Thirteen dead as tourist plane crashes near Peru's Nazca Lines, seven Italians among victims

The crash

On Saturday, 1 August 2026, a Cessna Grand Caravan C-208 operated by Aerodiana took off from Pisco airport around noon local time, carrying 11 tourists and two crew for a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines. About an hour later, the crew reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca aerodrome, then all radio contact ceased. The aircraft came down in an agricultural area in the Pueblo Viejo sector of Vista Alegre district, roughly 6 km from the city of Nazca. International wire services placed the crash site near the settlement of Socos, about 19 km from the archaeological site; Peruvian outlets and officials located it in Pueblo Viejo, 1.5 km off the Panamericana Sur highway. Video shared by the Peruvian channel Noticias de Piura showed the plane losing pieces in flight before plunging to the ground. The impact was violent and the aircraft caught fire; no one survived. Residents filmed a column of smoke rising from the wreckage as firefighters and police worked to extinguish the blaze.

“We have information that 11 passengers and two crew members have died.”

Victims

The 13 dead included seven Italian tourists, two Spaniards, two Germans, and two Peruvian crew members (the pilot and a guide). The Italian victims were named by local radio RPP as Elena Sala (58), Matteo Gianturco (24), Lorenzo Angelucci (24), Massimo Angelucci (58), Cristina Maria Bianco (57), Paolo Gianturco (59), and Pietro Gianturco (18). The German foreign office confirmed the deaths of two of its nationals; one was identified as Andreas Hofmann. The Spanish victims were a couple, both aged 52. The tourists ranged in age from 18 to 78; the two Germans were 77 and 78, the Italians between 18 and 59. The Italian embassy in Lima was in contact with Peruvian authorities.

Investigation and weather

The cause of the crash is under investigation by Peru's aviation accident authority CIAA. William Acosta, an inspector with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), said experts from Lima would arrive soon at the site. The day before the accident, on Friday 31 July, sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines had been suspended because of strong winds exceeding 40 km/h, and several aircraft were diverted to other airports. Whether the weather played a role on Saturday is not yet clear.

President Keiko Fujimori expressed regret and said the government was evaluating a temporary closure of Pisco airport. Aerodiana, which has operated for 18 years, said it was "deeply affected" and pledged support to the families.

“The transport minister is carrying out the corresponding investigation and the foreign minister is communicating with the consulates of the foreign citizens who have lost their lives.”

“With respect and absolute willingness to provide the appropriate support.”

The Nazca Lines and past accidents

The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are hundreds of giant geoglyphs etched into the desert between 500 BC and 500 AD, best viewed from the air. The crash is at least the fourth fatal accident involving sightseeing flights over the lines since 2010. In February 2010, a crash killed seven people. In October of that year, an AirNasca aircraft came down, killing four British tourists and two Peruvian pilots. After the two 2010 crashes, the government suspended all Nazca sightseeing flights; following safety inspections, only four of the 14 operators and seven of the 48 aircraft in the fleet were allowed to resume. In February 2022, a Cessna 207 operated by Aerosantos crashed shortly after takeoff from the María Reiche airfield, killing all seven on board: three Dutch and two Chilean tourists, and the Peruvian pilot and co-pilot.