A horrific aviation disaster has occurred in Peru, claiming the lives of all passengers and crew on board. A small aircraft conducting a sightseeing tour crashed in a desert area near the world-famous Nazca Lines.
Incident Details
According to authorities and local media, 13 people were killed in the tragedy. The aircraft involved was a Cessna Caravan C-208 belonging to the Peruvian airline Aerodiana. The accident occurred on Saturday when the plane departed from Pisco Airport at approximately 12:10 local time. The flight's objective was to view the ancient geoglyphs on the ground.
About 50 minutes after takeoff, the crew reported an emergency situation. Shortly thereafter, contact with the aircraft was completely lost. Rescue services and police are currently working at the crash site, where signs of fire and scattered debris are visible.
Passenger Composition and Recovery Efforts
There were 11 tourists and two pilots on board. According to the state news agency Andina, the victims include citizens of several countries: two Germans, two Spaniards, and seven Italians.
Police Major Jorge Andrade, commenting on the situation at the scene, highlighted the severity of the disaster: "Given the scale of the destruction, there can be no survivors. So far, we have recovered four bodies".
Weather Conditions and Location History
Interestingly, sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport had been temporarily suspended as early as Friday. The cause was strong gusts of wind exceeding 40 kilometers per hour.
The Nazca Lines in southern Peru are giant geoglyphs etched into the desert soil about 2,000 years ago. They depict animals, plants, and complex geometric figures, and are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since the drawings are best viewed from the air, flights on small aircraft remain one of the most popular ways to see these ancient images.
