A small aircraft crashed over the Nazca Lines in southern Peru on Monday, killing all 13 people on board [1].

The accident occurred during a sightseeing flight over a UNESCO World Heritage site, highlighting the risks associated with tourism in the remote Ica region.

The aircraft was operated by local airline AeroDiana and carried 11 tourists from Europe and two crew members [1, 2]. The plane took off at approximately 12:10 p.m. [1]. Contact with the aircraft was lost shortly after 1:00 p.m. [1], meaning the crash occurred roughly 50 minutes after departure [1].

Reports on the nationalities of the deceased tourists vary. Some sources indicate the passengers were from Germany, Italy, and Spain [1]. Other reports state the victims included four tourists from the United Kingdom [2].

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori issued a statement of condolence regarding the tragedy. "I express my deepest condolences regarding this accident," Fujimori said [1].

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash. Officials said that strong winds and sand dust had impacted the region recently, including the previous day, when flights were cancelled due to sand dust [1].

“A small aircraft crashed over the Nazca Lines in southern Peru on Monday, killing all 13 people on board.”

This tragedy underscores the volatile weather conditions of the Ica region, where sand dust and high winds can rapidly compromise flight safety. The discrepancy in reported nationalities suggests a complex international coordination effort for victim identification and repatriation, while the investigation will likely focus on whether the weather conditions that grounded flights the previous day had sufficiently cleared for the Monday departure.