On 1 August, an Aerodiana Cessna Caravan C-208 tourist aircraft crashed near the town of Nazca in southern Peru whilst on a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines. All 13 people on board were killed — 11 tourists from Europe and two Peruvian crew members, according to Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Briefly about the main points
- All 13 people on board were killed in the crash near Nazca.
- The aeroplane was on a sightseeing flight over the Nazca lines.
- Before the crash, the crew informed air traffic controllers of an emergency.
- Among the dead are tourists from Italy, Spain and Germany.
- The causes of the accident are being investigated by the Peruvian commission, the CIAA.
An alert regarding an emergency and a crash in the Sokos area
The aircraft took off from Pisco Airport at approximately 12:10 local time. At around 13:00, the pilots reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca Airport, after which contact with the aircraft was lost.
The Cessna crashed in the Sokos area — approximately six kilometres from the town of Nazca and 19 kilometres from the main area of the geoglyphs. The aircraft caught fire upon impact; the occupants could not be rescued.
Among the victims are 11 tourists from three European countries
There were seven Italian nationals, two Spanish nationals and two German nationals on board. According to the Peruvian authorities, the Italians were aged between 18 and 54, the two Spaniards were both 52, and the German tourists were 77 and 78.
The pilot, Americo Salazar, and the co-pilot, Irenka Guanilo del Carpio, were also killed — both were Peruvian nationals.
The cause of the disaster is being investigated
The cause of the plane crash is being investigated by the Peruvian Commission of Inquiry aviation incidents in conjunction with other relevant authorities.
The day before the tragedy, tourist flights from Maria Reiche Airport were temporarily suspended due to strong winds, dust and reduced visibility. There is no official confirmation of a link between the weather conditions and the crash.
