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

The crash

On Saturday 1 August 2026, a small Aerodiana aircraft carrying tourists to the Nazca Lines crashed in southern Peru shortly after 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT). The plane had taken off from the Pisco aerodrome, about 240 kilometres south of Lima, and was preparing to return after overflying the archaeological site when it suddenly lost altitude and struck agricultural land near the María Reiche airport. The impact caused an immediate fire, making rescue attempts impossible, according to local media reports. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control minutes after departure, TV Perú reported.

Victims

All 13 people on board died: 11 tourists and 2 crew members. Police commander Jorge Andrade confirmed the toll from the crash site.

Eleven passengers and two crew members are dead. Given the scale of the accident, there are no survivors. So far we have recovered four bodies.

Local media, citing multiple outlets, reported that seven of the victims were Italian, two were German and two were Spanish. The Italian embassy in Lima said it was in contact with Peruvian authorities. The identities of the victims had not been officially released by Saturday evening.

Investigation and immediate response

The cause of the crash remains unknown. Andrade said Peru's Civil Aviation Authority would lead the investigation. Firefighters and police worked among the still-smoking wreckage, and the bodies were taken to a morgue for autopsy. The airline Aerodiana was not immediately reachable for comment.

Weather disruptions the day before

Flights over the Nazca Lines from the nearby María Reiche airport had been suspended on Friday because of strong winds exceeding 40 kilometres per hour, which stirred up dust and reduced visibility. Local media reported that one small plane with two Peruvian tourists and another with six foreign visitors were forced to divert to Marcona airport. It is not yet known whether weather played a role in Saturday's crash.

Past accidents at the Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines, giant geoglyphs etched into the desert and a UNESCO World Heritage site, draw around 100,000 visitors a year, most viewing them from small aircraft. The region has seen several fatal crashes. In February 2022, a Cessna 207 operated by Aerosantos came down shortly after taking off from the María Reiche airfield, killing all seven on board: three Dutch and two Chilean tourists, and the Peruvian pilot and co-pilot. In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian pilots died in another crash, and a separate accident in February 2010 killed seven. After that earlier 2010 crash, the government suspended all sightseeing flights over the lines; following safety inspections, only four operators and seven of the 48 aircraft in the fleet were permitted to resume.