First responders douse the wreckage of the Aerodiana plane near Peru’s Nazca Lines on Saturday.
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Peru has temporarily suspended the operations of sightseeing airline Aerodiana after one of its planes crashed in the country’s Ica region on Saturday, killing 11 European tourists and two crew members
Aerodiana, which flies customers over the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, must suspend all operations “until investigations are completed to verify the company’s compliance with the applicable aru’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Sunday
CNN has reached out to Aerodiana for comment
The Perueing plane had reported a mechanical problem before radio contact was lost
“There was a call from the aircraft indicating that it was experiencing mechanical problems,” Peruporters 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 was taking tourists to view the desert markings
The ministry earlier 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 A, 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 11 tourists from Spain, Italy and Germany, as well as the two Peru
“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 Peruave 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.”
Authorities work where a small aircraft carrying tourists from Germany, Italy and Spain crashed near the Nazca Lines archaeological site, in Nazca, Peru, on August 1.
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, Peruon of the airport is being evaluated,” but added that she wanted to wait until the investigation was complete and ministers had submitted their reports
In a statement issued before its operations were suspended, Aerodiana said 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 Peru, Reuters reported. And in a 2010 accident, four British tourists and two Peru
CNN’S Mauricio Torres contributed to this report. With information from Spanish international news agency EFE
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