A cargo aircraft operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways has vanished off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan, late Tuesday evening after reporting a navigation system problem and subsequently losing contact with air traffic control. The 27-year-old converted freighter, a Boeing 737-400, was en route from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi when it disappeared.
Search and Rescue Underway
Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed via social media platform X that search-and-rescue operations are ongoing in the Arabian Sea for the missing aircraft, which carried five individuals on board. The authority stated that the plane reported a navigation system issue at 9:18 PM local time.
Radar data indicated that the aircraft began descending rapidly and executed a sharp change in direction at approximately 9:21 PM. Both radar and radio contact were lost roughly 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Dramatic Descent Data
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 data, as reported by the Express and Daily Star, showed the aircraft initially losing altitude, then briefly climbing, before experiencing another dramatic plunge. The final transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, according to Reuters news agency. This represents an extraordinarily steep and abnormal rate of descent.
Based on tracking data, the plane is believed to have plummeted roughly 35,000 feet in under two minutes. The aircraft is one of Boeing's older 737 models.
Aircraft History
The Boeing 737-400 was originally delivered as a passenger plane to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999 before being converted into a freighter in 2012. It is K2 Airways' only aircraft and began flying with the carrier in 2024. K2 Airways is a privately owned Pakistani cargo airline based at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. Founded in 2017, the airline operates scheduled and charter freight services, primarily connecting domestic hubs and regional international destinations.
Investigation and Potential Impact
No definitive cause for the disappearance has been established. Authorities have only confirmed that the crew reported a navigation system fault shortly before all contact was lost. Investigators will examine flight data, communications, and any wreckage retrieved before determining what occurred.
Should fatalities be confirmed, this incident would mark the first fatal crash in Pakistan since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed short of the runway in Karachi, resulting in 97 fatalities.
