Plane Disappears After Navigation System Failure
A Boeing 737 cargo aircraft operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways has gone missing off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan, late Tuesday evening. The plane was flying from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi when it reported a malfunction in its navigation system at 9:18 p.m. local time, according to Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Five people were on board the converted freighter.
Radar Shows Rapid Descent and Communication Loss
The CAA stated that radar data indicated the jet experienced a sharp descent and an abrupt change in direction around 9:21 p.m. Both radar and radio contact were lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the aircraft initially dropped altitude, briefly ascended, then suffered another catastrophic dive.
According to Reuters, the last transmitted data placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, descending at a rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute—an exceptionally steep and irregular descent. Tracking intelligence suggests the plane fell roughly 35,000 feet in less than two minutes.
Aircraft History and Operator Details
The aircraft was a 27-year-old Boeing 737-400, originally delivered as a passenger jet to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999. It was converted into a freighter in 2012 and began operations with K2 Airways in 2024, serving as the airline's sole aircraft. K2 Airways is a privately owned Pakistani cargo airline founded in 2017, based at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, offering scheduled and charter freight services to domestic and regional destinations.
Search and Investigation Ongoing
The CAA confirmed via social media that search-and-rescue missions are underway across the Arabian Sea. No definitive cause for the disappearance has been established. Investigators will examine flight data, communications, and any recovered wreckage to determine what happened. If fatalities are confirmed, this would be Pakistan's first fatal crash since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed short of the runway in Karachi, killing 97 people.
