Aerodiana Nazca Plane Crash 2026

On August 1, 2026, an Aerodiana Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed near Nazca in southern Peru, killing all 13 people on board. The aircraft had departed from Pisco Airport on a scheduled sightseeing overflight of the Nazca Lines. The crew radioed a mechanical problem to ground controllers, then all contact was lost. The plane came down in the agricultural area of Pueblo Viejo, approximately 4 miles from Nazca city and 7 miles from the Nazca Lines. Sources: NBC News, CNN, Al Jazeera.

All 13 people on board died, there were no survivors. That includes 11 passengers and 2 crew members. Sources: NBC News, Simple Flying.

The 11 passengers were European tourists: nationals of Italy, Germany, and Spain. The 2 crew members were Peruvian. Peru's Ministry of Transportation confirmed the nationalities as the investigation opened. Sources: NBC News, Al Jazeera.

The cause has not been officially determined. The crew reported a mechanical problem to air traffic control before radio contact was lost. Investigators are also examining weather as a factor, strong winds had already forced the suspension of all Nazca scenic flights the previous day. Peru's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) and the Aviation Accident Investigation Commission are leading the inquiry. Sources: CNN, Simple Flying, FlightGlobal.

The Nazca Lines are enormous geoglyphs, giant figures of animals, plants and geometric shapes, etched into the desert in southern Peru by the ancient Nazca culture between roughly 500 BCE and 500 CE. Some figures stretch more than 370 metres. Because the designs can only be seen in full from the air, low-altitude sightseeing flights have been the standard way to view them for decades. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sources: UNESCO.

No. Peru's Ministry of Transportation and Communications suspended all of Aerodiana's operations on August 1, 2026, the day of the crash, pending the outcome of the official investigation. Sources: CNN, NBC News.

Overflights have operated for decades but carry risks above those of commercial aviation: small aircraft, low altitudes, and the Peruvian desert's unpredictable thermal conditions. Peru's DGAC regulates Nazca operators, but accidents have occurred before. Following the August 2026 crash, flights by all operators in the area were suspended or under review by authorities. Anyone considering a Nazca overflight should check the operator's safety record and current DGAC authorisation status before booking. Sources: DGAC Peru, Simple Flying.

Nazca overflight accidents have occurred multiple times over the decades of tourist operations, most involving small Cessna-type aircraft. The high-altitude desert environment and difficult thermals create challenging flying conditions. Past incidents have prompted periodic regulatory reviews by Peru's civil aviation authority. The August 2026 crash is one of the deadliest in recent years. Sources: Simple Flying, FlightGlobal.

Aerodiana is a Peruvian airline based in Ica, specialising in scenic flights over the Nazca Lines and other tourist destinations in southern Peru. It operated light aircraft, including the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, for sightseeing tours. Its operations were suspended by Peruvian authorities following the fatal crash on August 1, 2026. Sources: NBC News, Al Jazeera.