Tourist Plane Crashes Near Peru’s Nazca Lines, Killing All 13 Aboard
LIMA, Peru — August 1, 2026 — Tourist Plane Crashes Near Peru’s Nazca Lines, Killing All 13 Aboard
The Cessna Caravan C-208 aircraft, operated by the local Peruvian airline Aerodiana, was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members when it went down at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time . The plane had departed from Pisco Airport at around 12:10 p.m. for a sightseeing flight over the famous Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site .
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Victims Identified
The 11 tourists on board were all foreign nationals, with Peru’s Ministry of Transport confirming the following nationalities :
- Seven Italian citizens, ranging in age from 18 to 54
- Two Spanish citizens, both aged 52
- Two German citizens, aged 77 and 78
The two crew members were identified as pilot Américo Salazar Cuéllar and co-pilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio .
Fatal Crash and Emergency Response
According to the Ministry of Transport, the crew reported an emergency situation to the control tower at Nazca Airport at approximately 1:00 p.m., after which all radio contact was lost . The plane crashed in the Socos area, roughly 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the city of Nazca and approximately 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the Nazca Lines site .
Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames, making rescue efforts impossible . Firefighters and police officers were dispatched to extinguish the fire and carry out recovery operations .
“Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far,” Police Major Jorge Andrade told reporters at the crash site . Local authorities expressed “deep sorrow” over the tragedy and extended condolences to the victims’ families .
Investigation Underway
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation . The Civil Aviation Authority will lead the investigation, with agents already on the scene collecting evidence .
Peru’s President, Keiko Fujimori, expressed regret over the crash and said a “temporary suspension” of the airport was being considered, pending reports from relevant ministries . Aerodiana stated it would “assess its flight schedule in accordance with the directives of the relevant authorities” .
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Weather and Safety Context
Flights over the Nazca Lines departing from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport had been suspended on Friday, July 31, due to strong winds exceeding 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph), which kicked up dust and reduced visibility . The strong winds had forced at least two other planes to divert to an alternate airport . While tours resumed on Saturday, the weather conditions may have been a factor in the accident .
The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings and geometric figures etched into the desert plains by the region’s Indigenous inhabitants centuries ago, are one of Peru’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 100,000 visitors annually . Tourists typically view them from small aircraft flying over the site.
This is not the first fatal aviation accident in the region. In 2022, a tourist plane crashed near Nazca, killing seven people . In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members died when another sightseeing plane crashed.
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