A tourist plane crashed in Peru while flying over the Nazca Lines, a UNESCO site bearing witness to the ancient pre-Columbian societies that flourished on the southern coast of the country. The death toll is 13, including 7 Italian citizens. The news of the death of the 7 compatriots was confirmed late on Saturday evening by the Farnesina, explaining that the Italian embassy in Lima immediately contacted the Peruvian authorities and is closely following the operations.
A tourist plane crashed near Nazca, Peru today, killing all 13 people on board.
The aircraft was operated by Aerodiana, a Peruvian company that runs sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines, as well as charter and cargo services. The aircraft was described in some reports as a… pic.twitter.com/vixSZ0JsoA
— T_CAS videos (@tecas2000) August 1, 2026
Who are the victims
Rpp Noticias released the names of the Italian victims – “two families, friends of each other” – identified by citing the flight plan and the Aerodiana passenger list. They are: Elena Sala (58 years old); Matteo Gianturco (24 years old); Lorenzo Angelucci (24 years old); Massimo Angelucci (58 years old), Cristina Maria Bianco (57 years old); Paolo Gianturco (59 years old); Pietro Gianturco (18 years old). However, confirmation from the Farnesina is awaited.
In addition to the seven Italians, two German tourists, two Spaniards and two crew members, both Peruvian, lost their lives.
Seven Italians die in a plane crash in Peru
The plane crash
The accident occurred just before 1pm local time on Saturday, 8pm in Italy. According to the local press, the Aerodiana aircraft had taken off a few minutes ago from Pisco Maria Reiche airport with the group of European tourists on board. It crashed in an agricultural area about 1.5 kilometers from the South Panamerican Highway, in the southern part of the city of Nazca. After the violent impact, the first rescue teams who arrived on site found the plane completely destroyed by flames.
🚨 Tragic airline accident in Nasca resulting in deadly victims ✈️
A Caravan airman from the Aerodiana company, who left the Pisco airport, suffered a fatal accident. According to the authorities, on the airship tourists from Germany, Spain and Italy, also… pic.twitter.com/PxFgYjBIlU
— Diario El Peruano (@DiarioElPeruano) August 1, 2026
At the moment there is no certainty about the causes of the disaster, but the hypothesis is gaining ground that the crash was caused by bad weather: in the last few hours strong winds have affected the region, where violent gusts have caused the fall of trees, damage to infrastructure, road accidents and the temporary suspension of air operations in several provinces.
🔴#Comunicado #Nazca #Ica pic.twitter.com/hhjmfpuNoP
— Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones (@MTC_GobPeru) August 1, 2026
What are the Nazca Lines
Recognized as a UNESCO heritage site since 1994, the Nazca Lines are located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, about 400 kilometers south of Lima. The geoglyphs of Nazca and the Jumana pampas extend for approximately 450 square kilometers.
UNESCO explains that “these lines, engraved on the surface of the ground between 500 BC and 500 AD, represent one of the major enigmas of archeology due to their quantity, nature, extension and continuity. The geoglyphs depict living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well as geometric figures several kilometers long. It is believed that they had ritual astronomical functions”.
Created by removing the surface layer of dark stones from the ground to reveal the lighter layer underneath, they constitute one of the most important archaeological sites on the American continent.
The precedents
Estimates of the number of tourists flying over the area range between 80,000 and 100,000 per year. Other accidents have occurred in the past, in 2022, a plane crash caused seven deaths, including two Chileans and three Dutch. In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members lost their lives when an AirNasca plane crashed after flying over the same area.