CIAIAC Report A-018/2011: Cessna 182T Crash at Asturias Airport (SP-CFM)

Accident Overview and Flight History On 6 June 2011, a Cessna 182T aircraft, registration SP-CFM, departed San Sebastian Airport (LESO) at 12:26 local time, bound for Maia Airport (LPVL) in Portugal. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), with the coastline serving as a primary navigational reference. The flight plan included two other aircraft: a Cessna 182 (SP-CUT) and a Cirrus SR22 (SP-AVD). By 13:51, the aircraft were in the vicinity of Asturias Airport (LEAS), where Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) had been active since 08:38 due to fog. At 13:57, the tower contacted SP-CFM, reporting a QNH of 1,009 and inquiring about its position. The pilot reported flying at 1,800 ft and descending to point VES. Shortly after, the tower informed the crew that the airport was experiencing low visibility conditions. ## Emergency Response and Investigation Findings At 14:00, the tower attempted to contact both SP-AVD and SP-CFM but received no response. At 14:01, the tower notified airport firefighters of an accident on the apron. Firefighters confirmed that SP-CFM had crashed at the airport, resulting in the deaths of both occupants. The investigation concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the aircraft entering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) without the occupants being rated for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight. This led to spatial disorientation due to a lack of visibility. The report was issued by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC) and approved on 19 September 2012.