The Cessna jet had 11 passengers and two pilots on board when it crashed on Saturday.

09:28, Sun, Aug 2, 2026 Updated: 09:31, Sun, Aug 2, 2026

Police inspect the wreckage of a plane that crashed during a sightseeing flight carrying tourists

The plane had been carrying 11 passengers and two pilots when it went down over the UNESCO site (Image: AP Photo/Genry Bautista)

All 13 people on board a tourist flight have died after a light aircraft plunged to the ground near Peru’s iconic Nazca Lines. The horrific plane crash occurred shortly after 1pm local time (7pm BST) on Saturday.

The Cessna Grand Caravan C-208, operated by local airline Aerodiana, had taken off from Pisco Airport to give passengers a view of the famous UNESCO World Heritage site before losing contact with air traffic controllers and going down in the Pueblo Viejo region. Tragic reports confirm that 11 international tourists and two Peruvian pilots lost their lives in the disaster. Local police confirmed there were no survivors.

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Spider, Nazca Lines, Peru

The geoglyphs were created between 500 BC and 500 AD, making them nearly 2,000 years old (Image: Getty)

According to reports, the plane had seven Italians, two Germans and two Spanish tourists, along with pilot Americo Salazar Cuellar and co-pilot Irenka Del Carpio, on board. Shocking footage from the scene showed firefighters dousing smouldering wreckage in the desert while police worked to recover bodies.

"Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far," Police Major Jorge Andrade told reporters at the scene.

The flight had taken tourists to view one of the most famous archaeological marvels in South America. The geoglyphs were created mainly by the ancient Nazca culture between 500 BC and 500 AD, making them nearly 2,000 years old. The sprawling desert site was officially recognised for its historical importance by UNESCO in 1994. The site features hundreds of straight lines and giant animal depictions, including a hummingbird, a monkey, a spider, and a whale.

Because these massive designs are only fully visible from the air, short aerial tours in light aircraft have become immensely popular with international tourists.

Police inspect the wreckage of a plane that crashed during a sightseeing flight carrying tourists

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, with an investigation launched (Image: AP Photo/Genry Bautista)

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, and local aviation authorities have launched a full investigation.

In an online statement, the Municipalidad Provincial de Nasca expressed its "deep sorrow" over the tragedy and extended "heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased." Aerodiana stated that it would adjust its flight schedules in accordance with directives from the investigating authorities.

This is far from the first tragedy to strike the area. In 2022, seven people, including Dutch and Chilean nationals, died in a light aircraft crash over the site. In 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members were killed in an AirNasca crash, while five French tourists were killed two years earlier.