UAV - Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Flight Crew Commercial
Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Procedure; Human Factors; Equipment / Tooling
Lost Control Link: Remote control (RC) radio and flight data telemetry radio. The ground station laptop powered down causing flight data telemetry between the ground station and plane to be severed. As per protocol; operator triggered Return to Launch (RTL) mode using the RC transmitter. Aircraft struggled to respond to the command due to high wind speeds aloft (> 40 knots) and other equipment malfunctions. Aircraft started to be pushed backwards to the northwest as the winds overtook the programmed maximum speed of the aircraft. Laptop was restarted in an attempt to try to regain telemetry; but was unsuccessful. Attempts to manually assist the RTL autopilot mode in guiding the aircraft back to its launch point were also unsuccessful. Visual on the platform was lost as [UAV] continued to drift to the northwest towards a forested area and eventually out of RC range.Unusual Equipment Malfunction: Shortly before the ground station went down; we got a momentary bad GPS signal; causing the aircraft to drift horizontally about 330 feet off course. We consider it is possible the bad GPS signal/fix may have confused the aircraft as it was trying to execute RTL. However; as the aircraft was pushed away; it maintained the proper heading to execute the RTL. The pilot in command of record did not call ATC to advise of a fly away; due to an incomplete understanding of what to do in case of a lost link with the UAS (Unmanned Aerial System). Additionally; the incident report was submitted late due to a miscommunication between the responsible reporting party and the pilot in command. All other procedures regarding lost link were followed as prescribed.Damage and Injuries: Aircraft not recovered and assumed crashed. Unable to do a search at the time due to a lack of appropriate gear and equipment. We are working on searching for the wreckage. No injuries reported.Short-Term Fix Actions: Ensure all crew members; pilots in command; and operators are familiarized with ATC emergency contact procedures based on last known heading [and] altitude.Intermediate Fix Actions: Add additional items to pre-flight checklist to prevent recurring incidents; ensure laptop backup power is plugged in prior to operations; review and revisit crew resource management best practices.Long Term Actions: Add battery powered GPS beacons to assist in locating downed UAS when out of sight or in wooded areas.
UAV operator reported loss of control link and subsequent loss of UAV control. UAV was not recovered and assumed crashed in a forested area.