Tourist plane that crashed in Peru near popular archaeological site reported mechanical issues

By Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN

(CNN) — The crew of a small sightseeing plane that crashed Saturday in southern Peru, killing 11 European tourists and two crew members, reported a mechanical problem before radio contact was lost, Peru’s government said.

“There was a call from the aircraft indicating that it was experiencing mechanical problems,” Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Rogers Valencia told reporters at the crash site near the Nazca Lines, a collection of ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert floor.

The UNESCO world heritage site features designs of animals and geometric shapes that are best seen from the air. The flight, operated by Peruvian airline Aerodiana, was taking tourists to view the desert markings.

Peru’s Transport and Communications Ministry said the pilots of the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, which can carry 12 passengers, notified the control tower at Nazca airfield of the emergency, in the aircraft’s final radio transmission.

Valencia said the Aviation Accident Investigation Commission is analyzing the call, the plane’s flight path, along with mechanical evidence from the wreckage, but authorities have not said whether the reported problem caused the crash.

Those aboard included tourists from Spain, Italy and Germany, as well as the two Peruvian crew members.

“There will be immediate results, and the process of assessing the condition of the wreckage will provide an in-depth understanding of the cause” of the accident, Valencia added.

Valencia said the Italian and German consuls were at the scene and he offered his condolences over the deaths of seven Italian and two German tourists. Two Spanish tourists also died, according to official information.

The Italian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Lima was in contact with Peruvian authorities and that the families of the Italian victims have already been notified. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X: “On behalf of the Italian government and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to their loved ones at this time of immense grief.”

Valencia said Pisco Airport, from where the Aerodiana flight took off, is “fully operational” and that “we need to determine the extent of liability” in the crash.

Asked about a possible suspension of operations at Pisco Airport, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori told reporters that “the suspension of the airport is being evaluated,” but added that she wanted to wait until the investigation was complete and ministers had submitted their reports.

Aerodiana said in a statement that it extended its condolences to the victims’ families and is “fully prepared to provide the necessary support.”

“Throughout our 18 years of operation, we have maintained an unwavering commitment to the safety of our passengers and crews. Therefore, this incident affects us deeply and reaffirms our willingness to cooperate with full accountability in whatever is required by the authorities,” the airline said.

According to the ministry, the accident occurred around 1 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Nazca airfield, after the plane took off from Pisco Airport for a flight over the Nazca Lines.

There have been other deadly crashes involving sightseeing flights near the Nazca Lines. In 2022, five tourists and two Peruvian crew members died when an aircraft went down near the site, Reuters reported. And in a 2010 accident, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members were killed when their light aircraft crashed.

CNN’S Mauricio Torres contributed to this report. With information from Spanish international news agency EFE.

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