Tragedy in Peru: 13 Dead After Tourist Plane Crashes Near Nazca

A tourist flight to Peru's famed Nazca Lines ended in tragedy when a small plane crashed shortly after departing from Pisco. All 11 passengers and two crew members aboard perished in the accident.

The aircraft went down around 1 p.m. local time, just after taking off from the aerodrome in Pisco, a city located about 240 kilometers south of the capital, Lima. Police major Jorge Andrade confirmed the fatalities at the scene, stating that the magnitude of the crash meant there were no survivors. As of Saturday, four bodies had been recovered.

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We have information that 11 passengers and two crew members have died.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Images from the scene showed firefighters and police working among the twisted, still-smoking wreckage of the aircraft. The plane belonged to Aerodiana, a company that offers scenic flights over the Nazca Lines and private charter services.

Pisco's small aerodrome sees significant activity from dozens of small aircraft, primarily serving foreign tourists. The municipality of Nazca lamented the tragedy, emphasizing that the investigation and oversight of aeronautical operations fall under the purview of competent authorities. This incident echoes previous tragedies in the region, including a 2022 crash that killed seven people and a 2010 incident where four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members died.

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Due to the magnitude of the accident, there are no survivors. So far, we have recovered four bodies.