A K2 Airways cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared over the Arabian Sea on Tuesday night after reporting a navigation system malfunction, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation by Pakistani authorities.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the Boeing 737 cargo flight was travelling from Sharjah to Karachi when the crew informed air traffic controllers of a navigational system problem at 9:18 pm Pakistan Standard Time. Controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre immediately began providing assistance to the aircraft.
Just three minutes later, at 9:21 pm, radar data showed the aircraft making a sudden change in heading before rapidly losing altitude. Air traffic controllers then lost both radar and radio contact with the aircraft approximately 155 nautical miles (287 kilometres) west of Karachi over the Arabian Sea.
Multi-agency search operation launched
Following the loss of contact, the Pakistan Airports Authority activated its Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and launched a coordinated search and rescue mission involving multiple agencies.
According to officials, the operation includes support from the Pakistan Navy, the Pakistan Air Force, and other maritime resources searching the Arabian Sea for the missing aircraft and its crew.
Five crew members were on board
The Pakistan Airports Authority confirmed that five crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 cargo aircraft when contact was lost. No information has yet been released regarding their identities or condition.
Cause remains under investigation
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the aircraft to disappear. While the crew initially reported a navigation system malfunction, officials have not established whether the technical issue was directly linked to the incident.
The Pakistan Airports Authority said search efforts remain underway and additional information will be released as it becomes available. Aviation investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the disappearance once evidence is recovered.
