Eleven European visitors and two Peruvian crew members died after the sightseeing aircraft reported an emergency and lost radio contact.
NAZCA, Peru — A small plane carrying European tourists on a sightseeing flight near Peru’s Nazca Lines crashed Saturday, killing all 13 people aboard, government authorities said.
The Cessna Caravan C-208 was operated by Aerodiana, a Peruvian company that offers flights over the ancient desert figures. Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said the aircraft carried 11 tourists from Italy, Spain and Germany, along with two Peruvian crew members. The cause of the Aug. 1 crash remained under investigation Sunday.
The aircraft went down in the Socos area, about 6 kilometers, or 4 miles, from the city of Nazca and about 19 kilometers, or 12 miles, from the archaeological site, the Transportation Ministry said. Emergency workers, firefighters and police were sent to the scene. The plane caught fire after crashing, preventing rescuers from reaching anyone aboard in time.
The crew reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca airport at about 1 p.m., according to the ministry. Radio contact with the aircraft was then lost. Reuters, citing the ministry, reported that the flight had left Pisco Airport at about 12:10 p.m. Nazca’s municipal government gave a different early account, saying the plane departed from the nearby city of Ica. Authorities had not publicly resolved that discrepancy.
Transportation officials identified the tourists as seven Italian citizens ranging in age from 18 to 54, two Spanish citizens who were both 52 and two German citizens who were 77 and 78. The crew members were identified as pilot Américo Salazar and copilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio.
The Nazca Lines are a collection of large animal figures, geometric shapes and long straight lines formed in the desert of southern Peru. The designs were created centuries ago and are difficult to see fully from ground level. Small sightseeing aircraft are commonly used to give visitors an overhead view of the site, one of Peru’s best-known tourist destinations.
Flights from the María Reiche Airport near Nazca had been suspended Friday after winds exceeding 40 kilometers per hour, or 25 mph, stirred up dust and reduced visibility, Reuters reported. The conditions forced two other aircraft carrying tourists to divert to another airport. Authorities had not said Sunday whether wind, visibility or other weather conditions contributed to Saturday’s crash.
Aerodiana said it would review its flight schedule in line with instructions from aviation authorities. The company says it has operated sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines for about 14 years using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. It had not released a detailed public account of the crash.
Peruvian aviation investigators were examining the wreckage, communications with air traffic controllers, weather information and the aircraft’s records. Officials had not announced when sightseeing operations would resume or how long the investigation could take. A final determination of the cause was not immediately available.
Author note: Last updated August 2, 2026.