (battery vs pairing), fix drift with trim, and correctly replace a propeller with the matching A/B type.