A small tourist plane crashed on Saturday, August 1st, 2026, near the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, killing all 13 people on board. The aircraft had departed from an airport in Pisco and went down around 1:00 p.m. local time (19:00 BST, 18:00 GMT) in the Pueblo Viejo region, approximately six kilometers from the city of Nazca and about 12 kilometers from the Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient desert geoglyphs.

Police Major Jorge Andrade, speaking at the crash site, confirmed that 11 passengers and two crew members died, stating, "given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors," and that four bodies have been recovered so far. Local news outlet RPP reported that the plane lost contact with the control tower minutes after takeoff.

The plane belonged to the local Peruvian airline Aerodiana, which has operated scenic flights over the Nazca Lines for the past 14 years, according to its website. Authorities from the Municipalidad Provincial de Nasca expressed "deep sorrow" for the accident and extended "heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased" in a statement posted online in Spanish.

Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Previous similar accidents have occurred in the area, including crashes in 2010 and 2022 that resulted in multiple fatalities.

According to RPP, among the victims were reportedly seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards, though official confirmation of the passengers' nationalities has not been released.

Sources