Accident Overview and Casualty Details

The crash occurred at 12:55 p.m. local time on Saturday, with the plane taking off from Pisco Airport and flying over the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Nazca Lines. Police Major Jorge Andrade confirmed there were no survivors, with four bodies recovered so far, but the victims included seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards, as reported by The Guardian. The pilot and co-pilot were identified as Americo Salazar Cuellar and Irenka Del Carpio.

Investigation and Weather Conditions

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash — the incident happened a day after a sandstorm hit the area, raising questions about whether weather conditions played a role. The municipal authorities of Nazca confirmed that the plane operated by Aerodiana was conducting a sightseeing flight over the desert geoglyphs when it crashed in the Pueblo Viejo area and caught fire. No official link has yet been established between the weather and the accident.

History of Safety Concerns and Previous Crashes

This is not the first fatal incident involving tourist planes flying over the Nazca Lines, but In 2022, a small plane crash killed seven people, including two Chileans and three Dutch nationals. In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members died in a similar accident; Earlier that same year, a Cessna 206 crash killed three Chileans and four Peruvians. In April 2008, five French tourists were also killed in a crash, though the pilot survived; these incidents have raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of aircraft used for such flights.

Local officials have expressed condolences for the victims and confirmed that emergency teams responded to the crash site; the Municipalidad Provincial de Nazca also emphasized that the plane was operating a regular tourist route when it went down.