UAV - Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 3000; Flight Crew Type 300
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
The UAV began a transit toward its home base due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions in the vicinity of airport. I requested and was cleared into the adjacent operating areas at FL230 while transiting westbound. Crossing from adjacent areas; I requested clearance into the restricted area from Center. Center stated that they would advise Approach of our intentions. We remained with Center while we transited into and loitered in the operating area. The recovery aircrew at the destination advised us that they would be unable to talk to Center from their ground control station and requested we switch to destination airport Approach so they could regain control of the aircraft. At that time I requested a handover to Approach from Center; on the same frequency I previously requested clearance into the restricted area; and was cleared to switch to Approach from Center. At that time we immediately switched to Approach and checked in. The Controller asked our intentions and I stated that the destination airport controllers would be regaining control of the UAV and that they would be requesting a recovery to its home base. Immediately following that call I passed the aircraft control over to the destination flight crew and they checked in with Approach; who was querying the destination flight crew about our handover from Center. Following the flight I spoke with a Tower Controller via telephone and relayed the above events.
A MQ-9 pilot reported communications difficulties while attempting to transfer ATC control of the UAV to the final approach crew.