K2 Airways Cargo Plane With Five Onboard Goes Missing Off Karachi Coast
A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea on Tuesday night while en route from Sharjah to Karachi, according to reports.
The aircraft lost contact with the area control centre approximately 300 kilometres west of Karachi as it was approaching Pakistani airspace, Dawn reported. The pilot had reported a navigation problem and requested assistance before communication was lost.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed that the aircraft carried five crew members. In a statement, the PAA said the plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 pm and was guided by the Karachi Area Control Centre. At 9:21 pm, the aircraft was observed rapidly descending and making a sharp change in heading, after which radar contact and communication were lost about 287 kilometres west of Karachi.
Flight-tracking service FlightRadar noted that preliminary ADS-B data indicated a loss of altitude, followed by a climb, and then a second, sudden and dramatic loss of altitude. Authorities have launched a search and rescue operation. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
