A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members lost contact with air traffic control off the coast of Karachi. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
According to Pakistan aviation authorities, the plane reported a navigational system problem on Tuesday night while en route to Karachi, after which communication was lost.
Early flight data from Flightradar24 indicated that the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes and a steep final descent.
The Pakistan Airports Authority said a coordinated search-and-rescue operation at sea has been launched. K2 Airways stated it is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies.
"We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues," the aircraft operator said on Facebook. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (16:18 GMT) while flying toward Karachi, the airports authority said. Local air traffic control tried to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later radar systems showed the plane descending rapidly, and communication was lost. The flight was about 287 km west of Karachi at the time.
Flightradar24 tracking data showed the plane plunged about 5,000 feet in less than a minute, surged back 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds, before a dive from 36,550 feet. The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute – about 400 km/h – an extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.
"Anytime you see something extreme like that, it catches your eye, but it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information," said Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant.
The missing aircraft 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 into service with the carrier in 2024. Before the last flight, it had not flown since June 28.