Six killed in Peru plane crash

DPA

Nazca, Peru, 03 October 2010: A small plane carrying tourists on a sightseeing flight crashed in Peru on Saturday, killing all six people on board. The propeller plane operated by Air Nasca was carrying four British travellers and two crew members, when an engine problem caused the crash some 350 km south of Lima, radio RPP reported, citing police chief Alfredo Coronel.

 

The airline runs flights for tourists to view the famed Nazca Lines, a series of giant pictures and designs left by ancient inhabitants and best viewed from the area.

 

 

The mysterious designs draw thousands of tourists every year to the desert along Peru’s Pacific coast, making the local airport the second busiest in Peru behind the capital Lima. Some 14 airlines offer tourist flights, which do not always meet international safety standards. Some eight people have died in crashes since 2008.