A large-scale search operation is underway after the mysterious disappearance of a privately-owned Pakistani carrier's only Boeing plane during its journey from Sharjah to Karachi.
The K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo aircraft vanished after plummeting rapidly off Pakistan's coastline, having lost contact with air traffic controllers.
Five crew members remain unaccounted for as military assets scour the area where the plane was last picked up.
Pakistan's Airport Authority confirmed the freight flight departed from the United Arab Emirates, bound for Karachi before the incident struck yesterday.
Minutes before the descent began, the crew reported problems with the aircraft's navigation systems to controllers awaiting the plane at it's destination.
Pakistan's Airport Authority said: "K2 Airways B 737 of Pakistan Cargo Flight enroute from Sharjah to Karachi reported Navigational system issue and was promptly guided by Karachi ACC."
Just three minutes after this communication, radar operators observed what they described as a sudden and dramatic loss of altitude - with all contact with the aircraft then lost entirely.
The final data transmission from the Boeing 737 indicated its position as 155 nautical miles to the west of Karachi before the signal was lost.
The K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo aircraft vanished after plummeting rapidly off Pakistan's coastline
|GETTY
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the aircraft's turbulent final moments.
The Boeing 737 initially dropped some 5,000 feet in less than 60 seconds, before entering a catastrophic plunge from 36,550 feet, reaching speeds of 240 miles per hour.
Aviation specialists are bewildered at the nature of the descent, noting it does not match patterns typically associated with engine failure.
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The rapid fall and sudden communication loss have left investigators searching for explanations, with aviation expert Imran Aslam telling ARY News: "I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding."
Pakistan's navy and air force have been deployed in an urgent effort to locate the cargo jet and its crew.
Reports indicate the naval frigate PNS Zulfiqar was swiftly redirected to the coordinates where contact was lost.
K2 Airways released a statement this morning, identifying the five crew members aboard and confirming its full cooperation with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government bodies in the search.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the aircraft's turbulent final moments
|REUTERS
The five person crew is said to include a pilot, a first officer, a load master, and two engineers.
"We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues," the airline said.
The stricken aircraft had only entered service with the Karachi-based cargo operator in 2024.
Should fatalities be confirmed, this would mark Pakistan's first deadly aviation incident since 2020, when just one of 98 passengers survived after a jetliner crashed near Karachi airport.