Tourist plane carrying 13 people crashes near Peru's Nazca Lines archaeological site

A small tourist aircraft carrying 13 people crashed in southern Peru near the Nazca Lines archaeological site on Saturday, with no survivors reported. The plane, operated by Peruvian airline Aerodiana, departed from Pisco airport around 1 p.m. local time and lost contact with air traffic control minutes into its flight over the ancient geoglyphs. All 11 passengers and both crew members died in the incident near Pueblo Viejo, approximately 6 kilometres from the Nazca Lines site.

Rescue and Investigation

Police Major Jorge Andrade confirmed the fatality toll at the crash site, noting that four bodies had been recovered by the time authorities provided initial reports. The wreckage was discovered in a desert field, with emergency responders photographing smouldering debris scattered across the sand. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by local authorities, with no mechanical failures or weather conditions disclosed at the time of initial reporting.

Pattern of Safety Concerns

The incident represents the third fatal aircraft accident at or near the Nazca Lines in the past 15 years. In 2022, seven people died when a small plane crashed during a similar overflight tour. A decade earlier, in 2010, six people perished in another crash at the site. Additional fatal accidents occurred in 2008 with five deaths and earlier in 2010 with seven fatalities across separate incidents. The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring massive geoglyphic drawings of animals and geometric shapes created between AD 200-700, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, with multiple tour operators competing to offer aerial flights despite recurring safety concerns about aircraft maintenance and operational oversight.

Peru's tourism ministry expressed condolences to the victims and their families, while the municipality of Nazca stated that aviation authorities would conduct investigations in accordance with legal requirements. The identity of passengers has not yet been disclosed.