Search under way after Boeing 737 cargo plane goes missing off Pakistan coast | Plane crashes
Pakistani aviation authorities said a Pakistani-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control after reporting a problem with its navigation system while en route to Karachi on Tuesday night.
Initial flight data showed that the 27-year-old converted freighter, operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, 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.
Pakistan Airports Authority said authorities launched a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea through various agencies to locate the missing aircraft.
K2 Airways said it was cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies.
“We continue to pray earnestly for the safety of our colleagues,” the plane operator said on Facebook. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The airport authority reported that the aircraft experienced a problem with its navigation system at 21.18 Pakistan Standard Time (16.18 GMT) while it was flying towards Karachi.
Local air traffic control tried to guide the plane, but after three minutes radar systems showed the plane was descending rapidly and communication was lost, the official said. According to the statement, the flight was approximately 287 km west of Karachi at the time.
Flightradar24 tracking data showed the plane diving to nearly 5,000 feet in less than a minute before diving from 36,550 feet, rising back to 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds. The last data point transmitted placed the aircraft at 3,100 feet above sea level, at an extremely steep and abnormal descent rate with a vertical speed of minus 22,400 feet per minute (about 400 kilometers per hour).
“Anytime you see something extreme like this it catches your eye, but it’s too early to tell what this means without more information,” said Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant.
The missing plane 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 is K2 Airways’ only aircraft and entered the carrier’s service in 2024. Before the last flight, he had not flown since June 28, according to Flightradar24 data.
