All 13 people on board a sightseeing flight over Peru's famed Nazca Lines were killed on Saturday, August 1, 2026, when their aircraft came down shortly after take-off in the country's southern Ica region.
The aircraft, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan registered OB-2001 and operated by the Peruvian sightseeing carrier Aerodiana, had departed Pisco Airport (PIO) for an overflight of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to Peruvian authorities, the crew reported an emergency shortly after departure before communication with air traffic control was lost. The single-engine turboprop later crashed near the town of Socos.
Officials said the 13 occupants included 11 passengers and two flight crew. The passengers were identified as seven Italian nationals, two Spanish nationals and two German nationals — travellers drawn to one of South America's most iconic archaeological attractions, the vast pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into the desert plateau more than 1,500 years ago.
Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident, which had not been established at the time of reporting.
The Cessna 208 Caravan is one of the most widely used utility turboprops in the world, valued for its rugged single-engine design, short-field capability and ability to carry small groups on regional, charter and sightseeing work. Overflights of the Nazca Lines are a long-established part of the region's tourism industry, with operators flying visitors on short loops from airfields near Nazca and Pisco to view figures such as the hummingbird, the monkey and the condor, since the enormous designs can only be fully appreciated from the air.
Saturday's accident is among the deadliest to strike Peru's tourist-flight sector in recent years and is likely to renew scrutiny of overflight operations in the area. Authorities have not indicated whether weather, a technical failure or another factor may have played a role. Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft's maintenance history, the circumstances of the reported emergency and the flight's final moments before reaching any conclusions.
The loss of an entire aircraft of tourists and crew is a devastating blow for the families of those on board and for the small communities in Peru that depend on the Nazca overflight trade. Consular authorities in the affected countries were notified as the identification and repatriation process began.
Sources: Simple Flying, AeroTime. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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