13 dead in sightseeing plane crash near the Nazca Lines

Nasca – 02.08.2026: Thirteen people died on Saturday when a small tourist aircraft crashed near the Peruvian city of Nasca. The plane had taken off for a sightseeing flight over the world-famous Nazca Lines. According to local authorities and Peru’s Ministry of Transport, there were no survivors. The aircraft crashed in a field near Pueblo Viejo, not far from Nasca Airport.

There were 11 foreign tourists on board, along with the Peruvian pilot and his co-pilot, who was also from Peru. The Ministry of Transport said the dead included seven Italian nationals, two Spaniards and two Germans. The Italian victims were reportedly between 18 and 54 years old, while the two Germans were 77 and 78. The identification of the dead and notification of their relatives were initially still ongoing.

According to consistent media reports, the aircraft was operated by Aerodiana, a company that has offered sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines for years. The responsible authorities initially provided no conclusive information about the aircraft type or the precise sequence of events immediately before the impact.

The cause of the crash remains unclear. Peruvian authorities launched an investigation to examine possible technical defects, human error and external factors. President Keiko Fujimori expressed her condolences after the accident and said she would await reports from the responsible ministries. According to the Associated Press, authorities are also considering a temporary closure of Nasca Airport.

The Nazca Lines are located in a dry desert region of southern Peru and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. The large-scale ground drawings can only be seen to a limited extent from the ground, which is why many travelers book sightseeing flights. The protected area includes geometric shapes as well as depictions of animals and plants, created between around 500 BC and AD 500.

Air tourism is an important part of visitor traffic for the region. Investigators must now reconstruct, among other things, the route taken by the aircraft, its technical condition and whether weather conditions or radio communications affected the flight. Officials warned against speculation as long as no reliable investigation findings are available.

The Nasca city administration confirmed the accident and said it was coordinating work at the crash site with local emergency services. The investigation is being handled by the relevant Peruvian aviation authorities. Consular representatives of the affected countries have been involved to support the relatives of the 11 foreign victims.