A tourist plane on a sightseeing flight over Peru's Nazca Lines crashed into a field on August 1, killing all 13 people on board, according to local authorities. The aircraft, operated by local airline Aerodiana, was carrying two pilots and 11 passengers believed to be foreign tourists.
The plane departed from Pisco airport and lost contact with the control tower shortly after takeoff. It crashed in the Pueblo Viejo area, approximately six kilometers from the city of Nazca, around 1 p.m. local time. Police Major Jorge Andrade confirmed that there were no survivors and that four bodies had been recovered.
Preliminary findings from municipal officials of Vista Alegre suggest an in-flight emergency may have occurred. A nearby resident reported that the aircraft exploded upon impact. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, which remains unknown.
Aerodiana has offered scenic flights over the Nazca Lines for the past 14 years. The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert plains and are a major tourist destination in Peru, attracting around 100,000 visitors annually. Tourists typically view the lines from small aircraft.
This is not the first fatal incident involving aircraft operating near the Nazca Lines. In 2022, seven people died in a similar crash. In October 2010, an AirNasca plane crashed while taking tourists to view the site, resulting in the deaths of four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members.
Earlier on the day of the crash, flights over the Nazca Lines were suspended from nearby Maria Reiche airport due to strong winds exceeding 40 km per hour, which caused dust and reduced visibility. These gales had previously forced the diversion of other small planes.
The nationalities of the deceased passengers have been reported as seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards, according to local media outlet RPP. Aerodiana was not immediately available for comment.