A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane en route from Sharjah to Karachi disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, on Tuesday.
The K2 Airways has five crew members on board, the Pakistan Airports Authority said in a post on X.
They informed that the plane lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem on its way from Sharjah to Karachi.
“K2 Airways B 737 of from Sharjah to Karachi at time 2118PST reported Navigational system issue and was promptly guided by KARACHI ACC,” the Pakistan Airports Authority said.
Plane possibly ‘crashed into the sea’
Early flight data indicated the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, Reuters reported.
The Pakistan Airports Authority also claimed that the aircraft “was observed on RADAR rapidly descending and with rapid heading change.” It said that RADAR contact and communication was lost subsequently, approximately 155 NM west of Karachi.
Authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea through various agencies to locate the missing plane, Pakistan Airports Authority said on social media.
“Following the occurrence RESCUE COORD CENTRE has been activated and coordinated Search & Rescue launched at sea through various agencies to locate the missing aircraft. There were five crew members onboard the aircraft,” the authority said in a series of posts on X.
If casualties are confirmed, the incident would be the first fatal crash in Pakistan since 2020, when a Airbus A320 came down short of the runway in Karachi, killing 97 people after pilots were distracted discussing the coronavirus before a failed landing attempt.
‘Chaotic final minutes’: A timeline
The plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 pm Pakistan Standard Time (1618 GMT) while flying toward Karachi, the airports authority said.
Local air traffic control tried to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later, radar systems showed the plane descending rapidly, and communication was lost, the authority said.
The flight was about 155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi at the time, according to the statement.
The aircraft went missing while flying over the Arabian Sea near Ormara in Balochistan, Pakistan, local media Geo News reported.
Flightradar24 tracking data showed chaotic final minutes as the plane plunged about 5,000 feet in less than a minute, surged back some 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds, before a catastrophic dive from 36,550 feet.
The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute – about 400 kilometres per hour – an extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.
“Anytime you see something extreme like that, it catches your eye, but it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information,” said Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant.
What we know about the aircraft
The missing aircraft is part of Boeing’s decades-old 737 family but is two generations older than the 737 MAX version that was involved in a recent safety crisis.
It uses engines made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France’s Safran.
The 737-400 was first delivered as a passenger plane to Russia’s Aeroflot in 1999 and was converted to a freighter in 2012, according to Flightradar24.
It is K2 Airways’ only aircraft and entered into service with the carrier in 2024.
K2 Airways and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
