Whether a drone can continue flying if one motor fails depends on the number of motors it has and how the drone’s flight control system is designed. For quadcopters, which use four motors, the failure of one motor can significantly impair the drone’s ability to fly.
Most quadcopters would become unstable or crash due to the imbalance in thrust and control. However, modern flight controllers sometimes have advanced fail-safes that might allow the drone to attempt an emergency landing, but it would be challenging to control or stabilize.
In contrast, drones with more than four motors, such as hexacopters or octocopters, can typically continue flying even if one or two motors fail. The additional motors provide redundancy, allowing the flight control system to compensate for the loss of power by adjusting the thrust from the remaining motors. This is one of the primary reasons why hexacopters and octocopters are preferred for professional and industrial applications where reliability and safety are critical. While these drones can continue flying with a motor failure, it is still advisable to land as soon as possible to prevent further issues.