Another plane crash over the Nazca lines in Peru

Note: when I’m not in the US or flying somewhere, my “second home” is in Cusco, Peru.

4 British tourists and 2 Peruvian pilots were killed Saturday in a light airplane crash in the vicinity of the famous Nazca lines south of Lima. The aircraft is reported as being a Cessna 185, registration OB-1808.

• Peru plane crash story on Sky News.

Aircraft crash site near Nasca, Peru

(foto Sky News)

Many tourists take scenic flights over the Nazca lines, as they can only be fully seen from the air. However, in recent years the safety record of flights over the Nazca lines has been dismal:

• 7 people died in a February 2010 plane crash during a Nazca flight.
• The plane that crashed in February 2010 had made an emergency landing on a highway in November 2008.
• 5 French tourists died in an April 2008 plane crash near Nazca. (see commentary below)
• In June 2010 a light aircraft was reported hijacked over the Nazca lines, and the pilots later turned up in unexplained circumstances in the Peruvian jungle city of Puerto Maldonado.

Stuart at en Peru had this commentary about the 2008 crash:

“In March of 2008, five French citizens were killed after mechanical failures caused their plane to crash. The aeroplane was operated by Aeroica (Aero Ica) which had its operations shut down. The company had lied to the press indicating that a passenger panicked and caused the crash. Later investigations found that the plane had no fuel on board – apparently part of a effort to cut costs by having the planes glide back with the engine turned off.”

I’ve never flown over the Nazca lines, but just casual observation would make me think the safety standards are not good. In some reports there’s talk of the aircraft gliding back to base with the engine purposely cut off to save fuel. I’ve also been told that aviation and technical expertise in Peru is scarce.