World2 min(s) read
Published 15:30 08 Jul 2026 GMT
A major search operation is underway after a Boeing 737 cargo plane disappeared from radar off the coast of Pakistan following a rapid descent during a flight from the United Arab Emirates.
The Karachi-bound aircraft, operated by K2 Airways, lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday after reporting problems with its navigation system. Flight tracking data showed the plane descending sharply before all communication stopped, leaving authorities racing to locate the aircraft and its five crew members.
The pilot's final transmission has added to the mystery after reporting the aircraft was "rolling or floating" shortly before it vanished. Pakistan's airport authority said the aircraft experienced navigation system interference before radar recorded a sudden loss of altitude.
Pakistan's Airport Authority said the K2 Airways flight departed from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was heading to Karachi when the crew reported technical problems.
“K2 Airways B 737 of Pakistan Cargo Flight enroute from Sharjah to Karachi reported Navigational system issue and was promptly guided by KARACHI ACC,” Pakistan’s Airport Authority said in a statement.
Just three minutes later, radar systems detected what officials described as a "sudden and dramatic loss of altitude" before contact with the aircraft was completely lost.
The last transmitted data placed the Boeing 737 about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi over the Arabian Sea.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft dropping about 5,000 feet in less than a minute before entering a catastrophic dive from 36,550 feet at a reported speed of 240 mph.
Pakistan has launched a large-scale search effort involving both the navy and air force.
The Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar was diverted to the area where the aircraft was last detected as crews searched for any sign of the missing cargo jet.
The aircraft's sudden descent has left aviation experts searching for answers.
Imran Aslam told ARY News: “I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding.”
According to local media, one aviation specialist said the aircraft's rapid descent does not match the pattern typically seen during an engine failure.
K2 Airways, a private cargo airline based in Karachi, confirmed the identities of the five crew members on board in a statement released Wednesday.
The airline said it was “fully cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies”.
“We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues,” the statement said.
The Boeing 737 is the only aircraft operated by K2 Airways and entered service with the airline in 2024.
If fatalities are confirmed, it would be Pakistan's first fatal air crash since 2020, when a passenger jet crashed into a residential neighborhood near Karachi Airport. Government investigators later concluded that accident was caused by human error after determining the pilots had been distracted discussing the COVID pandemic before a failed landing attempt.
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)