Tourist plane crashes near Nazca in Peru – 13 dead

The Nazca Lines are huge geoglyphs etched into the desert floor, created by the Nazca culture between 500 BC and 500 AD. They have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994. The flight over the figures, which can only be recognized from the air, is one of the most popular tourist activities in Peru and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Aircraft used for sightseeing flights over the lines typically take off from smaller airfields in the region, such as Pisco Airport. Safety standards and aircraft models used for these tourist flights have been criticized for years by international aviation observers. The exact circumstances of the latest accident are now being investigated by the Peruvian authorities.

Investigations Underway

Recovery and identification work began immediately after the crash. Representatives of the Vista Alegre district administration coordinated the operation at the wreckage together with police and rescue teams. Consular offices were also brought in to identify any possible foreign victims.

Relatives in Germany and other countries were waiting for news. Germany's Foreign Office in Berlin confirmed on request that it was in close contact with the embassy in Lima to identify any possible German victims. No concrete information about German nationals among the dead was given initially.

Peru's aviation authority has launched an investigation into the accident. Among other things, the condition of the aircraft, the qualifications of the crew, and the weather conditions at the time of the crash are to be examined. The crash site is located in a hard-to-reach desert area, which complicated recovery operations.

Safety of Tourist Flights

The disaster once again raises questions about the safety of the popular sightseeing flights over the archaeological site. Following previous incidents in the region, international organizations had repeatedly called for stricter safety requirements for tourist small-plane flights in Peru. Whether such demands will be tightened after the latest accident remains to be seen.

Residents of the nearby village of Pueblo Viejo reported that they had heard a loud noise in the afternoon and then rushed to the crash site. The desert region is sparsely populated; many families there depend directly on tourists visiting the lines.

There is great grief in the region. Local authorities announced that the victims of the accident would be honored with a public ceremony. At the same time, aid workers began providing psychological support to the families of those killed. According to the authorities, the investigation into the cause of the accident is to be completed quickly.

Impact on Tourism

The Nazca Lines themselves are not affected by the accident, according to current knowledge. The archaeological site remains accessible to visitors, according to the district administration, but sightseeing flights have been temporarily suspended until the safety authorities give the green light.

The incident is part of a series of accidents involving tourist flights over the lines. Over the past decades, there have been repeated serious incidents in which occupants lost their lives. Critics have long called for stricter controls and more reliable aircraft.

The Peruvian government announced that it would publish the results of the investigation transparently. Until then, it remains unclear whether human error, technical defects, or external circumstances caused the crash.