All 13 people aboard a small tourist plane died after the aircraft crashed onto an agricultural property near the Nazca Lines in southern Peru on August 1, authorities confirmed.
The Cessna Caravan C-208, operated by the company Aerodiana and registered as OB-2001, took off from Pisco airport at 12:10 p.m. on a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines. At around 1:00 p.m., as the plane flew near the town of Soros in the Pueblo Nuevo district, the crew reported an emergency to air traffic control. All radio contact was then lost. The wreckage was subsequently found in the Pueblo Viejo sector of the Vista Alegre district, in the Ica region.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications said the passengers included 11 foreign tourists of Italian, German, and Spanish nationality, along with two crew members. A member of the Nazca fire brigade told local media that among the passengers were seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards.
Identities not yet confirmed
Authorities had not officially identified the victims as of the time of reporting. A National Police officer at the scene said the aircraft carried 11 passengers and two crew members, described as the pilot and a guide or co-pilot. A DGAC inspector, William Acosta, said forensic experts from Lima would travel to the site to carry out the relevant investigations.
The Second Corporate Criminal Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Nazca said it launched urgent proceedings at the crash site. Provincial prosecutor Hugo Umiña travelled immediately to the area and ordered the recovery of the bodies. The office said the remains would be transferred to the morgue for identification and subsequent return to the victims’ families, in coordination with the Institute of Legal Medicine.
Operator cooperating with investigators
Aerodiana, which the Ministry of Transport described as a company authorised to conduct special air transport operations for tourism purposes, issued a statement expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died. The company said it had been cooperating with the relevant authorities from the outset and providing all necessary information for the investigation. Aerodiana added that it would review its flight schedule in accordance with directions from authorities.
The Civil Aviation Directorate General and the Aviation Accident Investigation Commission automatically activated technical protocols to determine the cause of the accident. The Ministry of Transport said it would provide all necessary support for the investigation.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism confirmed the passenger breakdown and said it had activated tourist protection protocols through its Tourist Protection Network, including coordination with the embassies of the victims’ home countries.
Adverse winds in the days before the crash
The accident occurred after a period of strong winds in the Ica region. On July 31, the national weather service Senamhi recorded Paracas winds of up to 50 km/h in the Pisco province, which raised dust, reduced visibility, caused trees and a billboard to fall, and damaged rooftops. Those conditions had led to the suspension of overflights above the Nazca Lines from the Maria Reiche aerodrome and forced two other aircraft carrying tourists to divert to the Marcona aerodrome.
Flights resumed on August 1 after the winds subsided, according to the Andina news agency. Senamhi had issued a yellow alert for August 2, warning of light to moderate winds along the coast, with speeds of around 34 km/h expected on the central coast, around 20 km/h on the southern coast, and around 35 km/h along the Ica coast.
The Municipality of Nazca expressed condolences and said it was providing support in the response effort. The municipality of Vista Alegre clarified that the aircraft had departed from Pisco airport, not from the Maria Reiche Neuman airport.
