13 Killed in Fiery Plane Crash During Tourist Flight Over Peru’s Mysterious Nazca Lines
A sightseeing trip over one of the world’s most mysterious ancient landmarks ended in horror when a plane carrying foreign tourists crashed and burst into flames in Peru, killing all 13 people on board.
The Cessna Caravan C-208 was carrying 11 tourists and two crew members over the famed Nazca Lines on Saturday, Aug. 1, when the flight crew suddenly reported an emergency.
The aircraft, operated by Peruvian company Aerodiana, had taken off from the nearby city of Ica at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time, according to Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Less than an hour later, at around 1 p.m., the pilots contacted the control tower at Nazca airport to report that the plane was in trouble.
Radio communication was lost shortly afterward.
The plane crashed in the Vista Alegre district of Nazca and erupted in flames. Firefighters and municipal police officers rushed to the wreckage, but authorities said there were no survivors.
The victims reportedly included seven Italian tourists, two German tourists and two tourists from Spain. The nationalities of the two crew members were not immediately detailed.
Peru’s Aviation Accident Investigation Commission and other government agencies have launched an investigation to determine what caused the deadly crash.
“The Ministry of Transport and Communications deeply regrets the plane crash that occurred in the district of Vista Alegre, province of Nazca,” the agency said in a statement translated from Spanish.
Officials also offered their “heartfelt condolences and solidarity” to the victims’ relatives, adding that their priority was showing “absolute respect for the victims and their families.”
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism issued a separate statement expressing “deepest condolences” following the deaths of the tourists and crew members.
The Nazca Lines are a collection of enormous ancient designs carved into the desert floor near Peru’s southern coast, roughly 270 miles south of Lima.
Created between approximately 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, the geoglyphs include giant images of animals, plants, imaginary creatures and geometric patterns stretching across the landscape.
The area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is frequently viewed from sightseeing planes because many of the massive designs are difficult to fully appreciate from the ground.
Experts believe the mysterious markings may have been connected to religious rituals or astronomy.
Saturday’s disaster is not the first fatal sightseeing crash linked to the popular tourist destination.
Seven people, including two Chilean and three Dutch tourists, were killed when a small plane crashed near the Nazca Lines in 2022.
In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members died in another crash. Three Chileans and four Peruvians were killed in a separate accident that same year.
Five French tourists were also killed in a 2008 crash, although the pilot survived.
The latest tragedy has once again raised questions about the safety of sightseeing flights over one of South America’s most famous archaeological wonders.